Apartment complexes are subject to some unique cleaning scenarios not found in offices, industrial environments, and government buildings. Take common areas. There are two types to consider: the common areas available only to residents and those available to residents and the general public alike. Keeping them clean is particularly important to maintaining a positive image.
Some apartment managers hire cleaning staff or pay residents to take care of the business. Others turn the task over to commercial cleaning services. It is less important how communal areas are kept clean and more important that the work actually gets done.
It’s an Image Thing
The most heavily trafficked common areas in apartment complexes are those open to both residents and the public. At the top of the list is the rental office. It could very well see the most daily traffic on the property. It is also the main location for interaction between would-be renters and complex managers.
Why keep the office clean? It’s an image thing. The last thing an apartment complex manager needs is for prospective renters to come in, see a dirty rental office, and walk out without any intention of applying. Turning possible renters away amounts to wasting the manager’s time. It is also throwing away revenue. Not good.
Apartment complexes offering amenities like pools, clubhouses, and gyms will typically offer guided tours intended to entice potential renters to submit their applications. When this is the case, managers must keep in mind that the condition of the property’s public spaces creates an image in the visitor’s mind. If that image isn’t a positive one, an application may not be forthcoming.
It Sets an Example
Moving on to common areas not open to the general public, a manager still has residents to worry about. The cleanliness of such communal areas sets an example for renters. Does the complex swimming pool look dirty and run down? Is the clubhouse left uncleaned for months at a time?
What renters see in common areas can dictate how they take care of their own apartments. So it is in the manager’s best interests to make sure that all common areas are regularly cleaned and maintained. Whether it’s accomplished through a commercial cleaning service or an in-house crew doesn’t matter. It just needs to be done.
By the way, these types of resident-only communal areas include interior hallways, entryways, mail facilities, laundry facilities, etc. Any on-site area accessible by renters should always be kept clean and tidy. Otherwise, they set a bad example.
Scheduling Regular Cleaning
Keeping common areas from looking dirty and run down is not all that hard. It is really just a matter of committing to regular cleaning. How often common areas should be cleaned depends on how a space is used, the amount of traffic it gets, and how quickly dirt accumulates. Seasonal influences must be considered as well.
The key is developing a schedule and sticking with it. The rental office should be surface-cleaned and vacuumed at least daily. A deeper clean would probably be appropriate once every week or two. Internal hallways are good candidates for daily vacuuming and trash removal. Common restrooms should be cleaned daily, at minimum. Heavy use might dictate multiple surface cleans per day.
Common spaces at apartment complexes tend to get dirty very quickly. It is understandable, given the amount of traffic they typically see. For the apartment manager, keeping such areas clean should be a priority. Whether cleaning is handled by local staff, residents, or a commercial cleaning service, the important thing is that the work gets done.
