The Service Gap !

Whether you are a property manager, strata council member or an owner, you want a clean building right? Of course you do.

However in many buildings there are often a few “extra tasks” that seem to have no one person directly responsible, and as a result they fall through the cracks. This service gap frequently occurs when there is no building manager for the location.

Basically property managers or strata members can hire trades and to undertake cleanings, repairs and other services. Yet there is nobody who can provide access for their staff, program entry systems, change light bulbs or undertake other routine work.

Sometimes residents try to step into the role, with mixed results. The day-to-day needs of their personal lives prevent them from fulfilling the required tasks, to the building’s detriment.

Cleaning services can fill this need, and many others. The can be tailored to a particular building’s requirements, such as:

1. Part Time Cleaning Services (service calls throughout the week)
2. Full Time Cleaning (on site every day, maybe even weekends)
3. Light Caretaking duties (that can program entry systems, allow access for trades, put elevator pads up etc, call out charges.)
4. Caretaker Services (they perform all of the light caretaking tasks + minor repairs.)

Every building is different, and will require a unique mix of services. Caretakers generally are more cost effective for buildings with more than 120 units.

Buildings under 120 units are often left with a gap in service level and should look to combine their cleaning needs and their light caretaking duties.

Combined with a cleaning service, this package can meet most of a building’s day-to-day needs. For smaller locations or ones with a more active strata, light caretaking duties may be more appropriate. This can involve an arrangement to provide a smaller set of services that a building needs. However they may also provide all services, but only for select days in the week.

Trade appointments are scheduled for days the caretaker is in house. For other unexpected issues or emergencies, the caretaker is on call, but a callout fee can be charged. All in all, this makes such services more affordable for smaller buildings that would otherwise be unable to have such services.

As always, it is best to talk to your service provider to identify the building’s unique need and design the best package possible.