Common Area Cleaning Checklist
Why a Common Area Cleaning Checklist?
Homeowner Associations (HOAs) exist for two main reasons. First, they exist to protect property values of all owners in the community. Second, they exist to give residents a pleasant experience living in the community. These two purposes converge when it comes to caring for community common areas and amenities. By doing a good job managing amenities and common areas, property managers and HOAs can pay for themselves by increasing property values and helping residents have a great time living in the community.
I built this common area cleaning checklist to show property managers and HOAs all the great things they can do for their residents with a professional cleaning service like Five Star Janitorial. We pride ourselves on our “three-legged stool” approach to common area cleaning, which means we focus on communication between all three stakeholders in common area cleaning: HOAs, property managers, and the cleaning service.
By focusing on excellent communication, Five Star Janitorial makes sure the job is done right and each stakeholder has a great experience as a member of a “dream team.” With this approach, Five Star’s well-trained staff can act as the eyes and ears for busy HOAs and property managers at a property. Check out this list to see how we can team up with you to keep your community clean and safe in the greater Denver and Aurora areas.
The Common Area Cleaning Checklist
1. Pool Deck and Clubhouse
Is the pool area of your community consistently clean? Are the clubhouse and bathrooms sparkling? Pool decks can quickly get cluttered and accumulate trash. Furniture moved out of place can quickly make the deck crowded and unusable.
An HOA without a pool deck and clubhouse cleaning service should really consider bringing us in to keep things in ship shape! With our help, that pool and clubhouse area will impress anyone who sees it.
2. Foyers, stairwells, hallways
High traffic common areas of a community get dirty, and they get dirty fast. Tenants do not want to walk through unsightly foyers, stairwells, or hallways on a daily basis. Likewise, they do not want to bring guests through messy common areas.
Five Star Janitorial uses CDC approved chemicals and processes to make sure all residents can take pride in their community. Spot cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, and mopping all need to be done frequently in these high traffic areas. This is especially true in a place like Colorado where the weather can change suddenly, resulting in mud or salt being tracked in when you least expect it!
3. Windows & Glass
A pet peeve I have is dirty glass and windows. Don’t you find fingerprints on a glass door and stains on windows unsightly? At Five Star, we sure do! HOAs and property managers often look past the importance of clean windows and glass. Residents are sure to “see through” this mistake though! Make sure you get your glass surfaces cleaned regularly to keep your property in top shape.
4. High Touch Surfaces
HOAs and property managers should keep in mind the lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic as we move forward. Sanitizing high touch surfaces like door handles, elevator buttons, and light switches is a must for community health and wellness. Not only that, residents really expect this service to be done frequently. Five Star Janitorial can provide just what you need using CDC approved chemicals and processes for sanitizing surfaces.
5. Recreation & Playgrounds
It is critical for a property manager or HOA to patrol recreational grounds for trash and other hazards. Most HOAs and property managers don’t have the time to do this themselves, so it is important for them to contract with professionals who can. Trained cleaning staff pick up trash and pet waste, but they can also act as an extra set of eyes and ears for the HOA and property manager, reporting back if they notice any unsafe conditions or suspicious activity, thereby helping reduce possible liability for the community.
6. Trash disposal
In your community, how far would you need to carry a piece of trash before you could throw it away? As the distance between trash cans increases in a community, the likelihood someone will litter increases greatly. HOAs and property managers should make sure to have a cleaning service install trash cans and set a schedule for the bags to be switched out. A few cans go a long way in preventing litter and helping the environment.
7. Parking lots
Did you know that in Colorado property managers and HOAs have a duty to protect guests from unsafe conditions? Something as simple as a parking lot can actually have serious liability ramifications. An insured and bonded janitorial service can help HOAs and property managers stay out of trouble by providing a second set of eyes, picking up trash that someone might trip on, reporting potholes that could twist an ankle, and reporting dangerous unlawful activity.
8. Pet Waste Management
Pet waste is an irritant for everyone, and pet waste stations ensure that residents are both reminded to clean up, and that they have the tools to do so conveniently. This keeps the neighborhood clean and much more enjoyable for everyone, dog owners and non-dog owners alike. Pet stations also are very appealing to prospective buyers, many of whom see a pet station as a virtue signal that the community is welcoming to four-legged-friends.
Altogether, the minimal cost of installing strategic pet waste stations and having them monitored can have an outsized impact on property values and resident quality of life.
9. HOA Compliance Walks
HOAs often rely on resident complaints to enforce community rules. Usually neighbors are extremely reluctant to cause drama by reporting their friends to the HOA for violating community rules. I know because I’ve seen it with my relatives who struggled with HOA violating neighbors. A neighbor of theirs put up an eyesore that clearly violated community rules and harmed property values.
Disliking the rules violation – but no wanting to get mixed up in any drama – my relatives tolerated it and chose not to report it to the HOA. Luckily for them, a different neighbor reported it, saving the curb appeal of the whole street. To fix this dilemma, professionals can periodically walk the community and keep an eye out for blatant community rules violations. They can report the house that hasn’t mowed their lawn in six months, or has a car on blocks in the driveway, or whatever else it may be.
This keeps property values high and helps neighbors stay friends by not having to file a complaint themselves.
Contact us to today!
I hope that you find this checklist helpful as you look at your property management practices. Five Star Janitorial would love to help you build a “dream team” for common area cleaning, based on our excellent and professional communication using the three-legged stool approach.
Let us be your extra set of eyes and ears in the greater Denver and Aurora areas. Property managers, Homeowner Associations, and cleaning service are all on the same page with Five Star. Contact us today!
By Art Tucker, Owner, Five Star Janitorial