Apartment and Condo Common Area Cleaning Costs - Pricing Examples and Tips
Summary: Apartment Cleaning Costs
Most professional cleaning companies charge either hourly rates starting around $20 per hour up to $50 per hour, or by the square foot ranging from $0.05 - $0.20 per square foot, for regular cleaning of common areas like lobbies, hallways, gyms and pool areas in apartment/condo complexes.
Thorough, professional cleaning of condominium and apartment complexes benefits workers, residents, and visitors alike.
Compared to using in-house staff, professional cleaning companies are more efficient and economical, thanks to innovations and higher quality cleaning equipment. What's more, you no longer have to deal with the hassle of managing these duties. Instead, you can focus on actually managing the property.
Table of Contents
- Benefits of Outsourcing Common Area Cleaning
- Customize Your Cleaning
- Average Costs
- Apartment Building Cleaning Cost Examples
- How Cleaning Companies Price Common Area Cleaning
- Free Commercial Cleaning Estimates
The Benefits of Outsourcing Common Area Cleaning
Professional cleaning companies have the training and expertise necessary to keep your property looking fabulous. Their sole focus is housekeeping and janitorial services. This means that they have the professional-level equipment and cleaning supplies, as well as the processes and procedures, to clean effectively and efficiently.
When you use in-house staff for cleaning, you not only have to pay the employees (including benefits), you also must supply the equipment and cleaning supplies. What's more, the results are just not the same. No matter how conscientious your staff is, they simply do not have the experience and expertise of a professional.
You also avoid the liability issues of completing this work in-house, such as workers' compensation claims for any injuries, and certifications required for completing certain types of tasks or using certain types of chemicals and equipment.
Your company has no responsibility for the cleaning company's employees, such as sick time or annual leave. You deal with the cleaning company representative; he or she handles all personnel issues.
Customize Your Cleaning
Every facility has its own cleaning needs. Your professional cleaning service works with you to design the level of care you receive. You may choose regular weekly cleaning of all community areas, such as the rental office, community center, and gym.
You may also schedule deep cleaning of units as they become available for rent, or the model units shown to potential tenants.
Commercial cleaners work with you to tailor their services to fit your needs. The result is a show-worthy property that attracts the quality clientele you prefer.
Average Costs of Commercial Apartment and Condo Common Area Cleaning
Most companies charge either by the hour or by the square foot, though some offer a flat rate.
Hourly rates start at around $20 per hour and go up to about $50 per hour. Square foot rates begin at around $0.05 per square foot, ranging up to around $0.20 per square foot. If you require deep cleaning services, such as restrooms, carpet cleaning, and window washing, add about 25 percent to that estimate.
Customer Perspectives: Real Apartment Building Cleaning Cost Examples
- Do you have any special requests?
- How often does your facility need cleaning?
- What is the age and condition of the property?
- How many square feet do you need serviced?
- What is the average traffic in the cleaning area?
"We manage a 50 unit apartment complex in Florida and pay $2000 per month for daily cleaning of the communal areas. This includes the lobby, hallways, laundry room, and outdoor pool deck."
"Our 100 unit luxury apartment high-rise in New York City pays $6000 per month for nightly cleaning. This covers the lobby, elevators, hallways, package room, amenities, and rooftop lounge."
"For our 200 unit apartment building in Texas, we budget $8000 per month for cleaning 5 days a week. This includes all interior community spaces, offices, fitness center, and parking areas."
"At our 300 unit apartment complex in Oregon, we signed a cleaning contract for $12,000 per month. This is for nightly cleaning of the leasing office, clubhouse, corridors, stairwells, garage, and outdoor spaces."
"As a 500 unit rental property management company in Colorado, we pay $22,000 per month total to have 20 properties cleaned 5 nights a week. The contract covers interior and exterior common areas."
"For our luxury high-rise in California, we budget $30,000 per month for intensive cleaning of the units between residents, all building amenities, offices, and grounds."
The examples show prices ranging from $2000/month for smaller complexes up to $30,000+ for high-end buildings with extensive common spaces needing frequent cleaning.
How Cleaning Companies Price Common Area Cleaning
When pricing cleaning services for apartment complex common areas like hallways, stairwells, laundry rooms, clubhouses, pool areas, restrooms, lobbies, etc., it is important to understand the full scope of work. Steve, from The Janitorial Store, advises asking the apartment manager detailed questions about expectations for each area.
He recommends starting by measuring all floor spaces - carpet, tile, stone, concrete - as well as counting stairs/steps. With established production rates for tasks like vacuuming, mopping, window washing, and dusting, you can calculate the total time needed.
Steve explains, "By having those production rates, that’s what we’re going to do in order to arrive at a price point for the common areas." Multiply the total weekly time by 52 weeks to get annual hours. Divide by 12 for monthly hours. Then multiply monthly hours by your hourly billable rate. This gives the monthly price to quote.
He notes apartment common areas are priced just like offices or medical centers using production rates. The key is knowing your rates through tracking and timing tasks. Steve says, "Once you arrive at your total hours per month, multiply it by your billable rate. That’s your price point." This covers labor, equipment, supplies and profit.
By following this approach using established production rates, cleaning companies can easily quote competitive pricing for apartment common area cleaning.
Requesting a Quote
With so many pricing variables, you should answer five questions before requesting a quote:
Request a free quote from at least three vendors, comparing the costs and benefits of each. Ask plenty of questions during the negotiation phase, and do not sign a contract that doesn't include a cancelation clause.
Get Bids From Residential Cleaners
Use our free request for quote tool and get price quotes from multiple house cleaners in your area. There are no obligations to hire and we won't ask for your credit card information.