Want to keep your tenants happy and reduce turnover?
Fact: Today’s tenants have more expectations than tenants of the past. When they walk into your building they are immediately assessing the cleanliness of common areas. And if you aren’t living up to those expectations…
You’re losing tenants.
The good news? Cleaning & building maintenance doesn’t have to be difficult. You just have to know what tenants expect and how to consistently provide it.
In this article, you’ll learn exactly what tenants expect from the cleanliness of modern buildings and how frequent common area cleaning helps you deliver (and exceed) their expectations.
Let’s jump in!
In this guide:
- Why Cleaning Standards Have Changed
- The Financial Cost Of Poor Cleaning
- What Tenants Expect Today
- The Power Of Scheduled Common Area Cleaning
- Top Areas To Focus On
Why Cleaning Standards Have Changed
Tenants aren’t the same as they were 5 years ago.
Hygiene sensitivity is heightened more than ever after the pandemic. Small things like elevator buttons and door handles that people previously wouldn’t think twice about are all noticed. Also, people are expecting these high touch areas to be sanitized.
Here’s the problem:
Most Property Managers are still operating outdated cleaning schedules. They’re cutting corners and hoping nobody notices. Tenants NOTICE. They’re taking their business elsewhere.
Industry stats reveal 92% of CRE landlords understand tenants expect more from their buildings. The bar has been raised. Simply meeting expectations won’t cut it.
Professional Strata Cleaning Perth services are fast becoming critical for strata managed properties where property managers are looking to provide reliable scheduled common area cleaning.
Here’s why this matters so much…
The Financial Cost Of Poor Cleaning
Poor cleaning doesn’t just annoy tenants — it costs you real money.
Every tenant that leaves you costs you thousands. Lost rent, marketing, cleaning between tenants, and applicant screenings can add up quickly.
Industry research has revealed commercial tenant turnover costs average approximately $31,927 per lost tenant. And that’s just the beginning. The cost to replace a commercial tenant is approximately 3x what it costs to retain one.
So the math is simple:
- Lose 5 tenants = potential $150,000+ in losses
- Keep those same 5 tenants happy with proper cleaning
- Save that money to invest back into your building
That’s a no-brainer, right?
What Tenants Expect Today
Modern renters have come to expect a certain level of cleanliness. If you aren’t providing it, you will receive complaints (or worse, they’ll just move out and leave negative reviews).
Here’s what tenants expect:
- Immaculate shared spaces — lobbies, hallways, elevators, mailrooms should be sparkling clean daily
- Sanitised high-touch surfaces — door handles, buttons, railings, and light switches disinfected daily
- Fresh-smelling shared spaces — no lingering odours in stairwells or garbage areas
- Bathrooms in good shape — shared bathrooms should appear to be spotless (even if they aren’t)
- Clean outdoor areas — parking lots, entryways and walkways free of litter and debris
The challenge? Struggling to meet each of these standards every day. Most structures fail at this.
It requires:
- A clear cleaning schedule
- The right products and equipment
- Trained cleaning staff
- Regular quality checks
Doing this ad-hoc doesn’t work. You need a proper system.
The Power Of Scheduled Common Area Cleaning
Routine cleaning of common areas is what separates a building with happy tenants from one with vacant apartments.
Here’s why it works so well:
With cleaning scheduled effectively, nothing is overlooked. All areas receive the appropriate amount of attention. High traffic areas are cleaned daily. Low traffic areas are cleaned weekly. Deep cleaning is scheduled monthly or quarterly.
The result? A building that always looks and feels clean.
Contrast that with buildings which use reactive cleaning. Something becomes dirty, someone complains, then it eventually gets cleaned. By then the damage has already been done. Tenants have already noticed.
Think about it:
When your tenant walks into the lobby and there is a dirty floor they think your entire building is being run down. Doesn’t matter how wonderful their apartment looks. First impressions.
A preventative scheduled common area cleaning program stops this from occurring. It’s prevention, not reaction.
FACT: Guest Satisfaction Surveys for Hospitality facilities rank cleanliness in their top 3 drivers for overall satisfaction. Cleanliness is usually #1. Same with apartment buildings and commercial buildings.
Top Areas To Focus On
Not all areas of your building are created equal.
The following areas will affect tenant opinion of your property more than others. These are where you should be focusing your routine common area cleanings:
Lobby & Entryway
Tenants and their guests see this first. It is the face of your building.
You want the lobby cleaned daily including:
- Floors mopped and polished
- Glass doors and windows wiped clean
- Furniture dusted and vacuumed
- Trash emptied and bins wiped down
Elevators
Elevators are arguably your building’s busiest vertical traffic space. They’re also one of the most-seen by tenants and visitors alike.
Focus on:
- Wiping buttons and control panels multiple times per day
- Cleaning floors daily
- Polishing mirrors and metal surfaces regularly
Hallways & Stairwells
They’re neglected way too often but they’re important. Tenants see these spaces every day.
Dirty carpets, dusty fixtures, and grimy handrails say nothing about the furniture except that management doesn’t care about this building.
Shared Bathrooms
If you have shared bathrooms in your building, this is your make or break department. Studies on guest satisfaction reveal that poor bathrooms hurt satisfaction more than great bathrooms increase it.
The takeaway? Shared bathrooms need multiple daily cleanings without exception.
Amenity Areas
Gyms, lounges, pool areas and rooftops require extra care. People pay top dollar for these perks. If they aren’t sparkling clean, guests will feel cheated (and spread the word).
Bringing It All Together
Building maintenance standards have shifted, and there’s no going back.
Customers today demand daily common area cleaning schedules that maintain every area. Not just every once in a while. Not just after something becomes noticeably dirty. Clean ALL common areas. Every day.
Here’s the bottom line:
- Cleanliness is directly tied to tenant satisfaction and retention
- Poor cleaning drives up turnover costs dramatically
- Scheduled common area cleaning solves the problem before it starts
- The right cleaning partner makes it easy to maintain standards
Attention all property managers and building owners. Now is a great time to take a look at your current cleaning standards. Do you meet the expectations of your tenants? Are you beating the competition?
The buildings that get this right will see:
- Higher retention — happy tenants stay longer
- Better reputation — positive reviews and word of mouth
- Higher rents — clean buildings command premium prices
- Lower costs — less turnover, less damage, less stress
Stop cleaning when your tenants start leaving. Be proactive.
