S3201 - Caretaking services in apartment and business blocks, elevator operators, condo associations, building maintenance management, modular storage

Operational Details
Caretaking in apartment and building blocks involves cleaning and maintaining the interior and exterior of commercial, residential building blocks and the surrounding grounds. Caretakers in this industry specialize in doing general cleanup, including the sweeping, mopping, scrubbing and waxing of hallways, floors and stairs. Caretakers operate industrial vacuum cleaners and polishers, and empty out trash and waste containers. They wash interior and exterior windows and any other areas that the tenants are not responsible for. They may clear snow and ice from walkways and driveways using snow blowers and shovels, cut grass and tend flower beds. They clean and maintain washer and dryer facilities, and make adjustments and minor repairs to heating, cooling, ventilating and plumbing and electrical systems. Workers may also perform other routine jobs such as painting, or fixing a broken hinge on a door, replace glass in a window, etc. They may also provide security services for the tenants and may also act as a parkade or parking lot attendant.

Elevator operators are specialized workers. Today, many of the elevators are automatic or electronically controlled. The service is usually provided in historical and government buildings, with the exception of a few of the older hotels and apartment blocks. Doorman services may also be included, however, there should be few employers who carry this service on as a business.

Building maintenance management involves managing a number of buildings, providing caretaking and maintenance services, including providing their own workers to perform much of the needed services, or hiring of contractors to do major repairs, remove snow in parking lots and renovating apartments. They may also be responsible for the leasing or renting out of apartments on behalf of the owner, screening candidates, collecting overdue rents, evicting renters, and advertising available space in newspapers, radio, TV, etc.

Modular storage operators provide facilities for short and long term storage of items. The facilities are usually fenced in with entry for owners and renters available through a locking gate. Units range from lockers to rooms of various sizes and may be heated or unheated. Once a unit is rented, the renter typically has sole access to it.

A condo association is made up of a board of directors elected by the membership, these board members are also unit owners. Membership to condo associations is compulsory for all unit owners and monthly or annual fees are collected. Condo associations are responsible for managing the repairs and maintenance of all common areas such as, but not limited to, lobbies, common hallways, sidewalks, roofs, elevators, swimming pools and parking lots. The members of the board may handle some of these elements themselves however most often hire contracted services.

SIC Codes
000000758 - Caretaking service
000000981 - Modular storage
000000760 - Building maintenance
000000759 - Elevator operator
000001043 - Condo associations