Caretaking and cleaning charges include the cost of these services, as well as any associated services such as collecting bulky rubbish and rubbish chutes cleaning.

The charge for a resident caretaker includes the costs of:

wages
accommodation allowances
a uniform
tools and equipment

Resident caretakers live in one of the blocks they look after, which may not be the same block as you.

The charge for mobile caretakers does not include any costs for accommodation, but does include the costs of:

wages
transport
uniform
tools and equipment

We work out the charges based on the average amount of time we estimate the caretaker will spend at your block each week. The caretaker’s duties will vary from block to block, depending on the tasks that need doing.

A caretaker’s main tasks are:

checking that shared lighting is working properly and changing bulbs and time clocks where they are able to
clearing litter
reporting repairs
sweeping shared entrances to blocks, and
cleaning the inside surfaces of shared windows

We will charge you for:

removing large items, such as prams or mattresses, which we would not normally take away as general rubbish (this is an extra service we provide to council properties and is not covered by the Council Tax)

cleaning the rubbish chutes and bin rooms (this may involve using special chemicals and protective clothing)

cleaning shared areas such as staircases, corridors and balconies (this service is normally carried out on large estates only; building cleaners are also responsible for removing graffiti and polishing the floors in shared areas)

shared electricity charges are for the lights in shared areas (controlled-entry systems, lifts and any shared aerial systems; charges are based on the electricity bills we receive on the relevant electricity meters)

day-to-day repairs, including work to shared parts of the block such as the roof, shared staircases, window frames and drains (we only charge repair and maintenance costs for that block, not for the whole estate)

lift repairs and maintenance charges, including the cost of the yearly maintenance and monitoring contract, as well as the cost of any new parts (occasionally these costs may not be shown separately from day-to-day repairs)

entry-phone repairs and maintenance charges, including the cost of repairs, renewing parts, altering time-clocks, and maintaining all parts of controlled-entry systems, including video cameras (occasionally, these costs may not be shown separately from day-to-day repairs)

paladins and dumpsters (these are large bins on wheels for rubbish); the charge covers the costs of hiring, maintaining and cleaning them, and depends on how many bins there are (the charge does not cover the costs of emptying the bins, which is carried out by the council’s refuse collection team)

window-cleaning charges for cleaning the outside of shared windows, such as those on staircases and in entrance halls (in some blocks, caretakers will do this as part of their duties, as well as cleaning the inside of the shared windows)

porter or concierge costs, including wages, equipment, uniforms and phone costs.