When you begin to look for work as a Superintendent it is natural to look at the money side.
Wages can be as low as free rent only for a small older building. The company may only want someone to be home on the weekend while the super is off.
On the other end of the scale the superintendent in a 350 unit rental building will require a cleaning staff as well as a rental agent and an assistant super couple. In this situation the super may be paid upwards of $50,000 or $60,000. Plus a two bedroom apartment with all services included. Medical benefits, cell phones or radio, plus weekends off and vacations.
The assistant super will be paid less, anywhere from $30,000 and up. They will also have all of the benefit’s the super enjoys.
When you take into consideration the costs of the rent and benefits you might add at least $15,000 to the overall package.
Another cost benefit is you now work from home. Commuting costs are eliminated. To get to your workplace you simply step out of your door into the hallway.
This sounds like a great deal but consider this. The job requires a couple. That is both partners must work. In the smaller buildings perhaps one might work but for the most part, both will be required to do so. Some jobs in larger buildings are specific. For instance, a large building of 350 units in Toronto required an assistant super. The cleaning was done by a cleaning staff. The assistant would be working on his own without his wife. If the cleaning staff was not there, his wife would be required to clean.
The job of Superintendent generally requires a couple. Most times the male is hired to maintain the mechanical operations of the building and the female will either do the cleaning, or, maintain the office, or both. For instance, a rental building of up to 120 units may require the female to do both jobs. A larger building will naturally have more monthly rental turnovers thus creating a greater office workload. In these cases the female will do the office work only. There is no strict rule to this. Each company is different.
In Canada, Revenue Canada want their share of the pie. In the case of the free rent it doesn’t really mean “free”. The free apartment becomes a taxable benefit. If the rent on a similar apartment in the building is $1,000. For instance, the tax department would deem your “free” rent as a taxable benefit of one half or $500. which would be taxable.
Most buildings will have a compensation package that includes money for extra work. For instance. At the months end when people move out of their apartments. Someone needs to go in, clean it up, paint if necessary, shampoo the carpets, defrost the fridge, clean the appliances, bathroom and fixtures, change the drapes, as well as make small repairs. Each company will have different ways to get the jobs done. They may pay the super extra to do this. They may have a contract with a cleaning company to come in and do it. They may contract out the carpet cleaning. Some supers have their own shampooers and do it themselves for extra money.
Some superintendents will do small jobs or painting in condo buildings for owners who then pay them for their services.
We have learned plenty during the ten years we did this. Too much to take care of in one article. For those of you who may want to hear more about this career please check these articles:
Train to be a Building Caretaker or Building Superintendent
The Money End of Rental and Condominium Management
How to Pick The Right Condominium or Rental Building to Manage
At age Seventy Three we go Back to Work. Incredible Isn’t it!
Joe and Irma Mac Millan have enjoyed the Whistler Mountain and valley area of British Columbia for many years. They have camped, hiked and skied the mountains and fished and kayaked the rivers and lakes. Their website
Whistler-Outdoors is a must visit for anyone considering a trip to Whistler as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. They invite one and all to take a look.
