For the sake of simplicity, I will simply group caretakers, building managers, resident managers under the umbrella name, “superintendent“.
As a building superintendent you will be responsible for the house you and the rest of the occupants live in. Pretty well the same as you probably do now at home. At home you should know how everything works and whom to call when something goes wrong.
At home you make sure the garage door and the entry doors work as they should and everything is secure.
When the furnace or air conditioner acts up you get it fixed. The same goes for the washer/dryer, kitchen appliances, the bathroom fixtures, light bulbs, audio visual and computers. You either fix what is wrong or get on the phone and bring in the service person who knows what to do.
That is the job you take on when you set up a home. It is really not much different when you take on the job of superintendent. The buck stops at your doorstep.
Every building, either low-rise or high-rise, will have fixtures and doors and lights etc. the same as outlined here. There will be more items on that list such as elevators, garbage compactors, HVAC make up air units, stand-by generators and perhaps hot-tubs and swimming pools. However, you will be the person who will be responsible for the operation of each of them.
The number one thing people who consider superintending to be a big problem is that they wrongly believe they need to repair these things themselves. That is completely wrong.
What the building super needs to know is who to call when things go wrong. So you need to know the difference between normal and abnormal operation.
For instance. Let’s assume you are in charge of a hi-rise. The hot water boilers are generally on the roof level. The normal temperature for the water may be 140 degrees. Every day you must check the boiler room for leaks as well as the temperature gauge. If you happen to see that the temperature has dropped to 120 degrees their may be a problem. The burners should be on under the boiler. If the burner is on then you might want to check to see if there is an abnormal use of hot water taking place in the laundry room. If it is at a time when many residents are taking showers before heading for work that could be the cause. If so the water should be up to par soon. If the problem does not correct itself I would call the plumber in to check on it.
The Registered Management Training Institute in Canada (RMTI) offers an excellent program for training and certification of Superintendents. You can finish the course in a short time if you work at it. With the RMTI certificate in hand along with your resume you will be well on your way to a nice career. Check the website and see for yourself.
The certificate answers the question for the interviewer as to weather you have any qualifications. It is possible to obtain employment without it. For instance if you have a background in construction, but more and more employers want the RMTI certificate.
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.
