There’s no doubt about it: the novel coronavirus has become the issue in our country in recent weeks, and the multifamily industry is in a whirlwind as operators work to protect their team members and residents. 

Properties are well aware that any visitors can pose a risk which is why using services that work with the properties to ensure proper precautions are made is so important. These may be workers from a community’s supplier partners or from the service providers your residents use to help with everyday tasks like dog walking, house cleaning and other chores. 

As social distancing recommendations and stay at home orders growing on a daily basis, apartment communities and residents have a right to expect that their service providers do everything they can to prevent the spread of the coronavirus while onsite. The CDC has released some new cleaning guidelines, and here are some additional practices service providers should be employing:

• It’s perhaps the most commonly heard recommendation these days, but service provider employees must wash their hands as much as possible. They should wash their hands between each and every service. They should wash them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, they should use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Service providers must require employees to stay home if they are feeling ill or have symptoms of sickness. It is advised to have every employee take their temperature every morning before reporting for work. Any slight temperature and they should stay home.
• Service providers need to use disposable gloves, wipes and paper products when possible. They should avoid using cloth towels, and they should change out of, and dispose of, gloves before moving onto the next apartment home to be serviced.
• Cleaning companies should use fresh mop heads for each apartment home.
• If a resident is inside his or her apartment home and appears to be ill, service providers should cancel the service immediately. However, under ADA guidelines, they cannot ask a resident to disclose any health condition.

It’s also important for apartment operators and residents to understand the differences between cleaning versus sanitizing versus disinfecting and to convey to service providers what they are expecting. To put it simply, we want to focus on disinfecting as it is the only way to effectively kill germs. Cleaning and sanitizing minimize the number of germs. Keep in mind that the longer a cleaning agent sits (anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes) on a surface the more likely it will kill up to 99.9% of germs. This is vitally important right now. Disinfectant wipes can be used on a regular basis – morning and evenings – to help keep germs at bay, but the longer disinfection method should be used every couple of days. Spray counters, sinks, faucets and fixtures and let them air dry.

Apartment operators and residents shouldn’t hesitate to talk with their service providers about the extra steps they are taking to contain the spread of the coronavirus. This is a trying time for all of us but it’s vital that we all do our part.