{"id":79278,"date":"2022-11-28T18:22:47","date_gmt":"2022-11-29T02:22:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/blog\/?p=79278"},"modified":"2023-04-05T14:58:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T21:58:37","slug":"what-is-a-building-super","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/blog\/what-is-a-building-super\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Building Super and What Are They Responsible For?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You may have heard the term building super when searching for an apartment but not know what the term means. This article will cover what a building super is, the types of supers you may encounter, their responsibilities, and how to even become a super yourself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Apartment<\/p>\n

What is a building super?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sometimes called a building superintendent or resident manager, building supers are the maintenance managers at apartment buildings of all sizes. Whether you live in a <\/span>co-op<\/span><\/a> or a <\/span>suburban apartment<\/span><\/a>, your building likely has a building super. In fact, most cities require that every apartment building hires a super to make sure that the building is well-maintained.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Depending on the size of your apartment building, you may have a visiting super, a live-in super, or an executive super. Live-in and executive supers are a huge selling point for apartment buildings that have them because they live on-site or within a block or two of the building they service. That means they’re there to address maintenance emergencies almost immediately, instead of waiting a few days for the visiting super to show up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The cost of a building superintendent is almost always included in your rent or maintenance fees, whether you’re looking for a <\/span>high rise<\/span><\/a> in <\/span>New York, NY<\/span><\/a> or a <\/span>studio<\/span><\/a> in <\/span>Nashville, TN<\/span><\/a>. However, there are different types of supers with different roles and responsibilities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of supers<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are three main types of building superintendents. The type of super your building has usually depends on how many residents live in the building. In fact, certain cities require that buildings of a certain size hire a certain kind of apartment superintendent to ensure the building is run well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Visiting or traveling super<\/span><\/h3>\n

A visiting super, or traveling super, usually works for smaller apartment buildings with 10 units or fewer. Since buildings of this size don’t require as much maintenance as a high-rise with 200 residents, your landlord may hire a visiting super on an as-needed basis. They most often work part-time, rather than full-time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the downsides of having a traveling super is that they don’t live in your apartment building. So, they won’t necessarily be there right away when a pipe bursts or your water heater gives out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And, they may not be able to help if the property manager has to hire a contractor or other maintenance worker. In buildings with more residents, the super may hire and\/or supervise contractors or handypeople to make sure the job gets done right. But visiting supers won’t necessarily be able to help with that, since they are part-time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Live-in super<\/span><\/h3>\n

Live-in supers typically work in larger apartment buildings than a visiting or traveling super. Their buildings usually house between 10 and 50 residents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As you may have guessed from the name, a live-in super lives in the apartment building where they work. Most often, they live in a basement or ground floor unit for free or a reduced rate. They typically have a workshop in the building as well. In some cases, the live-in super is allowed to live very close to the building where they work instead of in the building. They may also receive a wage or salary in addition to an apartment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Live-in building superintendents are handy to have around because they are typically on-call round the clock, everyday of the year. That means that, if your apartment building is broken into, or the garage door breaks overnight, someone will be there almost immediately to assess the problem and begin repairs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In most mid-size apartment buildings, a live-in super handles nearly all of the repairs for a building, rarely hiring out tasks to other maintenance workers. Generally, the apartment building’s only employees will likely be the super and the landlord. In some select cases, live-in supers may even take on some <\/span>landlord responsibilities<\/span><\/a>, like giving apartment tours to prospective tenants, if the landlord doesn’t live on-site.<\/span><\/p>\n

Executive superintendent or resident manager\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Larger apartment buildings or highrises may hire an executive superintendent, or resident manager, to take care of the building. These buildings have more than 50 residents, which means that the building may hire other full-time maintenance staff to make sure the building is always running smoothly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike live-in building supers, the executive super may hire out contractors for many maintenance tasks. They may also hire and supervise a staff of maintenance workers that work for the apartment building full-time. In other words, executive supers may provide more managerial help than maintenance help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to supporting contractors and other maintenance staff, a resident manager may help out the doorperson, concierge, and other building employees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Like a live-in building superintendent, a resident manager probably lives in or near the building and is on-call round the clock to make sure any complaints are handled promptly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

What is the difference between a super and a doorperson?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

At many high-rise and luxury apartments, you’ll find both a doorperson and a building super. You might even find them working together in the same place. So how are a doorperson vs. live-in super different? And more importantly, what can each of them do for you?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Super<\/span><\/h3>\n

The apartment superintendent is responsible for all things maintenance-related, making sure garbage is taken out and picked up, fixing leaky faucets, touching up apartments before new residents move in, and so on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As mentioned earlier, building supers most often live in the building where they work, or they live very closeby. And, they may manage a staff if they work at a larger building. That means they will likely be the one managing the building’s doorperson.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doorperson<\/span><\/h3>\n

While the building super provides maintenance assistance and sometimes security support, a doorperson provides security assistance and courtesy for residents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Doorpeople usually have two primary jobs. First, they receive and secure any packages that arrive at the building. Second, they greet and screen any people who enter the building. They know who is allowed to enter the building and when.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than completing jobs around the apartment building, they typically stick close to the front entrance. And they rarely live in the building. Unlike a building superintendent, a doorperson won’t help with maintenance or repairs, except by letting the contractor into the building. Also, they don’t hire and supervise employees like a building super.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having a doorperson is useful for residents because it’s nearly impossible for any deliveries to be stolen. And, it’s very unlikely that someone who isn’t allowed to enter the building will be allowed to enter. A doorperson is also useful for property managers because random contractors and other people won’t be allowed in. That means they won’t be slipped an unexpected bill from an ambitious window cleaner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Responsibilities of a super<\/span><\/h2>\n

Building supers complete a number of important tasks every week, designed to keep the building running smoothly, such as:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking out the garbage<\/span><\/h3>\n

More complicated than it sounds, a building superintendent is responsible for managing the garbage, recycling, and <\/span>compost<\/span><\/a>, if your building has it. They have to be aware of:<\/span><\/p>\n