Cleaning outside of condo

Started by JosephR7 • 5 replies • 147 views

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JosephR7 (Florida)
Posts: 7

Posted:

If the outside of your condo gets dirty really quick, can you clean it yourself? If the walls get dirty. If the gutters filled with leaves overflow. If the gutters and the section they are attached to get dirty, can they be cleaned by the owner? I believe the condo cleans once a year but if the outside starts looking dirty 6 months later do you really want to wait for another 6 months to get it cleaned. This is just cleaning with a rag and pulling out leaves from the gutter. Seems pretty harmless. No tools needed, no repairs, no replacements of anything.

Joseph

CathyA3 (Ohio)
Posts: 6,299

Posted:

How do you plan to get at the gutters without tools?

Boards don't want owners climbing around on the outside and falling off ladders. Or damaging the exterior with whatever chemicals they use (if your buildings get that dirty that quickly, a rag won't do it). It's all about liability, and Florida is having enough problems insuring condo properties without adding unnecessary accidents to the mix.

If your association cleans every year, they're doing a good job. The holdup is likely money.

If it really bothers you, then you should run for a seat on the board so that you have a voice in deciding how often the buildings are cleaned. If you're on the board, you get to help figure out how to pay for additional cleanings and whether that's more important than all of the other things the association has to take care of.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

As a high rise condo owner, Cathy is right on target.

Our Association also pays for cleaning the exterior of windows* 2X year. BUT, the. equipment on the roof isn't passing some things about safety, which requires parts that no longer exist. It's been a YEAR since the windows have been cleaned and residents are screaming.

*Residents clean their windows that are on their balconies.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,061

Posted:

You could. However, you would be responsible if any damage occurred.

My suggestion - run this by your board.

You might also want to suggest to the board to purchase gutter guards (different ones work better for different areas) to minimize the leaf build up.
If these are town-home or patio home style condos, you might even offer to purchase some for your unit.

CathyA3 (Ohio)
Posts: 6,299

Posted:

If this is a condo, any owner-installed item on common elements create problems with ownership, maintenance responsibility, and insurance. This is one reason that CC&Rs require such things to be approved ahead of time. I wouldn't assume that the board would allow owners to install gutter guards on their own homes unless (as in townhouses) the owner actually owns the exterior of the unit.

MarshallT (New York)
Posts: 414

Posted:

I don't see anything negative happening if you cleaned these things yourself, but if it is the board's responsibility, I would also consider bringing the issue up at a meeting. I can understand that having a dirty exterior is displeasing.

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