The entrance to the building is the first thing tenants, guests and anyone who comes see. It is also the first thing that a potential buyer or tenant of an apartment notices.
And yet it is an area that no one is individually in charge of — so it often happens that no one does anything for months until the situation becomes unbearable.
This text explains how to make building cleaning a regular, paid service instead of an occasional improvisation: who decides, how the cost is shared, what the contract must contain and how much it actually costs.
Why cleaning a building rarely solves itself "by itself"„
Most buildings in Montenegro go through one of three phases.
Rotation among tenants
The agreement to clean each floor once a week seems fair on paper. In practice, it falls apart in two months — someone forgets, someone refuses, someone works superficially, and then the others give up because they feel used.
One tenant who "cleans anyway"„
Usually someone older or someone who is most bothered by the mess. It works for free until it burns out, then it stops — and then the situation is worse than before, because everyone got used to not having to.
Hired service
The only option that lasts. Someone is paid to come at an agreed time and do an agreed job, and the tenants pay a small monthly fee.
The difference between the first two and the third option is not money — but what the third one has clearly defined responsibility.
Who decides on hiring?
The decision to maintain common areas is made at the building level, not individually.
Building manager usually initiates the procedure, collects bids and proposes a solution.
Tenants' assembly decides — about whether the service will be hired, which offer is accepted and how much is allocated per month.
Condominium owners they pay through a monthly maintenance contribution.
The specific rules about how much of a majority is required and how the decision is formalized vary from building to building and depend on the applicable regulations and bylaws of your housing association. Before you sign anything, check with the manager.
Practical advice: collect three offers before the assembly. Tenants vote much more easily when choosing between concrete figures than when voting on an abstract idea.
What does the cleaning of a residential building include?
The scope of work should be precisely defined before signing. This is a common standard.
Entrance and hallways
- Washing the floors of the entrance and all corridors
- Dusting mailboxes
- Cleaning the glass surfaces of the front door
- Deletion of switches, intercoms and handles
Staircase
- Washing of stairs on all floors
- Deleting fences and handrails
- Removal of cobwebs in corners and around lighting
Elevator
- Washing the cabin floor
- Wiping walls and mirrors
- Cleaning buttons and doors
Common areas
- Basement and common passages
- Garbage room — washing and disinfection
- Room for bicycles or strollers, if available
Outdoor space
- Sweeping the entrance plateau and access path
- Cleaning around containers
- Removing leaves seasonally
Seasonal and occasional
- Washing windows on the staircase — two to four times a year
- Deep washing of floors by machine — once or twice a year
- Cleaning of lighting fixtures
How often should it be cleaned?
The frequency depends on the number of apartments and the intensity of traffic.
| Building size | Recommended frequency |
|---|---|
| Up to 8 apartments | 1× per week |
| 8–20 apartments | 2× per week |
| 20–40 apartments | 2–3× per week |
| Over 40 apartments | 3× a week or more |
Factors that increase the frequency: ground floor with office space, building without elevator, building where apartments are rented out to tourists, near the beach or construction site.
Seaside buildings that rent apartments to tourists have a significantly higher flow of people in the season — many double their frequency from June to September and return to normal in October.
How much does it cost to clean a building
The price is usually negotiated. per month per building, not upon arrival. It depends on the number of floors, the frequency and whether outdoor space is included.
| Building | Frequency | Approximate price per month |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 8 apartments | 1× per week | €60–120 |
| 8–20 apartments | 2× per week | €120–250 |
| 20–40 apartments | 2–3× per week | €250–450 |
| Over 40 apartments | 3× per week | €400 and up |
What does that mean in the apartment?
A building with twenty apartments and a price of €200 per month means €10 per apartment. That's an amount that hardly anyone complains about when they see the result — and that's the figure that should be presented at the assembly, not the total.
Additional costs that are often forgotten
Machine washing floors, window washing and deep cleaning are usually charged especially, as an occasional service. Ask for those prices now, so they don't come as a surprise.
For a broader overview of cleaning prices, see the text How much does it cost to clean an apartment and a house in Montenegro.
Why a building needs an agency, not an individual
An individual is often a better choice for an apartment or apartment. Almost never for a building — for four specific reasons.
Account is required.
The cost is shared by all tenants and must be on the books of the housing association. Without an invoice, the manager has nothing to justify the expenditure.
Replacement must be guaranteed.
If a person gets sick, the building cannot wait a week. The agency sends another.
Equipment for occasional work
Machine washing floors, washing windows on higher floors, deep cleaning — these require equipment that the individual does not have.
Liability of a legal entity
If damage or injury occurs in the common area, you have a contractual party, not a verbal agreement.
If you are interested in the bigger picture of this dilemma, see the text Housekeeper or cleaning agency.
What must the contract contain?
This is the part that is most often skipped — and the one that causes disputes later.
Exact scope of work, room by room. „"Cleaning the building" is not the scope of work. The list is.
Frequency and days of arrival. If it is arranged twice a week, write which days.
What is included and what is charged separately. Windows, machine wash, basement, outdoor terrace.
Who provides funds and equipment. It affects the price and is usually assumed without checking.
Who provides water and electricity. A trifle that can cause an argument.
Price, method and term of payment. Monthly, with an invoice, until a certain date.
Cancellation period. Thirty days is usual for both parties.
To whom objections are reported. One contact person on each side — otherwise everyone calls everyone and no one solves anything.
The most common problems and how to avoid them
„"Nobody knows when they are coming"“
Solution: Post the schedule on the bulletin board. Tenants who know that cleaning is done on Tuesdays and Fridays stop wondering if they are paid for it at all.
„"We pay, but it's still dirty"“
It usually means that the scope of work is not defined, so only the most visible is cleaned. The solution is a list, not a discussion.
„"Some tenants don't pay"“
This is a question for the manager and the assembly, not for the agency. But it's worth solving before signing the contract, not after.
„"The quality dropped after a few months"“
It's happening. The solution is a short check once a month and a specific remark immediately — not silence and termination after half a year.
„"Price increased without notice"“
That is why the contract must have a fixed price and a validity period.
How to find an agency for your building
On Spremačica.me, registered agencies are classified by services and cities.
- Open Cleaning of residential buildings and browse the agencies that do exactly that type of facility
- Narrow the selection to your city through agency listing
- Contact three agencies and look for an offer with a list of services
- Take the offers to the assembly and let the tenants decide
The contact is direct — without intermediaries and without commission on the agreed price.
Run a cleaning agency? Profile registration is free — register your agency or read more on the page For agencies.
Conclusion
Building cleaning is one of the few expenses that all tenants see every day.
Ten euros per apartment per month is rarely disputed by anyone when the entrance is tidy, the staircase is clean and when you know exactly who is doing what and when. The problem arises only where the scope of work is not defined and where no one is responsible.
Take three offers, define the list and sign the contract. The rest is solved by itself.
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