What’s the Difference between Housekeeping and Maintenance?

It’s important to read and understand the maintenance rider in your lease. Lessors sometimes find the distinction between “housekeeping” and “maintenance” ambiguous.

Here are several items that are considered housekeeping rather than maintenance:
1. Snow removal*
2. Grass cutting
3. Window washing
4. Floor waxing
5. Carpet cleaning

The above items are generally USPS responsibility for single use facilities; however, your lease may stipulate that any or all of the above are landlord responsibility or if you lease a portion of a joint use facility to the Postal Service. For joint use facilities, the landlord is usually responsible for the gardening, site work and the building exterior. In all cases, it is recommended that the landlord read the lease agreement. Lease questions need to be directed to someone who understands USPS lease agreements. The local postmaster or officer in charge is NOT qualified to answer lease questions or authorized to ask the landlord to do work that the landlord is not responsible for under the terms of the lease.

* The responsibility for snow removal can be either the landlord or the Postal Service as shown in the Utilities Rider in the lease or it may be addressed in Other Provisions or an Addendum. Notwithstanding the above, snow removal from the roof is always the landlord’s responsibility.

For items dealing with repair or replacement, it depends whether the landlord or Postal Service has responsibility per the lease.

Contact
Karen Delamore
DRE Consulting
303-917-8810 or karen.delamore@outlook.com