I recently purchased my first apt downtown(a coop) and was hoping someone more familiar with them could provide insight/advice. What exactly falls under the Super's and Handyman's duties/responsibilities? I've been quite surprised several times - I moved from renting a sponsor apt in a coop, and there the Super and Handyman were very responsive to small apt maintainence requests, such as changing... [more]
I recently purchased my first apt downtown(a coop) and was hoping someone more familiar with them could provide insight/advice.
What exactly falls under the Super's and Handyman's duties/responsibilities? I've been quite surprised several times - I moved from renting a sponsor apt in a coop, and there the Super and Handyman were very responsive to small apt maintainence requests, such as changing a deadbolt. The building was managed extremely well, with the trash rooms checked multiple times per day and larger items and recycling removed quickly.
In my new building, the trash rooms are checked and emptied once a day. I can accept this as a management difference, but the rooms are small, so when I moved in I asked about how to get rid of my boxes. I was told I could only put a few in the room at a time, to hold the rest in my apartment. Then the handyman followed me into the elevator and told me if I called him when I had all the boxes emptied, he could come get them - but I'd have to 'take care of him'. Now I am all for 'thanking' someone who helps me, tipping if I feel someone has gone above and beyond, and of course, the holiday gifts/bribes, but I had a principle issue with being asked for it for what I felt should be a provided service.
Then I asked the super if he or the handyman could help change my deadbolt. The super told me that was something that should really be handled by a locksmith, and he wouldn't do it. He said I could try to 'persuade' the handyman to do it. I didn't even bother. It took me ten minutes to do myself - I just think with the amount I pay in maintainence, some help should be expected.
But perhaps I am expecting too much? I would appreciate feedback and others' experiences. If wrong, I'd like to reset my expectations of the building staff. If not, I'm trying to figure out what to do about a staff that won't help without being bribed each time. I don't want to create an issue where if I really need serious help, they are slow to respond because I've complained.
Thoughts? I appreciate your feedback. Thank you!
In my new building
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Response by NYRENewbie
over 17 years ago
Posts: 591
Member since: Mar 2008
This is an excellent question. When a building has a live in super, what should one expect?
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Response by inoeverything
over 17 years ago
Posts: 159
Member since: Jan 2007
You must be new in NYC. For you info, supers & handymen in NYC are back up by powerful building's worker unions. Their main duty is to collect gratuities from tenants. Minimum tipping standard per person for moving in is $500 each for Super and handman.
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Response by moira20
over 17 years ago
Posts: 1
Member since: Sep 2008
Good question. I understand the super's duties in a rental building, but what about in a condo or co-op with a live-in super?
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Response by will
over 17 years ago
Posts: 480
Member since: Dec 2007
Probably varies with the condo docs, or coop equivalent, building, also whether it is new construction or a new conversion.
My view is you should always tip, but may $20-$25, not $500. Maybe $100 at the holidays. But of course, my super in another city was always happy when I gave him a box of cookies at Christmas. I learned the hardway in NYC when the doorman started sneering at me around New Years!
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Response by kylewest
over 17 years ago
Posts: 4455
Member since: Aug 2007
inoeverything is this forum's resident comedian. nothing it says is serious (or actually funny, come to think of it).
The super/porters in your building work for the building--not you. They are responsible for zero inside your apartment. That isn't to say most aren't very helpful, but you have to respect doing your chores is not among their responsibilities. For boxes, for example, most building have a policy that the shareholder is responsible for breaking the boxes down and bringing them to the basement themselves. It is also utterly unreasonable to expect the trash rooms will be checked more than once a day--in some buildings it is even less often.
That said, many supers are willing to help if you are one of the people who is just nice to them and treats them like more than a servant and recognizes they are doing you a favor--not their job when you need a bulb changed, a lock switched, a rocking dishwasher steadied, a drip stopped in the sink. Being new to the building, I would get off to a good start with everyone who helps you do the smallest thing by tipping generously and thanking them profusely for making your move easier. Win their good graces. Gratitude instead of an attitude of entitlement is in your best interest. Otherwise, you'll be on your own. Once Christmas comes and you tip them all well, you'll be golden for the next year.
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Response by rvargas
over 17 years ago
Posts: 152
Member since: Nov 2005
Their responsibilities definitely vary from building to building. In some buildings, the super is expected to fix many things inside the unit. This is sometimes billed back by the condo or coop, sometimes paid directly to the super, and sometimes paid in the form of a gratuity. In other buildings it's as kylewest said.
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This is an excellent question. When a building has a live in super, what should one expect?
You must be new in NYC. For you info, supers & handymen in NYC are back up by powerful building's worker unions. Their main duty is to collect gratuities from tenants. Minimum tipping standard per person for moving in is $500 each for Super and handman.
Good question. I understand the super's duties in a rental building, but what about in a condo or co-op with a live-in super?
Probably varies with the condo docs, or coop equivalent, building, also whether it is new construction or a new conversion.
My view is you should always tip, but may $20-$25, not $500. Maybe $100 at the holidays. But of course, my super in another city was always happy when I gave him a box of cookies at Christmas. I learned the hardway in NYC when the doorman started sneering at me around New Years!
inoeverything is this forum's resident comedian. nothing it says is serious (or actually funny, come to think of it).
The super/porters in your building work for the building--not you. They are responsible for zero inside your apartment. That isn't to say most aren't very helpful, but you have to respect doing your chores is not among their responsibilities. For boxes, for example, most building have a policy that the shareholder is responsible for breaking the boxes down and bringing them to the basement themselves. It is also utterly unreasonable to expect the trash rooms will be checked more than once a day--in some buildings it is even less often.
That said, many supers are willing to help if you are one of the people who is just nice to them and treats them like more than a servant and recognizes they are doing you a favor--not their job when you need a bulb changed, a lock switched, a rocking dishwasher steadied, a drip stopped in the sink. Being new to the building, I would get off to a good start with everyone who helps you do the smallest thing by tipping generously and thanking them profusely for making your move easier. Win their good graces. Gratitude instead of an attitude of entitlement is in your best interest. Otherwise, you'll be on your own. Once Christmas comes and you tip them all well, you'll be golden for the next year.
Their responsibilities definitely vary from building to building. In some buildings, the super is expected to fix many things inside the unit. This is sometimes billed back by the condo or coop, sometimes paid directly to the super, and sometimes paid in the form of a gratuity. In other buildings it's as kylewest said.