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A caretaker service handles practical tasks on site: inspecting, looking after the building, small repairs. Facility management goes further and organises all services around the building – from cleaning and building services to coordinating specialist companies. For smaller residential buildings a caretaker is often enough; for larger or commercial properties, facility management pays off.
The differences at a glance
| Caretaker service | Facility management | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Practical work on site | Planning, managing and delivering all building services |
| Typical tasks | Inspection rounds, minor repairs, bins, outdoor areas | Plus cleaning, building services, maintenance planning, managing specialist companies |
| Coordination | Reports defects to the owner or property manager | Fixes defects itself or commissions specialist companies |
| Documentation | Often basic | Regular reports and records |
| Suited to | Small to medium residential buildings | Residential complexes, commercial properties, hotels, portfolios |
What a caretaker service covers
- Regular inspection rounds of the building and grounds
- Minor repairs such as replacing bulbs or adjusting doors
- Putting out the bins and keeping the bin store clean
- Looking after outdoor areas and winter service
- A contact for tenants with small problems
What facility management adds
Facility management looks at the building as a whole. In addition to the caretaker tasks, it includes:
- Organising cleaning, green-space care and winter service from one source
- Monitoring building services such as heating, ventilation and lighting
- Planning maintenance and inspection dates
- Commissioning and supervising specialist companies
- Documenting every job, for example with photos
How to tell what you need
A caretaker is usually enough if:
- the property is small and has little technical equipment,
- the property manager coordinates repairs and specialist companies themselves.
Facility management pays off if:
- several service providers work in the building and nobody has an overview,
- defects are spotted too late and become expensive,
- you look after several properties,
- a business, hotel or practice needs smooth day-to-day operations.
Costs and service charges
Caretaker costs for ongoing tasks are recoverable from tenants; repairs and administration are not. With facility management it is therefore important that the invoice separates the services. More on this in our guide to recoverable service charges.
One partner for your building
Fresh Flush combines caretaker services and facility management: we are on site, spot defects early and take care of the solution. You have one dedicated contact who knows your property, and you receive documentation with photos after every job. More about facility management and caretaker services, or request a free quote directly.
