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PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN NYC MULTI-FAMILY BUILDING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

 

On this page we'll try to answer some often-asked questions about the building maintenance field. Please read the questions on this page to see if your question has already been asked before you post your question.

 

Answer: There really is no written job description that would cover all supers, porters and handymen in all types of buildings - not from the union and not from anywhere else. The job description for a particular job will cover that job in that particular building only.

Another job may have some of the same components, but add other duties, and take away still others. It's up to the owner or management to come up with a list of duties that are expected to be provided by an individual super, hopefully (but not necessarily) in conjunction with the super himself.

That list of duties will vary greatly due to the size of the building, the number of staff members, whether or not it's a union job, the involvement and expectations of management, whether it's a condo/co-op or a rental, even the neighborhood the building is in, along with many other lesser factors.

Your first step should be to ask Management for THEIR job descriptions for those positions in your building.

The Union's website is at: http://www.seiu32bj.org

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Answer: The Housing Maintenance Code, Article 13, states "a building of 9 apartments or more" and the second is the Multiple Dwelling Law Article 3/title 83, which states "a dwelling with thirteen or more tenants." Both articles state either/or... a 24 hour janitor or housekeeper or a janitor residing in the building or a janitor residing within 200 feet of the building, or the agent or owner lives in the building. Also, the basement is an acceptable place for the owner/management to house the super.

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Answer: It's a fair question, but the answer is very subjective and lies within you. The best supers, doormen & handymen / porters (read: those who really care about their work and reputation, and not just about the money) will appreciate WHATEVER you give them, whenever it's given, in the spirit that it's given.

I think a good holiday tip, in a luxury building, for the year, is $200 and up for full time personnel, higher for the super who is responsible for all.

But this is all very subjective -- numbers are just that, numbers -- and of course should depend on your own preferences, income, debts, how much you request (or demand!) their individual help at Holiday time and throughout the year, etc. And there's nothing wrong with playing favorites -- meaning tipping more to those who've helped you specifically, and have done so with a great attitude and heart and respect and caring, throughout your stay. Also, ask the other occupants of the building. There are no rules other than your conscience.

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Answer: It's impossible to know the answer to your question without more information, but just generally, salaries for supers vary as much as building sizes, and depend on lots of factors, including description of duties and responsibilities, number of other staff, whether or not it's a unionized building, whether it's self-managed or by a professional management firm, etc. The variables go on and on. And if you're really paying a SALARY to someone, you don't have to worry about whether or not a lunch hour is paid.

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Answer: If you complain loud enough and long enough, and accompany that with a liberal tip now and then, you will get done what you need to have done in your apartment ("squeaky wheel gets the grease..."). That being said, a super has NO LESS responsibility to you, as a rent stabilized tenant, than to any other tenant in the building, including the market rate renters. EVEN IF YOU NEVER TIP. If you're fairly certain that you're being shortchanged because of your rental status, you should probably complain in writing to the management company, but don't really expect that to change things, since the super may be giving you less attention with the tacit agreement of Management, simply because you're rent-stabilized.  Keep a copy of all correspondence with management, and if your written complaint to them doesn't produce the results you desire, file a complaint with the City. Check www.nyc.gov for which agency to go to with your complaint, when/if that becomes necessary.

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Answer: To the best of my knowledge, managers do not have to be licensed or certified, unless the manager is personally going to collect rent from tenants. The management firm MUST have a New York State Brokerage License.

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Answer: You may want to forget "typical" and go for something better, but I guess it depends on what you mean by typical. A tenant's relationship with his/her super is as interesting and varied as any other personal relationships.

Speaking as a super, I don't think an introductory tip is necessary (although nice, and I've never turned one down), but a token of appreciation when a timely repair is made is always appreciated, and kind of the way things work in NYC. And if you can remember your super at Christmas time as well, you just may have a devoted handyman on call. Put yourself in the super's shoes for a minute - treating others as you would like them to treat you carries as much weight here as anywhere.

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Answer: You can start by perusing the ads on our jobs page and calling those that interest you. Keep coming back because there are new ones almost every week.

Check the ads in the local daily and Sunday papers and on their websites, and call the companies who run those ads, even if you're not interested in a particular job posting, because those who do so sometimes develop relationships with companies wanting to run ads in particular fields, and can give you guidance.

It does help if you have experience, and lacking that, you may want to try for a very small building at first to gain some experience, or, look for a handyman job where you can then parlay the experience you gain into something bigger, either in the same building or another place.

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Answer: Certificates of Fitness are issued by the New York City Fire Department for various tasks, like attending a burner that uses heavy oil. Go to the City's Web site and follow instructions to get to the Fire Department, then look it up.

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To the best of my knowledge the only certification for boilers in NYC would be for high pressure steam. In most buildings that certification is not required.

First you have to get a job (or at least a job offer) in a building. Only the building superintendent needs a boiler Certificate of Fitness for #6 boiler. Sometime the handyman is asked to get one but you need a letter from the building management to take the test.

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Answer: Call the NYFD Dept. of Fire Prevention in Brooklyn and they will get you the information you seek. Or go to www.nyc.gov and put "boiler exam" in the search engine.

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Answer: Licenses that supers should have: #6 heavy oil burners, sprinkler, standpipe. Those three are the most common and STA now has classes for all three licenses. New York City Administrative Code states that all supers must be certified competent. STA will be giving classes that will be HPD approved for competency soon. Go to our webpage on classes and workshops.

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Answer: New York City Heat/Hot Water Requirements.

Trying to get any info to obtain a boilers / black seal and air pollution control license for NY and NJ. Any contact information would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: It seems you are confused about the need for these certificates of fitness. First of all supers do not need those certificates unless the building they operate has those systems. E.g. A super doesn't need a "number 6," AKA P-99 unless his building has a boiler that uses number 6 oil. If the boiler is gas, #2 or #4 oil or city steam no certificate is required. Same for Sprinklers and Standpipe. So, the need for the letter is to verify to the Fire Department that the systems are in the building and that the super is of good character and competent. The certificate meanwhile in the name of the super is given to the specific address. Thus when a super leaves a building for another, a new certificate is required. There is currently no requirement for a super to hold a Fire Safety Directors (FSD) Certificate in a residential building. FSDs are for commercial buildings. You may take the test for those certificates using a letter from a school where you took classes for those subjects. The FDNY will allow you to take the exam, and then give you one year to get a letter from an employer. Again, if the building doesn't have those systems, then a super isn't required to have the certificate(s).

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