[Alexandra]

My condo building offered up a job for cleaning the stairwells, and in exchange I don’t have to pay condo fees anymore.

We have 2 x 2 storey stairwells in my building, and they only have to be cleaned once per month.

I’m going to put my condo fee money in my savings account instead. Super excited that I will be able to save a bit of unexpected money – approximately $2k USD per year.

I thought people here might appreciate this win, and maybe other people can make a similar arrangement with their condo.

[Cindy]

Good for you!! I had this same arrangement in my previous life. It was actually easier (for me) to deep clean every three weeks and do a sweep and spot clean every week.

Don’t forget to look up and sweep the ceiling corners with a long broom!

As soon as my snotty neighbors found out that I was the stairwell cleaner, they were always leaving notes on my door and messages on my phone that the stairs were dirty.

I believe one neighbor actually spilled drinks on purpose to create work for me.

But I never let them bother me. I paid no condo fees, got my parking spaces (two) for free, and became a well-liked “member” of the maintenance crew. If anything broke in my condo, the guys were right there to fix it for me.

The lightbulbs in the fixtures outside my doorway or over my parking spaces never went out.

My access card worked the car wash (for free), the pool gates and the gym door 24/7. And after going up and down those stairs so much, and using my arms to sweep and mop, I was soon in great shape!

And with the savings of my condo fees, I paid four extra mortgage payments on the principal every year for three years.

When I sold the condo, it made a huge difference in the pay-off amount!

I hope this turns out to be a great win-win for you, too!

[Betsy]

Two of my kids did this in college. Cleaning public areas and hallways in posh apartment buildings got them almost free apartments. Eventually they got part time leasing agent paying jobs.

Not too many college kids could go swim in the rooftop pool after class. They worked cafeteria jobs for free meals too. We were careful with money and they are too.

[Tóireasa]

Get it in writing.
Just send an email asking then to clarify what you discussed that way you have all the details in writing OR they could say you didn’t pay your HOA fees and that’s a violation.

Just be careful. And yes, definitely save it. “Pretend” like you still have the bill.

[Sheree]

So helpful! My mom and stepdad helped maintain 2 apartments they’d lived in!
I forget what their “benefits” were, I’m sure it was cheaper rent or a fee knocked off (like indoor garage space parking or whatever)

[Author]

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