According to a global Propmodo Commercial Building Management Budget report, cleaning costs have increased. Over half of respondents reported costs were up by a minimum 10% during the pandemic.
To reduce Covid-19 infection rates, the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) recommends routine disinfection of public areas and regular cleaning of publicly utilized surfaces, such as lift buttons, hand rails, etc. Viet Nam continues to implement these in office and apartment buildings as part of the nationally effective Covid-19 containment program.
Bringing residential and commercial Property Management perspective Ms. Vu Kieu Hanh, Savills Hanoi Property Management Department Director, said: “A property which looks clean and well-maintained positively affects resident mental wellbeing while fostering confidence in building management. We understood during Covid-19, residents, tenants, and anyone working in the building had to put their faith in our management teams and acted accordingly”.
According to Ms. Kieu Hanh, now is a good time for developers and owners to review property management and operations. Not only to ensure utilities, infrastructure, services are optimised, but by reassuring residents they live or work in a safe environment; but also to maintain reputations of the owner, developer and building.
According to the latest Savills Office report, 61% of respondents have confidence their home is clean, but had less trust in public area safety. Developers and agencies must work harder to ensure high hygiene and public health levels to reassure residents public areas are safe.
Ms. Vu Kieu Hanh affirms cleaning and disinfecting have an important role in reopening these areas in apartment projects. Effective management can prevent the virus spreading without significant cost increase.
“During Covid-19 the danger of it spreading throughout apartment complexes was clear. We actively implemented extra cleaning while emphasising to Property Management Boards the importance of keeping environments clean and safe for residents and staff. Cleaning costs slightly increased, but mostly from the extra chemical cleaning agents”.
Health experts forecasting the pandemic could last another 1 to 2 years have property managers needing to consider appropriate longer-term cleaning plans and cost control. Use of the commonly used disinfectant, Cloramin B must comply with mandatory processes to avoid any potential harm for residents. Properties are sprayed once a week on weekends. The Management Board uses alcohol to frequently clean exposed surfaces such as door handles, stair handrails, handrails, lift buttons, switches etc. At the entrance, a thick carpet soaked in Cloramin B disinfects shoe soles. These are practical, effective and inexpensive preventative measures”, Ms. Kieu Hanh shared.
As the housing and office market continues its rapid development in Vietnam, developers increasingly focus on operations management to add value to their projects. Property management value is evaluated by long-term efficiencies and being able to quickly and professionally handle problems as they arise. Leading property management businesses are constantly updating their skills, safety protocols and service levels.