Is Your Property Open Again?
Many areas across the US are starting to slowly open up businesses and public areas. Some have remained open but are taking extra precautions to prevent the spread of COVID.
TWS Facility Services is here to support you at whatever phase your property is currently in or preparing to enter.
Read on for best practice tips for both commercial and residential properties.
Reopening Retail Centers, Shopping Malls and Strip Malls
If your retail tenants are starting to open up again, customers are more likely to return if you take extra cleaning and safety measures.
In a survey conducted by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), consumers ranked frequent cleaning and sanitizing as the top (66%) measure that would make them more likely or more comfortable with visiting public spaces.
The top measures are as follows:
- Frequent cleaning and sanitizing as the top (66%)
- Having more hand sanitizer stations and/or disinfecting cloths available for shoppers (62%)
- Seeing staff wear gloves and/or masks (49%)
- Requiring staff/employee training on hygienic protocols (48%)
- Implementing measures that facilitate in-store social distance (48%)
- Putting in place new occupancy limits (44%)
Reopening Common Areas on Residential Properties
For concerns more specific to the shared spaces of residential properties, check out this recent article. Read on for general best practice tips, whatever type of property you manage.
Recommendations For Property Managers Reopening Their Properties
1. Increase and Improve Cleaning and Maintenance
- Schedule through and frequent cleaning and disinfecting. Needs will vary by property, but daily disinfecting is likely the minimum needed. Keeping supplies on hand for people to disinfect in-between professional cleaning may be an option.
2. Increase and Improve Hygiene
- Install signage reminding people to wash hands, wear face coverings, etc.
- Install hand sanitizer dispensing stations where sinks are not readily available.
3. Encourage Social Distancing
- Rearrange your furniture and layout to create distance and discourage groups from congregating.
- Install signs and guides for people to keep 6 feet apart. This can include directions for foot traffic and keeping distance in lines.
4. Communicate to Tenants
- Send your tenants announcements on how the property is adhering to CDC guidelines and/or local government instructions.
- Determine your tenants’ expectations for crowds or onsite staff when reopening and find out how you can support their success while keeping the property safe.
5. Retail Properties: Prepare For Curbside Pickups
- Install signs to direct traffic and note pickup locations.
- Keep your parking lot clean – exterior site maintenance is important too. People touch and lean on concrete fixtures, etc, and these need to be washed.
6. Decide Whether or Not to Open Common Areas
- If your property has a playground, park, gym, or seating areas, and you choose to reopen these, use signage and tenant notices with guidelines. You may choose to limit the number of people allowed in an area, for example.
- Increase disinfecting to these areas. Indoor and outdoor areas also need to be cleaned regularly and more often than before the COVID-19 outbreak occurred.
If you haven’t downloaded it already, here is our official COVID-19 guide for facility services.
For a thorough list of re-opening guidelines, check out ICSC’s COVID-19 Re-Opening Best Practices.
TWS Facility Services is Here to Help
TWS is able to thoroughly clean both indoor and outdoor spaces. We clean commercial and residential properties, ranging from retail centers to medical facilities to apartment complexes. We are also able to handle special projects such as installing hand sanitizer stations, signage to direct traffic, and tape markers to keep adequate space between people.
Whatever your property type, TWS Facility Services can help you determine a schedule for disinfecting that meets your needs. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or needs. Contact our team at 888-883-1915