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Managing the Change Ahead in Multifamily Communities

Written by Cass Waste Marketing | May 28, 2020 11:08:42 AM

The impact of COVID-19 has had significant impacts on multifamily communities. Stay at home orders across our nation have required apartment operators to move at unprecedented speed to serve the needs of tenants, while struggling to attract new residents. As we move toward a new normal, re-evaluation will need to take place to ensure safety and confidence among current and future employees and residents in your communities.

Many businesses have turned employees to working fully remote through the end of the year if not permanently. Schools and college campuses for the larger part will remain shut-down. Summer is here, which means even more presence on site and residents will be looking for activity both indoors and out. And still the truth is that most people during this time are going to feel safer at home.

With most of your residents staying on property and your employees offsite or operating with smaller teams, how will you manage? While there is a slow move towards re-opening, there are surely changes and new needs to be addressed among your residents and properties.  Will you look for opportunities to enlist partners outside the organization, who can assist in creating processes that reduce risk and spend?

Below are just some of the waste challenges your sites will face and how a waste expense management solution could lighten your workload and save money:

Increased Presence/Activity in Your Communities

You’ve likely already seen a vast increase in waste. Bulging dumpsters likely mean increased fees, not to mention an eyesore. Waste haulers are not focused on protecting your brand or improving your bottom line. Service optimization is a key component of how a WEM provider can ensure you have right sized equipment and your pickup schedules are inline with site needs.

As you strive to please current residents and attract new ones, curb appeal matters. Broken, old and outdated equipment can be unsafe and unappealing. Keep sites looking top notch in community areas that are clearly visible and require safety and cleanliness. A WEM provider delivers standardized processes that provide guidance at the site level. Maintenance & facilities teams can spend less time on waste tasks, allowing them to focus on additional efforts like increased need for cleaning and sanitizing common areas.

Keeping Up with Recycling and Sustainability

While recycling has become a challenge for apartment communities, it is still valued by residents. In some areas it may even be a decision-maker on which community they choose over another. With policies becoming even stricter, and penalty fees rising, a fool-proof program is essential. Communities need an easy to implement solution inclusive of education and guidance on how they can successfully manage and promote sustainability efforts. Mandates vary across regions, by items, and changes occur quickly. WEM providers will be able to provide you regular updates with performance data on how your sites are doing and where you can look to improve.

Doing More With Less

It’s no secret that multifamily communities have or will experience the financial impacts of recent events. None the less finance and operations teams need to keep pressing through to ensure occupancy and satisfaction. Roles, responsibilities and tasks will evolve and likely increase across the board. While not key to building your business, waste management is essential and can become an unnecessarily high spend category. A waste expense management provider shoulders the burden of your team by taking on the financial tasks associated and delivering back savings in time and money.

Your resources and time are more valuable than ever. How do you manage what you’ve always done and more, to the same high standards expected? You find the right group to partner with so that you and your teams can quickly get back to business at hand while adjusting to the changes ahead.

Cass Waste Expense Management provides support at multiple levels that results in increased efficiencies, boosted productivity and improved bottom line. We take a complex category that requires involvement at every level of your business and simplify it.  By applying data-driven insights across your portfolio and within each market and using our closed loop methodology we help you reach financial and operational goals.