Managing Caretakers, Guards and Cleaners in Your Building

In most Bangladeshi buildings the people who actually keep things running are not the owners but the staff: the caretaker who switches the water pump on at dawn, the guard (darwan) at the gate who knows every tenant's car, the cleaner who sweeps the stairs, and sometimes a lift operator or generator operator. Managing building staff in Bangladesh well is one of the most underrated parts of being a landlord. Good staff make tenants feel safe and cared for; poorly managed staff create security risks, complaints and hidden costs.

This guide explains how to define roles, hire carefully, set fair pay and working hours, build a duty roster, supervise without micromanaging, and keep simple records. It applies to a single family-owned building with one caretaker as much as to an apartment complex with a team of guards and cleaners.

Common Building Staff Roles

In small buildings, one person may do the work of caretaker and guard. That is common and workable as long as hours are realistic and there is a plan for rest and cover.

Write a Simple Job Description for Each Role

Confusion about duties is the root of most staff problems. The caretaker thinks cleaning the roof is not his job; the owner assumes it is. Write down, in Bangla and simple language, what each person is expected to do. For example, a caretaker's list might include:

• Turn the water pump on and off at set times; check tank levels morning and evening.
• Take sub-meter readings on the last day of each month.
• Report any leak, electrical fault or lift problem to the owner or manager the same day.
• Accompany plumbers, electricians and other contractors while they work.
• Keep the keys to the roof, pump room and meter room safely.
• Maintain the visitor register when the guard is on break.

Give a copy to the staff member, explain it verbally, and keep a copy yourself. Review it once a year or when duties change.

Hiring the Right People

Where to find staff

Most landlords hire through personal references: a caretaker from a relative's building, a guard recommended by another owner, or through a security services company. References are valuable, but they are not a substitute for basic checks.

Basic checks before hiring

• Copy of National ID card; check that the photo matches.
• Permanent address and a contact person in the home village or town.
• Reference from a previous employer, with a phone call to confirm.
• Recent photograph for your records.
• Where appropriate, information to the local police station in line with local practice. See our guide on police verification in Dhaka for how the process works for tenants; similar principles often apply to staff who live in the building.

Agency vs direct hiring

Security companies supply trained guards, handle replacements and absences, and take on some administrative work. They cost more per guard than hiring directly. Direct hiring gives you more control and often more loyalty, but you must handle leave, replacements and discipline yourself. Many buildings use an agency for night guards and hire the caretaker directly.

Fair Pay, Hours and Rest

Staff pay is usually one of the biggest items in a building's service charge. There is a temptation to keep it as low as possible, but underpaid staff leave often, take side payments from visitors or vendors, and care less about the building. Pay a fair wage for your area, on time, every month.

Bangladesh has labour laws, including the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 and its amendments, and a Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy, that deal with working hours, leave, wages and treatment of workers in various settings. Which rules apply depends on the type of employment and employer. This is general information, not legal advice; for a large building or commercial property, consult a labour law adviser about your obligations.

Whatever the legal position, some basic practices are simply fair and practical:

• Agree the salary, duty hours and weekly day off in writing.
• Pay on a fixed date each month, preferably through bKash, Nagad or bank for a record.
• Give paid leave for Eid and a reasonable number of days per year.
• Pay a festival bonus (Eid bonus) as is customary.
• Provide a clean place to rest, a toilet, drinking water, and a fan in the guard room.
• Do not require one person to be on duty 24 hours a day, every day.

Budgeting Staff Costs: A Worked Example

For example (illustrative): an 8-flat building in Dhaka employs one caretaker, two guards (day and night) and one part-time cleaner. The owner sets the following monthly pay (figures are illustrative and not a statement of market rates):

Two Eid bonuses, each equal to one month's pay, add 2 x Tk 44,000 = Tk 88,000 per year. Spread over 12 months, that is Tk 88,000 / 12 = about Tk 7,333 per month. So the real monthly staff cost is Tk 44,000 + Tk 7,333 = Tk 51,333.

If this is shared equally among 8 flats through the service charge, each flat pays Tk 51,333 / 8 = about Tk 6,417 per month towards staff. Many landlords forget to include bonuses, uniforms and occasional overtime in their calculation and then find the service charge fund running short before Eid. To understand how staff costs sit within the wider service charge, see what service charge in apartments means.

Building a Duty Roster

A written roster answers the question "who is responsible right now?" at any hour. A simple roster for a building with two guards and one caretaker might look like this:

Adjust to your building. The key points are overlap at shift changes, cover for breaks and meals, and a clear plan for the weekly day off (for example a relief guard from an agency, or the caretaker covering).

Security Duties That Matter Most

A guard is only as good as the procedures they follow. Set clear rules for:

• Visitor register: name, phone, flat visited, time in and out. For delivery staff, at least the flat number and time.
• Unknown visitors: call the flat by intercom or phone before allowing entry.
• Move-in and move-out: no furniture or goods leave the building without the owner's or manager's approval, to prevent tenants leaving with unpaid dues or disputes over items.
• Gate hours: when the gate is locked at night and how residents are let in.
• Emergencies: who to call for fire, medical emergencies, gas leaks; numbers posted in the guard room.
• Keys: who holds which keys; never hand keys to anyone without instruction.

Tip: Post the fire service, nearest police station, the owner and the manager's numbers on a laminated sheet in the guard room. Check every few months that the numbers are still correct.

Basic Training and Safety Equipment

Staff are often the first people on the scene when something goes wrong. A little training makes a big difference:

• Fire extinguishers: show the caretaker and guards where extinguishers are, how to use them, and check the expiry date with them. Local fire service offices sometimes run awareness sessions.
• Gas and electrical safety: how to shut off the main gas valve and the main electrical switch, and never to attempt electrical work beyond their skill.
• Lift entrapment: what to do if people are stuck, including calling the lift company's emergency number rather than trying to force doors.
• First aid: a basic first aid box in the guard room and knowledge of the nearest clinic or hospital.
• Pump and tank hygiene: how often tanks are cleaned and who arranges it.

Provide simple equipment: a torch with spare batteries, a raincoat and umbrella for monsoon duty, a whistle, a working phone with credit, and a register book with pens. These cost little and signal that you take the job seriously.

When the owner lives abroad

Probashi owners often rely entirely on a caretaker. That is workable with some safeguards: appoint a trusted local person (a relative or manager) to visit weekly; pay staff directly by mobile financial service rather than through the caretaker; ask for monthly photos of meter readings, the pump room and the roof; and keep all rent payments going to your account, not through staff in cash. For example (illustrative): if the caretaker is paid Tk 14,000 and a relative is paid Tk 3,000 a month to visit weekly and check accounts, the extra Tk 3,000 is often a small price for knowing the building is properly run.

Supervision Without Micromanaging

Owners who live in the building often supervise informally, which can work well. Owners who live elsewhere, or abroad, need a lighter but more structured approach:

• Daily check-in: a short message or call from the caretaker each morning ("pump done, tank full, no issues").
• Weekly walk-through: by the owner, a family member or the manager, checking cleanliness, lights, roof and pump room.
• Monthly meeting: 15 minutes with staff to discuss problems and plans.
• Tenant feedback: ask tenants occasionally how the staff are doing; take specific complaints seriously but hear the staff member's side too.

Praise good work openly. A small reward for handling an emergency well does more for morale than a lecture after a mistake.

Handling Problems and Discipline

Problems will happen: a guard asleep on night duty, a caretaker taking money from tenants to prioritise repairs, rudeness to a resident. Handle them in steps:

1. Talk privately, explain the problem and the expected standard.
2. If it repeats, give a written warning and keep a copy.
3. For serious misconduct such as theft or violence, involve the appropriate authorities and take advice before dismissal.

Be consistent: the same rule for every staff member. When someone leaves, settle their final pay promptly, collect all keys and access cards, and inform tenants who the new contact is. Our guide on handling tenant complaints covers how to deal with residents' complaints about staff fairly.

Records to Keep for Staff

• Personal file: NID copy, photo, address, emergency contact, reference notes.
• Written job description and agreed pay and hours.
• Salary register: month, amount, date paid, method.
• Leave record: dates taken, bonus paid.
• Warnings or incidents, with dates.
• Keys and equipment issued.

These records protect both sides and make handover easy if the owner changes or the building forms an owners' association.

Staff in Markets and Shopping Complexes

Commercial buildings need more structure: multiple guards across shifts, cleaners for washrooms and food areas, electricians for common lighting and generators, and often a building manager. Shop owners are sensitive to service charge increases, so publish a staff cost breakdown each year. Consider using a security agency for guards so that replacements are guaranteed during festivals and busy seasons.

Common Mistakes With Building Staff

• No written duties, leading to endless "that is not my job" arguments.
• Paying late or in irregular instalments.
• One person on duty around the clock, which is unfair and unsafe.
• Skipping background checks because the person "came through a relative".
• No visitor register, so nobody knows who entered the building.
• Forgetting bonuses in the service charge budget.
• Letting staff collect rent in cash without receipts, which invites confusion or misuse.

Final Thoughts

Caretakers, guards and cleaners are the face of your building to tenants and visitors. Clear duties, fair pay on time, reasonable hours, basic checks, a simple roster and light but regular supervision will give you a team that protects your property and your tenants. For the broader view of running a multi-flat property, read our apartment building management guide.

Recording staff salaries as building expenses, alongside rent and service charge income, is the easiest way to see whether your service charge actually covers the cost of running the building. Bariwala ERP (বাড়িওয়ালা ERP) lets you log expenses by category and keep a visitor record for each building, which helps both with accounts and with security.