Comparison
Condominium cleaning: employee or contracted firm?
Cleaning the common areas can be handled in two ways: hiring a cleaner as a condominium employee or entrusting the service to an external firm under contract. The two paths have very different implications for cost, obligations and liability. With an employee the condominium becomes an employer in every respect, with payslips, contributions and workplace safety; with a contract it signs a service agreement, but remains the client with duties to check the firm's compliance. This guide compares the two solutions and explains how to choose the one best suited to the specific condominium, with the related owners' meeting resolution.
Compared
| Criterion | Employee cleaner | Contracted firm |
|---|---|---|
| Role of the condominium | Employer in every respect | Client of an external service |
| Contract applied | Building owners' collective agreement | Service contract with the firm |
| Obligations | Payslips, contributions, safety, severance pay | Compliance checks and service invoices |
| Workplace safety | Direct duties under Legislative Decree 81/2008 | On the firm, with client cooperation |
| Flexibility | Lower, stable ongoing relationship | Higher, service adjustable by contract |
| Pay liability | Direct towards the worker | Possible joint client liability |
The employee cleaner solution
Hiring a cleaner as an employee makes the condominium an employer. The building owners' collective agreement applies, with classification, pay tables, holidays, the extra month's salary and the severance pay accrual. The condominium manages payslips, INPS contributions and INAIL insurance and must meet the safety obligations of Legislative Decree 81/2008.
This path ensures continuity and a direct relationship with the person providing the service, but involves a significant management burden and full employer liability. It is often preferred in large condominiums, where the volume of work justifies stable employment.
The contracted firm solution
Entrusting cleaning to an external firm turns the relationship into a service contract. The workers are employees of the firm, which applies its own sector agreement and directly manages the payslips, contributions and safety of its staff. The condominium pays a fee for the service, usually on a periodic basis.
The contract offers greater flexibility and relieves the condominium of the employer's obligations, but does not exempt it from checks. The client must verify the contractor's contribution compliance and may be called to answer jointly for the pay and contributions due to the workers employed in the contract.
- Check the firm's contribution compliance
- Precisely define services, frequency and fee
- Manage safety cooperation between client and contractor
Costs compared
The cost of the employee includes gross pay, the condominium's contributions, the extra month's salary, the severance pay accrual and safety costs. The cost of the contract is the fee agreed with the firm, which incorporates the labour cost, the organisation and the company's margin.
There is no single right answer: in small condominiums the contract is often cheaper and simpler, while in large ones an employee can be economical and ensure a greater presence. The choice should be made by comparing the full cost of both solutions against the actual volume of work.
How to choose and resolve
The decision between employee and contract lies with the owners' meeting, which weighs costs, needs and willingness to manage the employer's burden. Comparable estimates must be set side by side, with the full annual cost of both solutions, and the decision taken with the majorities of Article 1136 of the Italian Civil Code.
In both cases the cleaning costs are shared among the owners under Article 1123 of the Italian Civil Code, normally by millesimi. With AmministraPro you record the service costs, whether as staff costs or as contract invoices, link them to the millesimi allocation and keep contracts and documents in one archive: the features are on the /funzioni page and the plans with their costs on the /prezzi page.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to hire a cleaner or use a firm?
It depends on the size of the condominium and the volume of work. In small condominiums a contract is often simpler and cheaper, because it avoids the employer's obligations. In large condominiums an employee cleaner can be economical and ensure a greater presence. You need to compare the full cost of both solutions.
Does a contract exempt the condominium from all liability?
No. Even with a contract the condominium remains the client and must verify the firm's contribution compliance. It may also be called to answer jointly for the pay and contributions due to the workers employed in the contract, so checks on the contractor remain important.
Who manages workplace safety in the two cases?
With an employee the condominium has direct safety duties under Legislative Decree 81/2008, from risk assessment to training. With a contract, the duties on the workers' safety fall to the firm, but a duty of cooperation and coordination between client and contractor remains.
Is an owners' meeting resolution needed to choose?
Yes. The choice between an employee cleaner and a contracted firm affects management and spending, so it must be approved by the owners' meeting with the majorities of Article 1136 of the Italian Civil Code. It is useful to bring comparable estimates with the full annual cost of both solutions to the meeting.
How are cleaning costs shared?
Both with an employee and with a contract, the cleaning costs of the common areas are shared among the owners under Article 1123 of the Italian Civil Code, normally by thousandths (millesimi) of ownership, unless a different criterion is lawfully approved or set by the condominium regulations.
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