Hygiene standards in residential buildings: a complete guide

Keeping the common areas of a co-owned residential building clean is not just a matter of residents' comfort: it is governed by a set of specific regulations. Property managers, co-owners and letting agents need to know these obligations to ensure a healthy living environment and avoid possible penalties. This guide reviews the hygiene standards that apply to co-owned residential buildings, everyone's responsibilities and the good practice to adopt for impeccable cleaning.

The legal framework for hygiene in residential buildings

Several sets of rules govern hygiene in co-owned residential buildings. The first pillar is the departmental health regulations (règlement sanitaire départemental, RSD), adopted in each administrative county (département) on the basis of a model set of regulations. In the Paris region (Île-de-France), these regulations set requirements for the cleanliness of common areas, waste management and the ventilation of shared spaces. In particular, the RSD states that owners and managers must keep the common areas in a constant state of cleanliness, avoiding any build-up of rubbish that could encourage pests.

The French Public Health Code (Code de la santé publique) is the second regulatory foundation. Its Articles L. 1311-1 et seq. allow the authorities, in particular the mayor and the prefect (préfet), to take health measures when the insanitary condition of a building poses a danger to the health of its occupants or neighbours. Breaches can lead to formal notices, financial penalties or even criminal prosecution in the case of serious and repeated failings.

Finally, the obligations of the property manager (syndic) are set out in the Act of 10 July 1965 and its implementing decree of 17 March 1967. The property manager is responsible for carrying out the decisions taken at the general meeting, including those relating to the upkeep and cleaning of the common areas. It must ensure that cleaning contracts are properly performed, check the quality of the services and make sure the work is carried out at the frequencies voted. If it fails to do so, the co-owners can hold it liable.

The common areas concerned

Cleaning a residential building covers a wide range of spaces. Each one has its own hygiene constraints and requires suitable cleaning methods.

Entrance halls and corridors

The entrance hall is the first impression a building gives. As a high-traffic area, it quickly accumulates dust, footprints and dirt brought in by bad weather. Cleaning the hall should include washing the floors (tiles, marble, natural stone), dusting the letterboxes, cleaning the glass doors and cleaning the intercoms and door entry keypads. The corridors on each floor need similar care, with particular attention to skirting boards, walls and light fittings.

Stairs and lifts

Stairs should be swept and washed regularly, starting from the top floors and working down. Banisters and handrails, which are touched frequently, need regular disinfection to limit the spread of germs. As for lifts, the car (floor, walls, mirrors, call buttons) should be cleaned every day in high-traffic buildings. Door tracks and thresholds often collect debris, which should be removed to keep the lift working properly.

Bin stores and refuse chutes

The bin store is probably the most sensitive area from a hygiene point of view. The departmental health regulations require it to be ventilated, easy to wash and kept clean at all times. Bins should be cleaned and disinfected after each collection to prevent odours, the growth of bacteria and the appearance of pests (cockroaches, rats, flies). Refuse chutes, where they still exist, need regular thorough cleaning and disinfection, with the chute fully scoured out.

Car parks and cellars

Underground car parks and cellars are often the most neglected spaces in a residential building. Yet they are subject to the same regulatory requirements. Regular sweeping of car parks removes dust, debris and oil stains. Cellars must be kept clear and clean to prevent combustible materials from building up, in line with fire safety rules. Regular removal of bulky waste is essential to keep these spaces healthy and safe.

Recommended cleaning frequency

How often cleaning is needed depends on the size of the building, the number of residents and the level of traffic. Here are the recommendations generally accepted by professionals in the sector:

Area	Minimum frequency	Main tasks
Entrance hall	Daily to 3 times a week	Sweeping, floor washing, glass, dusting
Stairs	2 to 3 times a week	Sweeping, washing, disinfecting banisters
Lifts	Daily	Cleaning the car, mirrors, buttons, thresholds
Bin store	After each collection	Washing, disinfecting, deodorising
Car parks	Monthly to quarterly	Machine sweeping, degreasing, dust removal
Cellars	Quarterly	Sweeping, removal of bulky items, rodent control

These frequencies are a minimum. For upmarket residences or buildings open to the public, daily cleaning of all common areas is strongly recommended. The cleaning contract should clearly state the frequencies, cleaning hours and a detailed list of the services included.

Suitable products and methods

Nothing should be left to chance when choosing cleaning products for a residential building. The detergents used must suit the surfaces being treated: neutral products for marble and natural stone, degreasers for the technical floors of car parks, and bactericidal and virucidal disinfectants, tested to standards EN 1276 (bacteria) and EN 14476 (viruses), for sensitive areas such as bin stores and shared toilets.

Cleaning methods are constantly evolving. Machine washing with a scrubber-dryer is gradually replacing the traditional mop in large halls and corridors, giving a more even result and a shorter drying time. Pre-impregnating mop heads limits water and product use while ensuring good hygiene. For windows and glazed surfaces, professional squeegees and pure-water systems (reverse osmosis) give a flawless, residue-free result.

There is also a trend towards environmentally responsible products carrying the EU Ecolabel or another recognised environmental label. These products, which are as effective as their conventional equivalents, reduce the impact on occupants' health and on the environment. Some property managers now ask for ecolabelled products in the written specifications for their cleaning contracts.

How to choose a cleaning contractor for a residential building

Choosing a cleaning contractor for a co-owned building deserves particular care. Several criteria should guide the decision of the property manager and the owners' council (conseil syndical):

• Experience and references: choose a company with solid experience in cleaning residential buildings, able to provide references you can check with property managers and letting agents.
• Mandatory documents: ask for the professional liability insurance certificate, a recent company registration extract (Kbis) and the URSSAF compliance certificate (attestation de vigilance), which you should ask for again every six months for a contract worth at least €5,000 excluding VAT.
• A detailed written specification: a reputable professional visits your building before drawing up a quote. The contract should set out the services, frequencies, products used and quality control arrangements.
• Responsiveness: the ability to respond quickly to exceptional soiling (water damage, building works, people moving in or out) is a decisive factor in residents' satisfaction.
• Quality monitoring: the best contractors use visit logs and inspection grids, and appoint a single point of contact to make communication with the property manager easier.

Atlantis: your cleaning partner for residential buildings

Since 2000, Atlantis has been helping property managers and building managers in the Paris region to look after their common areas. Based in Clamart (92140), we work in Paris and throughout the Paris region.

Every building we clean has a written specification setting out the tasks to be carried out in each zone and how often. We favour ecolabelled products, suited to each type of surface.

We carry out more than 1,200 cleaning visits a month.