Guide
Changing janitorial providers in San Mateo: the handover, step by step
Changing cleaning companies is mostly a matter of sequence. This guide walks a San Mateo facility manager through the notice terms, the start date, the access handover, supplies and the first week of new service.
Start with the current agreement
Before any date is set, read the agreement with the outgoing company. Look for the notice period, the form notice must take, whether it runs from the date sent or the end of a billing month, and anything owed on termination. Note which supplies and equipment belong to that company, since those leave with it.
Watch for automatic renewal. Many service agreements roll forward unless notice arrives by a set date, so mark that date on the calendar as soon as the decision to change is made. If the agreement is silent on a point, a short written question to the outgoing company settles it before the notice goes out.
Send notice in the form the agreement asks for and keep a copy. A clear, courteous notice that names the final service date makes the rest of the handover simpler for everyone involved, including the crew that has been cleaning the building.
Choosing a start date
The cleanest changeover places the first visit of the new company on the night after the last visit of the outgoing one. Work back from the end of the notice period, then schedule the walkthrough and the confirmation of the room list before that date so the new crew arrives with a complete plan.
Pick a start night that suits the building. A Burlingame Avenue shop usually prefers a quiet weeknight to a Friday, while a bank branch avoids the busiest days of its own month. In a mixed-use property, choose a date and tell tenants well ahead.
If the decision is still open, our guide to choosing a cleaning company covers the walkthrough and proposal stage that comes before any start date. Because our quotes are built from an on-site walkthrough, the incoming crew has seen the building before its first night.
Keys, alarm codes and access
Collect every key, fob and access card issued to the outgoing company and check them against your own list. Change alarm codes and door codes that the previous crew used, then issue new ones to the incoming company. Our cleaners are background-checked and work within each facility’s access procedures, so share those procedures in full before the first visit.
Confirm which rooms stay locked, who to call if an alarm trips during service and how the crew signs in where a front desk or security office manages after-hours entry. Settling these points before the first night keeps the first visit focused on cleaning.
Supplies and the janitor’s closet
Take stock of the closet before the outgoing company leaves. Separate what the building owns from what belongs to the previous provider, and note how much paper, soap and liner stock remains. If the incoming company will supply consumables, agree which brands and dispensers fit the building’s fixtures.
Clear shelf space for the new crew’s equipment and chemicals, and tell them where the water source, waste containers and recycling area sit. A tidy, labelled closet shortens the first few visits considerably.
Dispensers deserve a look of their own. Some outgoing providers fit their own towel and soap dispensers, and those leave with them. Count the dispensers that stay, note the refill type each one takes, and pass that list to the new company so restocking matches the fixtures on the first night.
The first week and telling the building
Walk the building with the new crew lead on the first night or shortly before it, using the room list as the guide. After the first few visits, check the rooms people notice first, the entry, restrooms and kitchen, and pass along anything to adjust. Our room-by-room checklist is a useful companion for that review.
Tell staff and tenants what is changing and when, and give them one contact for comments in the first weeks. In a multi-tenant building, a short note to each tenant explains the new schedule and names the night service begins. With recurring janitorial service under way, the room list becomes the reference for every visit that follows.
A few useful answers
Quick answers.
When should we give notice to our current cleaning company?
Follow the notice period in your agreement, counted the way it specifies, and plan the new start date from the end of that period.
Should alarm codes be changed when switching cleaners?
Yes. Change every code the previous crew used and issue new ones to the incoming company before its first visit.
What happens to the supplies in our janitor's closet?
Items the building owns stay; items the outgoing company owns leave with it. Take an inventory so the new arrangement starts with a clear count.
How should tenants hear about a new cleaning company?
A short note naming the start date, the service hours and one contact for comments works well in a multi-tenant building.
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