Landlords: Your Tenants Aren’t Cleaning Awnings (And It’s Costing You)

Think your NYC property’s awnings are someone else’s problem? Think again. While lease agreements often push awning maintenance onto tenants, the harsh reality is this: if they’re not cleaning them, you’re paying the price—in more ways than you realize.

At Go Awning, we’ve seen landlords lose thousands due to neglected awnings. Here’s why this "not my problem" mindset is draining your profits—and exactly how to fix it.

The Dirty Truth: What Happens When Awnings Go Uncleaned

1. Your Property Value Takes a Hit

A building with stained, sagging awnings:

✔ Looks dated and poorly managed
✔ Commands lower rent prices (Tenants pay more for well-maintained spaces)
✔ Struggles to attract quality commercial tenants

2. You’re Risking Costly Violations

NYC doesn’t care whose "job" it is—dirty awnings can lead to:

✔ Sanitation fines for visible grime or mold
✔ HPD violations if fabric becomes a safety hazard
✔ DOB complaints when faded signage violates local laws

3. The Domino Effect of Neglect

Small issues snowball fast:

✔ Mildew stains → Fabric deterioration → Full awning replacement ($1,500+)
✔ Clogged drainage → Water damage → Structural repairs
✔ Peeling logos → Tenant lease violations → Lost revenue

Why Tenants Won’t Clean Awnings (Even When They Should)

Most leases require tenants to handle awning maintenance, but here’s why they don’t:

ExcuseReality"It’s not noticeable from inside!"Tenants focus on their workspace, not exterior aesthetics"The landlord should handle it"They assume you’ll eventually cave and pay"Professional cleaning is expensive"They’ll wait until you enforce the lease clause"It still functions fine"They ignore the slow damage accumulating

The Smart Landlord’s Solution

✔ Audit Your Leases NOW

Most standard forms don’t specify awning care clearly enough. Add:

🔹 Explicit cleaning frequency (Quarterly/bi-annual)
🔹 Approved vendors (Like Go Awning for consistent quality)
🔹 Penalties for non-compliance (Pass-through cleaning fees)

✔ Proactive Maintenance Pays For Itself

Our landlord clients save 30-50% by:

✔ Bulk building-wide cleaning discounts
✔ Preventing fabric replacement costs
✔ Retaining high-value tenants longer

✔ The Enforcement Trick That Works

Instead of nagging tenants:

1. Schedule cleanings yourself with a preferred provider

2. Bill back costs per lease terms

3. Tenants suddenly care when it hits their bottom line

Case Study: How One Landlord Saved $18,000

A Brooklyn property owner with 12 retail tenants noticed:

✔ 3 awnings needed full replacements ($4,500 each)
✔ 2 tenants broke leases over "unprofessional appearance"
✔ Vacancy periods increased by 25%

After implementing our Landlord Awning Maintenance Program:

✅ Negotiated 40% bulk cleaning rate
✅ Added lease amendments for future protection
✅ Filled vacancies faster with crisp, clean storefronts

Stop Losing Money to Dirty Awnings

The math is simple:

🔸 $200 cleaning today prevents $2,000 replacement tomorrow
🔸 1 vacant month costs more than 5 years of professional cleaning

Smart landlords stay ahead of the problem. Let Go Awning help:

✔ Lease review consultations
✔ Bulk cleaning programs
✔ Emergency stain removal

Don’t wait until violations pile up!

📞 Contact Go Awning today: www.goawning.com