Live-In, Live-Out or Part-Time Super: What NYC Condos Actually Have
Short answer: It depends on the size of the building. Of the 986 NYC condo offering plans that say who the super will be, 97% of plans for more than 100 homes have a live-in super, but only 7% of plans for 13 to 25 homes do. Smaller buildings mostly have a super who lives elsewhere, usually part-time, and 49% of buildings with 8 or fewer homes have no super at all.
Three Kinds of Super
- Live-in super (often called the resident manager): lives in the building, usually in an apartment the condo owns or rents, and is on call for emergencies.
- Live-out super (non-resident): works in the building on a schedule but lives somewhere else. In mid-size buildings this can be a full-time job. In small ones it's often a few hours a week, sometimes shared with other buildings.
- Part-time super or janitorial service: an hourly worker or a cleaning and maintenance company that handles trash, cleaning and small repairs, with a phone number for emergencies.
A building can also have no super: in the smallest condos, owners split the cleaning and take out the trash themselves.
What the Offering Plans Show, by Building Size
| Building size | Plans | Live-in super | Super lives elsewhere | No super | Of supers who live elsewhere: part-time or hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–8 homes | 340 | 0% | 51% | 49% | 83% |
| 9–12 homes | 93 | 4% | 85% | 11% | 85% |
| 13–25 homes | 131 | 7% | 89% | 4% | 67% |
| 26–50 homes | 157 | 32% | 66% | 2% | 49% |
| 51–100 homes | 105 | 70% | 30% | 0% | 21% |
| More than 100 homes | 160 | 97% | 3% | 0% | — |
NYC condo offering plans that say whether the building will have a superintendent and where they'll live (986 plans). "No super" includes buildings where owners or the managing agent arrange cleaning and repairs. Part-time or hourly: the first-year budget's footnotes describe part-time help, fewer than 30 hours a week, or a janitorial call service (a dash: fewer than 5 budgets).
A live-in super becomes the norm at 51–100 homes, where 70% of plans have one, and is nearly universal above that. Below 50 homes, a super who lives elsewhere is typical, and in buildings of 25 homes or fewer, 78% of those supers are budgeted as part-time or hourly help.
What the Law Requires
Offering plans explain their staffing by citing the rules for apartment buildings, and the thresholds line up with the table above:
- Fewer than 9 homes: no super required. The plan for 217 Lee Avenue, a three-unit building in Brooklyn, says the city's Administrative Code (§27-2053) "does not require a superintendent for a building of less than nine (9) residential units," so cleaning and trash are the owners' job. It estimates that hiring someone would cost about $5,000 a year, a 25% increase in common charges.
- 9 homes or more: the building needs janitorial service. 111 Charles Street, with 19 homes, has a part-time, non-resident super and uses a janitorial service provider "on an as needed basis" to comply.
- 13 homes or more: plans cite the state Multiple Dwelling Law §83, which says that when 13 or more families live in a building and the owner doesn't, someone responsible for it must live in the building or nearby. 316 22nd Street, with 9 homes, notes that its part-time super doesn't have to live within 200 feet because the building is below that threshold.
These are what the plans cite, not legal advice. A building's attorney decides how it complies, and the plan says so in its staffing section.
Live-In Super: Pros and Costs
The case for a live-in super is speed. Someone is in the building when a pipe bursts at night, a package room floods or the boiler trips. In big buildings, the super also manages the porters and handymen and deals with contractors.
The cost goes beyond the salary. The super needs somewhere to live, and the owners pay for it. At 200 East 83rd Street, with 86 homes, the condo owns Unit 6B for the resident manager and budgets its common charges, taxes and utilities. Some buildings rent an apartment nearby instead, and a few pay a housing allowance. See where the super lives and what the condo pays and the resident manager's unit (RMU) at closing.
Live-Out and Part-Time Supers: Pros and Costs
A super who lives elsewhere costs less and needs no apartment. In small buildings, part-time help can be very cheap:
- At 40 Skillman Avenue (6 homes), the budget has a part-time super for 8 hours a week at $15 an hour, about $7,500 a year with payroll taxes and benefits.
- At The Artisan (6 homes) in Astoria, the developer pays the first year's part-time super through a $10,000 subsidy. After that year, owners can vote to drop the super, in which case they keep the common areas clean and take the garbage out themselves.
The tradeoff is response time. Ask who answers the phone at 2 a.m., how quickly they can get there, and who has keys to the water shutoffs and the boiler room.
What to Check in the Offering Plan
- The "Superintendent" or "Labor" paragraph in the plan's summary and the staffing note in Schedule B: live-in or not, hours a week, union or not.
- Any developer subsidy for staff, and what happens when it ends.
- For a live-in super, the resident manager's unit: who owns it and what it adds to common charges.
- For a resale, ask the managing agent whether staffing has changed since the plan was filed. Plans are amended, and boards can change staff.
To compare staffing costs, see what NYC condos spend on staff and operating expenses by building.
FAQ
Does every NYC condo have a live-in super?
No. Only 30% of the plans we read have one. They're the norm in buildings of 51–100 homes and larger; smaller buildings usually have a super who lives elsewhere, often part-time.
What's the difference between a live-in and a live-out super?
A live-in super lives in the building, usually in an apartment the condo owns or rents, and covers emergencies at any hour. A live-out super works set hours and lives elsewhere, which costs less but means a slower response at night.
Is a building required to have a super?
The plans say buildings of fewer than 9 homes aren't. Larger ones need janitorial service, and from 13 homes, plans cite a state rule that someone responsible for the building must live in it or nearby.
Can the condo board change from a live-in to a part-time super?
Generally yes. Staffing is a board decision once owners control the board, subject to the law, any union contract and the by-laws. Some plans spell it out: The Artisan's owners can vote to drop the part-time super after the first year.
Who pays for the super?
All owners, through common charges. The super's pay, payroll taxes and any apartment are budget lines in Schedule B.
Where this comes from: the superintendent recorded for 986 NYC condo offering plans (live-in, lives elsewhere, or none), with each plan's number of homes; the staffing notes in their first-year budgets; and the plans for 217 Lee Avenue, 111 Charles Street, 316 22nd Street, 200 East 83rd Street, 40 Skillman Avenue and The Artisan. This is general information, not legal advice. Updated November 2026.
Related: What New NYC Condos Spend on Staff, by Building Size · An Advisor for Your Condo or Co-op Board That Knows How Every Other NYC Building Is Run