Building superintendent

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A building superintendent or building supervisor (often known simply as the super) is a manager responsible for repair and maintenance in a residential building. They are the first point of contact for residents of the building. They are expected to take care of minor issues and repairs, such as small leaks or blockages. For larger jobs and major repairs they will organize and supervise the work of the sub-contractors. Building superintendents often get discounts in their rent, free rent, or free rent plus a small salary in exchange for their services. The amount of compensation they receive is usually proportional to the size of the building.

Although very common in large cities in the United States, the job title is not often used in the rest of the world. However, the job title is used throughout Canada where it is often spelled as superintendent. Other common titles for this job include resident manager, apartment manager, and property manager.

The super of a building will often be a minor character in many television shows; for example in Friends. They are also commonly present in minor speaking roles on crime drama shows, such as Law & Order, where the super will often let the police in to an apartment that is the scene of a crime or the home of a suspect.