Community living—the very basis of co-op, condo and HOA life—is based on the idea of trust. In a community of potentially hundreds or thousands of residents, every resident can’t be involved in the making of every decision. Too many cooks c…
A condominium, cooperative, or homeowners’ association elects a board for a specific purpose: to manage the community’s day-to-day business, oversee special projects, and draft and uphold the rules and regulations that keep life orderly and…
For properties working with tighter budgets, it may make sense to 'share' staff members with neighboring buildings or associations in order to trim overhead and administrative costs. Come find out how you can join forces with other landlord…
Solar power has come a long way since the days of huge, unsightly rooftop arrays - find out how going solar can save your buildings energy and money, and learn how your properties can take advantage of new solar technologies, as well as inc…
Q. I am a condo board member and often hear my fellow members say at our meetings “What goes on in here, stays in here.” How can that be fair to our unit owners? Shouldn’t everything go in the minutes except for names and amounts owed an…
Ideally, cleaning products have one primary function: to make things less dirty. But once one delves deeper into the overall goal, things get more complicated. What makes something really clean? Does it just look shinier? Smell better? Or i…
Many residential properties obtain their power from a local energy supplier. But in recent years, boards and managing agents have investigated, and in some cases, installed “cogeneration” systems that allow properties to produce a portion o…
In multifamily buildings that hundreds – maybe even thousands – of people call home, it comes as no surprise that unpleasant smells can become an absolute nuisance. The airways that run through the building, the chutes and areas that house …
Most folks know that turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, taking shorter showers, and turning down the thermostat a couple of degrees can help save energy – and by extension, money. However, helping an entire building or association cut …
Q. Can a board change house rules without a vote? Our condo declaration states no pets in or on any property of the condominium without approval of the board in writing. The house rules were changed from no pets to pets allowed and two pe…