The purpose of a Maintenance Plan is to instruct a homeowner association board and property manager how to properly maintain common element components. Following a well prepared Maintenance Plan will help extend the useful life of the components and reduce costs to the members. An effective preventive maintenance plan should satisfy the following five key […]
Keys to a Successful Window Job: Preparation, Preparation, Preparation (FL)
Repairing or replacing windows is a massive job for any co-op or condo board. The challenges run the gamut – preparing residents for major disruptions, inspecting apartments, choosing window specifications and vendors, orchestrating the work schedules, getting approvals, if necessary, from the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). And then, of course, there’s the matter of […]
HOA Tips: Taking Out the Trash
When it comes to getting rid of garbage, many Homeowner Association members are apt to simply toss their waste in the trash or into the dumpster and call it a day. But improper dumping can lead to stronger garbage smells and more mess in our trash facilities. So before you haul out the trash, here […]
Accessing Units: Balancing Privacy and Expediency
Owning a unit in a multifamily co-op or condo carries a great many benefits in the form of shared responsibilities, but it also requires compromises along the lines of control: what your board, management, and building staff can or cannot do. One area where such compromises have the potential to lead to uncomfortable conflicts is […]
Getting Your HOA Winter Ready (TX)
With the first day of winter having passed, it’s time to get your HOA winter ready for the lower temperatures and anything else Mother Nature can throw at you, which has been plenty here in Texas! As an HOA, your board should have already taken care of any final fall clean up, sprinkler blow outs, […]
Kass: Who Bears Water Damage Loss In A Condominium
Question. I own a unit in a condominium with 180 units. Recently, my apartment was damaged as a result of an overflowing humidifier in a unit several floors above me. The unit owner whose humidifier overflowed and caused the damage reported it to his insurance company, which denied payment. Apparently, the insurance company took the […]
What is the Best Practice for Elevator Maintenance?
People who live in tall buildings dread broken elevators. They cause delays – and repeatedly broken elevators can even cost you, residents, as people move out. Some residents, of course, are unable to use the stairs at all. Condominium owners expect to be able to reliably access elevators at all times, but too many building […]
Water Leak? If you Live in a Condominium Association Who is Responsible?
Plumbing problems can be the worst frustration experienced by any homeowner, particularly if you live somewhere prone to hurricanes and other violent storms. When you live in a condominium association there is the added complication of determining who is responsible – the owner, the condo association or even a neighbor. There is also the matter […]
Self-Managing Maintenance: Getting the Job Done On Your Own
Whether because of convenience, the desire for autonomy, or a tight budget, some condo and HOA communities opt not to retain an outside management company or an agent to handle their respective day-to-day administrative and maintenance needs. Without proper oversight and experience however, the vitality of the building and property – along with the residents […]
Laundry Room Maintenance: It’s a Wash
Can you imagine living in a condo or co-op that doesn’t have a laundry room? These days, having on-site laundry facilities for residents isn’t an amenity – it’s a necessity, and keeping yours functional and well-maintained is just as important as keeping the boiler or elevators running. Nearly all multifamily laundry rooms are managed and […]
Optimizing HVAC: Heating, Cooling, and Conserving
Everyone loves the turning of the seasons, what with leaves changing and snow falling and pools opening and the like. But Mother Nature has little concern for the comfort of humans, so fluctuating temperatures bring the need for residential heating and cooling. In condominiums, cooperatives and homeowners associations, residential heating and cooling (HVAC for short) […]
Two Condominium Bylaw Provisions That Every Board Should Review To Ensure That Assessments Are Not Unnecessarily Depleted
Assessments are the means by which all associations operate, and assessments provide the necessary income to maintain and enhance a community’s assets to protect and maximize unit values. When assessment levels get too high, the very assessments that are essential to sustain a condominium community may very well end up hurting the market values the […]
What is the Guarantee in a Guaranteed Maximum Contract?
Associations facing repair projects are often given the option of entering into a guaranteed maximum contract or G-Max contract with their contractor. These contracts are common for repair projects, whether the repairs are required because of defects and damage or because the component is at the end of its useful life. The implication that a […]
Project Management: What Every Board Member And Manager Needs To Know
Your association is gearing up for a large project. Maybe it’s time to re-do the clubhouse or plan for that $2M dollar concrete restoration project that was put off for far too long. Other large scale projects can include painting, concrete restoration, interior restoration, deck/paver repair or replacement, and foundation repairs, and so much more. […]
Common Pitfalls in Dealing with Major Repairs
Recent experience as litigation and general counsel for numerous associations who are currently tackling significant repairs suggests a couple of common pitfalls. First, don’t skimp on the consultant. While some associations decide that using an engineer or architect to develop a scope of repair and oversee its implementation is too time consuming or an unnecessary […]
The Roles of Building Staff: Working as a Team for the Good of All
Supers, building managers, maintenance persons, custodial staff, groundskeeping personnel, porters, doormen, concierges—depending on the size of a community, the staff roster for a condo, co-op or HOA can be pretty long. The truth is, in the case of almost any building or association over five units, at least a few of these people are necessary […]
Community Managers, Are You Prepared for Fall?
Yes, it’s that time of the year again! As we are one month away from the end of summer and the onset of fall, a manager has a lot to think about to prepare the community for the upcoming season. Here, we provide a checklist along with some tips that every manager can incorporate into […]
How to Create a HOA Maintenance Chart for Your Community
Most people choose to live in HOA neighborhoods for the sense of community, the benefit of shared facilities, and assurance that if anything goes truly wrong there is a system to take care of it. The most common disruption of a happy neighborhood community is disputes about maintenance responsibility. In many cases, the question of […]
6 Tips on Preparing HOA Vendor Bids and Evaluating Responses
HOAs exist for the benefit of all the HOA’s homeowner members. The elected Board takes care of the day-to-day business of the HOA. Of course, the Board cannot complete every maintenance job or other work that the HOA needs. So, one of the Board’s duties is to hire the best people (or company) for the […]
Kick the Can and Deferred Maintenance
In the childhood game of “Kick the Can”, one person is designated It and an empty can is placed in the open playing field. With eyes closed, It counts to an agreed upon number, and the other players run and hide. It then tries to find and tag each of the players, always keeping a […]
Insights into Reactive and Predictive Maintenance Programs
Maintenance and repairs are important activities with respect to the ongoing success of an HOA. There’s no reason reactive and predictive maintenance programs should seem mysterious. In fact, gaining insight into the differences between them is fairly simple. Read on for a few tips about the three general approaches to HOA maintenance. Read the article……………..
When Express Maintenance Obligations In A Declaration Of Condominium Are Not So Clear (FL)
For example, let’s examine the replacement of the unit’s windows. Pursuant to the maintenance obligations in the declaration of condominium, the unit owner is responsible to maintain, repair, and replace all parts of the unit and the fixtures and equipment of the unit, including windows. However, the declaration of condominium also prohibits the unit owner […]
Prepping Your Property for Warmer Weather
With the end of winter comes relief. No more snow or sleet or slush or sludge; it’s sunshine and windbreaker season, baby! But the board of a condo, cooperative or homeowners association cannot be content with simply waiting for April showers to bring the long-awaited May flowers. A lot of work must be done to […]
Outdoor Spring Cleaning 101
With spring in full swing, it’s time to start working on that spring cleaning checklist. While almost everyone has a list of indoor spring cleaning tasks, you don’t want to forget about the outside of homes and common areas. Here are some recommendations for your home: Read the article…………..
Price vs A Job Well Done ~ Managing Maintenance Issues in a Homeowners Association
One of the largest questions we get at Key CMI is about managing maintenance issues in a Homeowners Association scenario. Has your board of directors ever embarked on a significant community project, and once completed, it became evident the quality of the job didn’t meet expectations, but you sure saved a lot of money? HOA […]
Here Comes the Sun
In preparation for writing this week’s blog post, I googled songs about the sun. Dozens of cheery, happy songs immediately sprung from the internet. Out of curiosity, I also googled songs about rain. A few select, dreary, and depressing songs popped up. I decided on Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles. The reason: we […]
Seasonal Maintenance: A Year-Round Responsibility
Building maintenance follows a schedule based on the seasons, each of which presents a unique set of challenges to a co-op or condo. At certain times of the year, it just makes sense to do certain regular maintenance projects: weatherizing, boiler maintenance, winterizing gardens and landscaping in the fall; cleaning, repainting, pruning, and switching off […]
Managing Community Maintenance and Improvement Needs
Whether your community is self-managed or professionally managed, maintenance is a big part of the day-to-day responsibilities. It’s a responsibility that can quickly become overwhelming, especially when you walk in on a Monday morning to a list of what went wrong over the weekend. If you’re on the board of an association, you’re in luck! […]
Addressing Water System Failures Before They Happen
In the heyday of the real estate bubble, developers flipped tens of thousands of apartment structures into condominiums – with little regard for the condition of the potable water system. Many of these galvanized steel or early copper systems are rapidly approaching the end of their service life. Unseen, a small leak can cause thousands […]
Correcting HOA Maintenance Dysfunction
Here’s How The Problems Start: The board of directors of a homeowner’s association is entrusted by the residents to hire a contractor to perform a complicated reconstruction project. Unfortunately, condominium board members are not very good at writing contracts or issuing requests for proposal or collecting bids. When a contractor is selected, the scope of […]
How to Handle Every Stage of a Snowstorm
While residents of warmer clients experienced some early Spring weather, some regions have experienced extreme winter weather patterns this season and for a few of us that meant record breaking snow levels. Even right now, in some parts of the country snow is still falling, and as some may be inspired to dust off their […]
Spring is Coming…Is Your Property Ready?
Winter, even the mild one we are experiencing, can wreak havoc on your property! Between the snow, ice, wind and cold, lots of repairs are made in the winter that need to be readdressed in the spring. Why are we talking about spring already? Well, spring will be here before you know it and your […]
Don’t Touch that Sidewalk! Doing Too Much Could Be as Problematic for Condo Associations as Doing Too Little
We regularly advise condominium boards to be wary of taking on obligations beyond those state laws or their association’s governing documents require them to assume. A recent decision by a Massachusetts Appeals Court adds a judicial exclamation point to that advice. Read the article…………
Hiring An Owner’s Rep: Save Time, Money and Peace of Mind
When an Association’s Board of Directors begin exploring a new construction project, oftentimes the cost of the endeavor is at the forefront of their thought process. And rightly so; depending on the size and scope of the project, it could represent the biggest expense the Community has taken on in many years, and the biggest […]
Handling Maintenance and Repairs: In-House, Or Outsource?
In the wake of the recession and facing an uncertain economic climate on the heels of a tumultuous presidential election, condo, co-op, and HOA boards may instinctively want to pinch pennies where they can, especially when it comes to maintenance projects. If an association has a full-time, in-house maintenance staff – whether that be a […]
Handling Maintenance and Repairs: In-House, Or Outsource?
In the wake of the recession and facing an uncertain economic climate on the heels of a tumultuous presidential election, condo, co-op, and HOA boards may instinctively want to pinch pennies where they can, especially when it comes to maintenance projects. If an association has a full-time, in-house maintenance staff – whether that be a […]
Competitive Bids for HOA Services
When buying an expensive item, you probably shop around a bit to try and find the best price. Similarly, it’s common to shop around for different HOA services to get competitive bids and save the HOA money. If your association is considering getting competitive bids, check out these three facts. Read the article…………
Pros and Cons of Snow Removal Contract Options
Sitting by a warm fire or having a snowball fight on a snow day can be fun for the whole family. However, when you have to get around, the snow quickly becomes a hassle. If your area frequently sees snowfall, the HOA may be considering snow removal contracts. Check out these pros and cons of […]
Drowning in Maintenance Requests
Landlords get many maintenance requests, and they can quickly become overwhelming. They may seem unavoidable, and while it’s impossible to stop them completely, there are ways to deal with them and reduce them once and for all. These four tips can help. The first thing to do when getting bombarded with maintenance requests is to […]
5 Actions an HOA Board Should Take to Clarify Maintenance & Insurance
One common subject that often causes confusion in a homeowners association is grasping the difference between the maintenance responsibilities of an association and the items that are covered by the association’s insurance policy. Often owners and even HOA board members may not understand the differences between these two subjects. Read the article…………..
Don’t Cut Cost Corners: Putting Off Expenses Can Cause Your Building Big Problems
Small co-ops and condos face a special set of challenges relative to controlling expenses. The building has to be heated, the real estate taxes paid, and the halls cleaned. Unlike in larger buildings, the cost isn’t shared by dozens or perhaps hundreds of cooperators. Rather the cost may be borne by five or seven or […]
A Preventative Maintenance Plan for Your High-Rise Community
Creating and executing a comprehensive preventative maintenance plan for your high-rise community should be a top priority for your board, residents and property management company alike. The benefits of preventative maintenance are countless, from preventing the premature breakdown of mechanical systems, to prolonging the useful life of virtually every system in your community, to predicting […]
Notice to Owner: A Forewarning to Associations
You hired a contractor for concrete restoration, pool resurfacing or minor electrical work at the clubhouse; did you receive an oddly printed form entitled Notice to Owner in the mail? In our experience, Notices to Owner do not get the respect they deserve and they tend to be ignored or thrown in a drawer without […]
HOA Board Function: Maintain Common Area
Another main function of the board is to maintain common area within an association. Common area may include greenbelts, floral landscape, open space areas, recreational facilities and streets. The funds for maintaining these areas are generated through collection of assessments. The decision on how this maintenance is performed is left up to the board. The […]
How Preventative Maintenace Will Save Time In the End
It’s easy to treat preventative maintenance as an afterthought. It’s much harder to worry about problems that haven’t happened as opposed to those that have already occurred. Preventative care also requires planning time and resources that can be in short supply for many HOA’s. Still, keeping up with preventative maintenance is an important task that […]
Tips for Submitting Repair & Maintenance Requests
Your community management company has two primary goals: to increase your property value and to facilitate the enjoyment of the community for all residents. Part of ensuring that the community looks attractive is to address maintenance requests right away, so your management company assumes the role of facilitating communication between residents and the community association’s […]
Maintaining Balconies and Terraces: Safety Comes First
Before embarking on a real estate hunt, most prospective buyers craft lists. The “must have” list (square footage, operational plumbing, windows), the “would love list” (lots of natural light, Jacuzzi bathtub, doorman) and then the “probably just a dream” list (heated bathroom floors, private elevator, silent neighbors). Somewhere on these lists fall balconies and terraces. […]
New Ruling Strengthens Association’s Ability to Demand Homeowners Maintain Appearance of Their Residence (FL)
For most homeowners association communities, one of the primary functions for the associations in their enforcement of the community’s declaration is ensuring that all of the homeowners are maintaining the exterior appearance of their property. Poorly maintained homes detract from a community’s appeal and diminish its property values, and HOAs are charged with conducting all […]
Spring Maintenance
It’s that time of the year, when the weather’s getting warmer and you’re itching to do some spring cleaning. While that applies to pretty much all of us, it’s also the perfect time of the year for your homeowners association to make sure everything is in order for 2016. Read the article……….
Ruling Reminds Associations of Significant Consequences Resulting from Failure to Maintain Common Elements
Maintaining the common elements and areas is one of the primary functions and responsibilities of community associations. Last year’s ruling by the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court’s Appellate Division illustrates the potential consequences that may arise in the event an association does not adequately address complaints by unit owners regarding nuisances resulting from the improper maintenance […]