Over the past few years, operating expenses for everything from fuel to labor to the cost of cleaning supplies have been steadily rising—and disrupting co-op and condo association budgets—all over the country. The premiums for properly insu…
Q. I own a unit in a large (100+ units) condominium. I understand that the association is required to maintain a current roster of residents, both owners and renters. As an owner, do I have a right to access that list? What information am…
Everyone wants to be a good neighbor—at least that’s what we’d like to believe. But, living in small spaces and sharing common areas can (and unfortunately does) lead to occasional conflict. That’s the unintended but inevitable consequence…
When a condo or co-op resident runs for a seat on their board, the decision to do so generally comes from a desire to ‘step up’ and participate in the governance of the place they call home, and the building or association community as a wh…
Ahh, the pleasures of home ownership; a space to call your very own, to arrange and enjoy as you see fit, all while building equity. It’s a key component of the American Dream—but when the faucet leaks in your condo or co-op unit, there’s n…
Q. During the warmer months, owners in our condominium building have noticed a few e-bikes/scooters with lithium batteries around our community. At night these e- bikes/scooters seem to be housed in owners’ or renters’ dwellings. Based on…
In multifamily residential communities, where neighbors share common space, amenities, and maintenance—if not actual walls—establishing and maintaining boundaries can be a bit tricky. Physical boundaries are often breached by things like …
“The trees along this city street, Save for the traffic and the trains, Would make a sound as thin and sweet As trees in country lanes.” –Edna St. Vincent Millay Trees provide us with many benefits, from the obvious to the not-so-obvio…
First impressions may not always tell the full story of a building (or a person, or a book, for that matter), but in the case of a multifamily building or HOA, the very first experience of a property—its exterior, entry spaces, even how sta…
Talk to anyone familiar with common-interest community governance anywhere in the country, and they will tell you the same thing: apathy is rampant among residents of co-ops, condos, and HOAs. Not only is it difficult to get owners and shar…