ARTICLE: 4 tips for a Low Hassle Summer Season
The winter season appears to finally be passing and it’s time to enjoy that very short period when we are neither complaining about the cold or the heat!
This is a perfect time of year to take a few steps to help prevent problems and reduce your management committees challenges this summer.
1) Plan for the unexpected
As someone who manages many buildings in Cyprus, I can confirm that if a pool pump, lift or bio plant is going to break down, it is rarely kind enough to do so at the beginning of a season, most of the time this breakdown will be during the August holiday break when every supplier in Cyprus is closed! Now you could say this is most likely because of the higher usage loads combined with the heats effect on electrical and mechanical equipment, but to me its just evidence of Murphy's Law.
You can help reduce this risk by keeping an eye on your maintenance schedule, and make sure that all equipment is serviced in line with the manufacturer’s requirements, and don’t put off any repairs thinking it “Should” keep working until the end of the year. Keeping a stock of spares is always a good idea as well.
2) Adjust your Apartment Buildings Cleaning and Gardening schedules.
Your building will have different requirements at different times of the year, so allow some flexibility within your budget to increase cleaning & gardening levels during peak season. This will help you keep your building looking its best. Remember happy guests = happy owners = higher communal fee payment rates.
3) Remind any absent owners of the importance of having their apartments regularly checked.
The summer season is where you can encounter bad smells in corridors (from apartments dried out drains), break-ins, pest problems etc.
Remind your unit owners to have their properties checked once per month, taps run, apartment aired etc to avoid these issues. They will also likely find this is a requirement of their insurance policy and may need to provide evidence of this in the event of a claim.
4) Put up signs and ask unit owners to inform their guests of the site requirements and rules.
With guests coming from all over the world, it’s important to let them know of any differences they may experience when staying in your building. Simple notices with information about what to do with their rubbish bags, the pool opening hours, not to flush incompatible items down the toilets can help.
It’s a good idea to use images along with words to help with any language barrier.
If you need help with this, you can download an example of a sign I use in our brand new CCG Community Hub which contains lots of FREE useful resources and downloads. www.Hub.CyprusCommunalGuide.com
Looking for more?
If you are a member of your management committee, (or are looking to set one up) you will know that while the communal property regulations are comprehensive, they are sometimes a little difficult to understand and even once understood its not always easy to apply these generic regulations to your individual building with its specific challenges.
To help with this problem my most recent book the Ultimate Committee handbook gives you detailed and step by step instructions on every aspect of being on your committee and running your building. It explains the communal property law in simple terms including real world examples and instructions on how to best apply these regulations.
To get more information on this book, and view a book preview you can click the below link.
Unlock the true potential of your apartment building or resort with The Ultimate Committee Handbook.
Russell Flick
The Cyprus Communal Guide
Helping you unlock your buildings true potential.
