Condo maintenance and repairs: What are you responsible for?

Winter is here, and in Chicagoland and the rest of the state, the cold can present a range of issues. You’ve probably been keeping a watchful eye on driveways, roofs and other essential areas in your condo community. But don’t forget about one of the most freeze-sensitive parts of your buildings and systems: pipes.

Illinois legislators, as well as the city of Chicago, have been busy making some important legal changes that have a direct impact on condominium and homeowners associations (HOAs). We discussed some of them in depth in previous articles. In this article, we provide a summary of the new laws with which your HOA board and residents should be familiar.

Serving on a homeowners or condominium association’s board of directors is not an easy task. You are making decisions that impact your community and neighbors. So what makes one board more effective than another? The Cooperator Chicagoland recently interviewed FirstService Residential Illinois President Asa Sherwood to find out the secret behind some of the Chicago area’s most successful associations.

What does it take to be successful in the residential property management industry? Top Agent Magazine recently interviewed FirstService Residential’s Daniel Valdes to discover what has helped him become a leader in the industry.

Homeowners associations for buildings in Chicago should be prepared for some changes to the city’s recycling ordinance. Effective January 1, 2017, both residential and commercial multi-unit buildings will be required to implement “single-stream source-separated” recycling programs. What does this mean, and how, exactly, should your association’s board of directors go about ensuring that your building is compliant?

Good news for board members of homeowners associations: Legislation effective January 1, 2017, makes it easier for association boards to hold closed (executive) sessions. What’s especially significant about the law is that it mitigates particular aspects of the First Appellate Court decision in Palm v. 2800 Lake Shore Drive that had left many board members frustrated.

One of the benefits of working with a property management company is being able to offload many tasks that you and the other board members would otherwise have to handle. However, that doesn’t mean that you are relieved of all responsibilities. There will always be some duties that lie entirely in the hands of board members. Read more for tips on how to successfully effectively delegate to your property management company.

As the luxury residential market in Chicago grows ever more competitive, developers must take advantage of the wealth of knowledge professional property management teams can lend to their projects.

While traveling, the idea of staying where the locals live and experiencing the city from a new perspective is appealing to many. Vacationers have the chance to blend in and enjoy the comforts of home, away from home—that’s the luxury of the sharing economy. However, for condominium and homeowners associations, there are numerous issues to consider, including legal regulations. Read more about how the sharing economy may impact your building.

Rentals can be a contentious topic when you live in a homeowners association. And as with most things, there are plusses and minuses when it comes to restricting rentals in your building or community. If your association is considering adopting rental restrictions, here are three things you need to do.