Search

Get answers to frequently asked questions submitted by board members like you!

How to establish decorating policies without being a grinch. Keep spirits bright this season for the whole community!

The rising cost of flood insurance and forthcoming changes to FEMA flood maps is a topic of discussion for condos and co-ops in the New York City area.

Security risks increase exponentially during the holiday seasons for high-rise buildings. Many residents travel for the holidays, move to warmer weather during the winter months, or have an influx of guests and family members in and out. These factors make it easy for intruders to make it into the building, especially if there are no procedures in place to track the many people and deliveries in and out of the building.

How do you manage collections and HOA funds after a crisis? Get 3 tips to help you plan for the future

Considering synthetic turf for your community common areas? Understanding the facts on what it's made of, benefits and disadvantages, and how it will affect children or pets will make all the difference when determining if synthetic turf is the right choice for your community!

Safeguarding a strata corporation’s operating and reserve funds is one of the main fiduciary duties of all board members, not just the treasurer. This means strata councils must protect the financial interests of the strata corporation and its members.

When you hire a contractor, it could either be the best decision you ever made, or the worst. The stakes are high; a good contractor will execute your vision on time and on budget, whereas a not-so-good one will be the source of bad workmanship, unexpected delays, inconvenience and a whole lot of headaches.

Picture this: your homeowners association has a big job that needs to be done, so you’ve got to find a qualified contractor to do it. How do you manage your vendor selection process to make sure you find the best one to fill your needs?

High summer temperatures bring high electric bills – especially this summer, as heat waves and soaring temperatures continue to blaze across the U.S. and Canada. But FirstService Residential’s innovative FS Energy program is keeping residents cool, curbing electric bills and lowering energy emissions and usage – and it saved $1.5 million in energy costs for NYC residents last summer. Now, the program is rolling out to multifamily buildings in Chicago and Miami.

When you have a large-scale project slated for your community, it’s tempting to select a vendor based on price. After all, what’s more important than saving your association money?

Vendor management is a large part of serving on the board of a managed community. Every community has outside partners for services like landscaping, sanitation, cable and Internet provision, pool maintenance, valet services and more. Open and effective communication among the board, the management company and the vendors employed by the association is an important part of making the most of any community’s operating budget and improving the lifestyles of its residents.

Your Board of Directors oversees the many day-to-day tasks required to operate and maintain your community…but they can’t do it alone. Your property management team will be expected to hire a wide array of vendors, including painters, plumbers, electricians, landscapers, repairmen for equipment maintenance or emergencies, exterminators, and more.

Now more than ever, communities are searching for ways to increase resident engagement and create a social atmosphere. One way managers capitalize on their available community amenities is through lifestyle programming.

Summer’s longer days mean more time to enjoy warm weather and sunshine, but they also mean higher energy bills. There is a bright side, however: by implementing an energy management program within your community, you can help keep costs down without sacrificing comfort.

During these unprecedented times, residents are spending the majority of their time at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect themselves and their loved ones from infection. One of their primary contact points with the outside world is in your HOA or condo common areas, where they can be at risk of contact with lingering coronavirus or even spread existing virus to other areas of the property. Read on for a comprehensive list of places to clean and how to clean them.

Part of your job as a board member is ensuring the safety of residents in your community association. To that end, it’s important to educate homeowners about possible fire risks and the steps they can take to prevent fire hazards in their homes. Chances are that fire safety isn’t top of mind for residents. However, home fires are more common than most people realize.

You’ve been there before. You meet with a vendor, they seem like a great choice, and then after a month or so, you find yourself in a dispute.

Enhance your community by putting more play in your community - learn more about how to put a park or playground in your neighborhood.

In the past, when planning for emergencies, a global pandemic was likely not on your list. While most board members did not anticipate a pandemic as something that needed a plan before COVID-19, it's now clear that communities need to develop a plan to address this and any future pandemics. Read on to learn how to build a community emergency preparedness plan with a possible resurgence of coronavirus and other potential pandemics in mind.

Here are some tips to manage your HOA vendors more effectively & and get the results you're looking for.

Chances are, you joined the board at your HOA or condo because you’re extremely passionate about the community and want to improve the experience of the other residents within it. Part of adding value to residents in your community is offering classes and programs for them to participate in to get to know their neighbors and offer opportunities for them to stay happy and healthy. Read on to find some suggestions for great virtual programs for communities like yours.

Community spirit: that intangible thing that binds associations together. But building it happens in very tangible ways. Best of all, it’s not as daunting as you might think. A tightly knit community can be created by having your association follow just a few simple steps. Let’s go over some of those ideas right here.