Communication & transparency with apartment maintenance system
Paromita Datta
May 29, 2023

Enhancing Communication & Transparency with Apartment Maintenance System

Maintaining a community is a challenging task. Traditionally, maintenance was largely ad hoc, creating more work and effort in managing large premises. There were almost no means to track work progress or check expenses, leading to the wastage of resources and unchecked spending. These factors prompted demand for an all-inclusive apartment maintenance system that facilitated oversight while streamlining operations. 

ApnaComplex offers an all-inclusive apartment maintenance system through an award-winning enterprise resource planning solution. It has been developed in close association with different stakeholders to address the unique challenges of maintaining a gated community. 

What is an Apartment Maintenance System? 

An apartment maintenance system helps Management Committees (MCs), Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), and community managers to streamline operations on one platform while ensuring no compromises in maintaining the common areas, amenities, and facilities of the community. 

Although housekeeping is the main function of community maintenance, it also includes asset and facility management. The two biggest challenges here are communication and transparency. Communication is the bedrock of smooth functioning while transparency is essential in ensuring accountability. ApnaComplex apartment maintenance system addresses both through multiple avenues. 

Easing communication 

Even the most efficient manager can fall short without strong communication. Residents need a medium to register complaints and leave feedback. Traditionally, complaints were recorded in paper registers. However, this proved to be inefficient with missing complaints and lags in resolution. There was no way to track resolution without going through the tedious process of tracking each entry. 

ApnaComplex maintenance system bridges this gap through the app where residents can leave complaints. These are assigned to the maintenance and repair staff. Unresolved complaints are automatically bumped to the next supervisory level. The resident can leave feedback on the app. 

In short, the ApnaComplex maintenance system eases communication through:

  • Easy access to repair staff
  • 24/7 communication portal
  • Quick follow up
  • Feedback mechanism 

Read our article to know Why Centralised Communication is Key to Apartment Management Efficiency.

Ensuring transparency

Maintenance and repair account for the most significant expense bucket for MCs and RWAs. With small repairs piling up, it can be difficult to keep track of every penny spent. Many maintenance activities are also carried out by outside vendors. This requires invoicing, billing, and adequate budgetary outlays. Accountability is, hence, one of the biggest issues in an apartment maintenance system. 

ApnaComplex facilitates transparency through meticulous expense tracking which includes:

  • Ensuring financial discipline by making it easy for the staff to record transactions.
  • Segregation of maintenance spending for easy tracking.
  • Tracking inventory like bulbs. 
  • Easy configuration of the petty cash account.
  • Categorising different expenses to track where money is being spent.
  • Access to instant budget variance and expense reports.

These trackers are designed to show where the money is being spent and by whom. This helps in fixing accountability and discourages spurious or overspending. It also reduces any chances of suspense entries. A budget variance report helps in further understanding where and how consumers may be exceeding the budgetary outlays. 

Find out more about Why you Need Automated Expense Tracking. Learn more about inventory tracking and how it can reduce pilferage of spares in your Apartment Maintenance.

If you want to learn more about our apartment maintenance system, get in touch with us at support@apnacomeplex or call 80886 11229. Our team will help you understand the various features you can use to improve the maintenance of the premises.

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Home Rental Management: Trends & forecasts
Paromita Datta
May 26, 2023

Hybrid Approach & Rising Rents: Evolving Trends in Home Rental Management Services

The real estate sector saw some turbulent times in the recent past. A slump in revenues during the initial COVID period was followed by a robust recovery in 2021. The rental industry also went through a similar recovery with record rents reported last year. What does the future hold for home rental management companies?

Trends in rental management services

Here are some of the emerging trends that will dictate the industry in the coming months:

Lagging supply to dictate soaring rents

House rents jumped by 23% in the 2019-2022 period. An ANAROCK report shows that even luxury markets have seen an 18% growth in the same period. With supply still lagging behind demand, this trend is expected to continue its upward curve in 2023. The gap in supply can be traced to the pandemic when construction came to a complete halt. With the available inventory still falling short of the demand, rents are expected to rise further. 

Evolution of hybrid approach

Traditionally, the rental market was run by local brokers. Online portals entered the market majorly as a listing platform. However, the trend has now moved towards hybrid services where online access is backed by personalised services.

ApnaComplex is a home rental management company that offers extensive listing to ease the process of finding a home or tenant. In-person services by Estate Portfolio Managers help tenants and homeowners through the process. Read our article to know How ApnaComplex is Driving the Change in Rentals.

Proptech taking the lead

Like other industries, technology is changing the game in the home rental industry. Today, the average person is more likely to look for a home or tenant online. Proptech like ApnaComplex Rentals allows landlords to list their property without any hassle. At the same time, it makes it easy for tenants to find a home. Other solutions include rent payment, easy data access, negotiation and rental agreement support. Other benefits like tenancy score can be gamechanger in securing a desired home. 

Data analytics and insight

Home rental management companies are now leveraging data to gain insight into market trends, tenant behaviour, and rental rates. This information can help identify investment opportunities, improve decision-making, and maximise rental yields. 

Enhanced service experience

With the intense competition, rental management companies are now focusing on enhancing the delivery of services to both tenants and landlords. ApnaComplex eases the rental process at every step, from easy property listings to negotiation support. Other services include KYC and move-in/move-out assistance. 

Legal compliance 

Home rental management companies are now increasingly focusing on ensuring legal compliance. Even where state laws are ambiguous, rental agreements and contracts are signed and registered. ApnaComplex Rentals took the lead by further protecting the interests of tenants and landlords through KYC and background checks.

Gated communities get a preference 

As rentals increase across the top cities, gated communities have emerged as the preferred address. Typically, homes in these housing societies are priced higher and tenants are willing to pay the extra buck. The reason for this preference is better security and the availability of amenities like sports facilities and fitness centre.

Improving rental yield

Soaring rentals mean that rental yield will also continue to improve. The average yield in the pre-COVID era was around 3%. With rents going up by 23%, yields have also improved in the top 7 cities. ApnaComplex has facilitated rental yields up to an impressive 4.2%.

If you want to know more about ApnaComplex Rentals, visit realty.apnacomplex.com or write to us at rentals@apnacomplex.com.

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Essential amenities for your gated community
ApnaComplex
May 22, 2023

Essential Amenities: 6 Must-Haves for Your Gated Community

Living in a gated community provides a sense of security, comfort, and improved quality of life. Gated communities provide a wide range of amenities and services that cater to the various requirements of the residents. Recreational spaces, enhanced security systems, and essential services are considered some of the basic amenities in a gated community that aims to provide a complete living experience. Let us delve deeper into the 10 necessary amenities that must be present in a gated community. 

What Is a Gated Community?

A gated community is a housing development surrounded by a fence or a wall with controlled access points. Gated communities come in various sizes, from small townhomes to sprawling estates.

The primary purpose of a gated community is to create a sense of exclusivity and safety for its residents. By having restricted access points, unauthorized individuals are prevented from entering the property without permission. Gated communities are favoured today because of upscale amenities such as clubhouses, swimming pools, tennis courts, and fitness centers. 

6 Must-Have Amenities for Gated Communities

Housing societies offer a range of amenities that can differ from one community to another. However, some of these are seen as essential by most residents today. Here are 6 must-have amenities that every gated community should offer.

24/7 Security

Gated communities should have 24/7 security to ensure the safety of residents. The security personnel should be well-trained and the community should have CCTV cameras installed in strategic locations. App-based security solutions, such as the ApnaComplex visitor management system have become a crucial feature for gated communities.

It allows residents to control access to their homes through their smartphones. The system also tracks visitors, ensuring that only authorized persons gain entry into the community. 

Close proximity to a coworking space or workplace

Like any real estate, location is a major factor in deciding the desirability of a gated community. Proximity to workspaces, especially co-working places is considered a major bonus. A coworking space is a shared workspace that allows working professionals to book their seats on the go. Easy accessibility to a coworking space is also beneficial for work-from-home residents as it allows them to work occasionally from an office. . Thus, it facilitates networking and collaborating opportunities.

Outdoor sports facilities

Gated communities should provide outdoor sports facilities such as tennis courts, basketball courts, and football fields. These facilities promote a healthy lifestyle and give residents an opportunity to socialize and network.

Plush clubhouse

Today, an upscale, centralized clubhouse is seen as an indispensable amenity for gated communities. Typically, the clubhouse also includes facilities such as a fitness center and swimming pool. Other than recreational facilities, a clubhouse acts as the heart of the society. It’s where everyone, from toddlers to senior citizens, get together to socialise and meet each other.

Availability of maintenance and repair staff

Gated communities should offer easy access to maintenance and repair staff to their residents. These services include housekeeping, plumbing, and electrical maintenance services. Other than the general upkeep of the community, the maintenance staff is also available to resolve housekeeping issues for residents. This can include leaking taps, wiring, or plumbing problems. ApnaComplex makes this access easy through the app, allowing residents to lodge complaints and follow up.

Adequate parking

While this may seem obvious, many gated communities still do not offer adequate parking spaces for residents and their guests. Older societies suffer from inadequate planning when it comes to the proliferation of vehicles in the modern era. Lack of planned parking space gives rise to disputes and dissatisfaction.

Even where adequate parking has been planned for residents, there may be gaps in providing enough space for guests and delivery people. Hence, leading developers are now ensuring that there is provision of extra parking space for residents. Similarly, guest vehicles also have a dedicated space near the gate. 

As developers continue to build more gated communities worldwide, it is important they prioritize the availability of these amenities. Potential buyers or renters will increasingly consider these facilities when making decisions on where to live. A well-equipped gated community brings convenience, safety, and peace of mind to its residents – making it an ideal place to call home.

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Hidden costs of renting an apartment
Paromita Datta
May 19, 2023

Looking for a home? Beware of the hidden costs of renting an apartment

With the spiraling rentals rates today, most tenants are preoccupied with calculating how much they can afford to pay every month. In the process, they often fail to plan for unexpected or hidden costs. Quite often these can be substantial, adding significantly to the monthly rental. While some of these may be stated upfront, such as the security deposit, some may not be as expected. 

This article explores the expected and hidden costs of renting an apartment.

Expected costs

Some of the expected costs when renting a home are: 

Security deposit: Rent is only one part of the payment. The security deposit is the first and most substantial expense you will have to fork out. Equivalent to two to ten months of rent, the security deposit is the first roadblock in getting a home. Many prospective renters often fail to count on this or to make adequate arrangements for their total liability. 

Brokerage and other fees: Typically, the brokerage is equivalent to a month’s rent. In addition, there are stamp duty and registration fees that can further inflate your liability. Some gated communities also charge a moving-in fee. Combined with the security deposit, these additional charges can again raise the financial liability for the tenant. 

Relocation: When moving to a new home, we often forget packing and moving charges. This amount can increase substantially depending on the distance and scope.

Unexpected costs:

The hidden costs of renting an apartment are not always factored in, especially by the unaware renter. 

Maintenance charges: Maintenance charges may or may not be included in the rent. In some cities like Mumbai, the quoted rent will include these charges. It is the landlord’s responsibility to pay the monthly or quarterly fee. The practice may vary in cities like Bangalore and Delhi. Premium gated communities have high maintenance charges, adding to the monthly rental. 

Repainting & repairs: Minot repairs and maintenance are the tenant’s responsibility unless otherwise stated in the rental agreement. The landlord is expected to hand over the home in optimum condition. This includes furnishing and appliances in good working condition. However, you may soon find that the bathroom exhaust is not working or the stove needs servicing. 

Parking: You may end up paying additional parking charges if your apartment or home does not include the space. Additional parking charges can also apply when you have more vehicles than your parking space. It is also best to check if there are any additional parking charges to be paid to the housing society. 

Utility bills: Payment of utilities like electricity, water, and garbage collection charges can vary. These can depend on the terms of the rental agreement or the scope of the society maintenance charges. For instance, water and garbage collection are often included as part of the maintenance fee. However, it is best to check your total liabilities.

Penalties: Very often tenants fail to check if there are any penalties in the rental agreement and how these are decided. For example, what is the penalty if you want to vacate your flat before the lease ends? Similarly, gated communities often have certain rules and regulations with penalties for violations. 

How to avoid hidden charges? 

When minimising the hidden costs of renting an apartment, it is always advisable to check every little detail. This includes:

  • Find out the security deposit. Negotiate if it is higher than what you expect or the prevalent rates in the market. Learn more about How People are Arranging for a Rental Security Deposit. 
  • Lock down all the details through the rental agreement. Most agreements specify each party’s liability for maintenance and repairs. Usually, minor wear and tear is the responsibility of the tenant. But major repairs have to be taken up by the landlord. 
  • Ensure the house is repainted and cleaned before you move in.
  • Ensure that appliances like ACs and gas stoves have been serviced. 
  • Inspect the apartment or home thoroughly to make sure that electrical fittings and plumbing are working properly. Check for any damages like water leakages or broken windowpanes. 
  • Does the rent include maintenance charges? Find out what falls under maintenance, particularly in terms of utility charges.
  • Check the rules and regulations of your housing society. This can help you avoid penalties later on. 

How can ApnaComplex Rentals help?

ApnaComplex Rentals offers all-inclusive rental management services. Apart from extensive listings, tenants can also benefit from specialised services, including negotiation support in deciding on rent and security deposit. Find out more in our article Everything you Should Know about Rental Security Deposit.

You can also get support with finalising the rental agreement. Our Estate Portfolio Manager can help you with the details about the rules and regulations of the community. 

Tenants can also be vulnerable to rent & lease scams. Learn What they are & How to Avoid them. To know what else you should be aware of, read our article on Things to keep in mind when looking to rent a flat

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7 key features for a society visitor management system
Paromita Datta
May 17, 2023

Society Visitor Management System: Top 7 Features to Look for

Ensuring security is paramount for every gated community. It ensures that residents are safe in their homes and surrounding. To ensure a high level of security, gated communities must switch over to tech-first solutions. Digital society visitor management systems are designed to address the challenges of legacy systems.

Technology can help Management Committees (MCs) and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) to optimise their resources. But with so many digital visitor management systems in the market today, how do you pick the right one? 

App supported

In an increasingly mobile world, a society visitor management system must be deployable through an app. ApnaComplex Gatekeepers app connects the society guards directly with the residents. The guards send notifications for visitor entries through the app which the resident must approve. This creates a seamless and touchless experience that is not dependent on landlines, allowing a resident to approve visitors from any location. Read our article here to learn more about an app-based visitor management system.

Enables pre-approvals

A security system allows only approved visitors to enter the society. However, repeated approvals in some cases can be a needlessly time-consuming exercise. For instance, approving your domestic helps or when hosting multiple guests. Many homes also have multiple deliveries in a day, from groceries to apparel. It can be irritating to approve each visitor. 

ApnaComplex Gatekeeper allows you to approve a visit prior to the date. In other words, you can pre-approve multiple guests or delivery people in one go. Similarly, staff has a separate seamless system where the residents have to register their help to auto-approve their entry.

Records visitor data

Approvals are only one aspect of society visitor management. We also need to record data, particularly contact details. Legacy systems relied on paper registers for recording this data. ApnaComplex Gatekeeper replaces this system with digital solutions for visitor management for a society. This ensures that records are safely stored and can be recalled with ease. 

Tracks visitor movement

How do you track a delivery personnel’s movements within the premises? Or which homes a domestic staff will be visiting? With ApnaComplex Gatekeeper, visitors have to record the units they will be visiting. In addition, visitors have to also inform their exit. This ensures that all entries and exits are recorded.  

Not just visitors, ApnaComplex also helps in tracking vehicles entering the premises. To know more, read our article here. 

Easy data recall

One of the biggest advantages of ApnaComplex digital society visitor management system is the ease of data recall. Digital data is nearly indestructible and highly accurate. This has implications that go beyond pulling up contact details for delivery people. Easy data tracking means that we can also trace the attendance of admin staff and domestic workers. 

Available in vernacular languages

For any visitor management system to be successful, it must be cognizant of language challenges faced by guards who are primarily responsible for recording data. To accommodate different language preferences, ApnaComplex Gatekeeper’s guard interface is available in eight languages – English, Marathi, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Oriya, and Gujarati. This ensures that guards can easily navigate the app and record accurate data. 

Enhances monitoring 

An effective society visitor management solution should strengthen the security of the premises. ApnaComplex Gatekeeper enables comprehensive monitoring to ensure a high level of scrutiny. For instance, it helps in tracking guests, visitors, staff, delivery people, and vehicles on the premises.

One of the key features of ApnaComplex Gatekeeper is the guard patrol tracking. Guards have to scan QR codes in specific locations during their patrol. Effectively, this means that their movement can be tracked by checking if and when they scanned and recorded the QR codes. 

To leverage ApnaComplex Gatekeeper to its full potential, read our article on Digital Visitor Management System: Taking Data Beyond Gate Management.

Read our article to know What You can Do to Secure Your Society.

If you want to learn more about ApnaComplex Gatekeeper, get in touch with us at support@apnacomeplex or call 80886 11229. Our team will help you leverage the society visitor management system to its full potential.

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5 Essential Practices for Sustainable Living 
Paromita Datta
April 27, 2023

Earth Day: 5 Sustainable Living Practices Every Gated Community should Adopt

April is an apt time to gauge the sustainability of our living spaces. Earth Day on April 22 prompts us to relook at green living practices and standards followed in the leading gated communities.  Built areas account for a substantial percentage of contributing to pollution in our cities. Hence, we must invest in and encourage sustainable practices in gated communities. 

What is sustainable living?

The UNEP describes sustainable living as an understanding of how our lifestyle can impact the world. It focuses on reducing the consumption of natural resources while ensuring better living standards for everyone. As self-regulating communities, housing complexes have the responsibility to encourage and establish sustainable living policies. 

An increasing number of states have also made such practices mandatory. For instance, rainwater harvesting (RWH) is legally compulsory in at least 14 states and 3 Union Territories. Similarly, apartment complexes are required to have a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at their premises. But to be truly sustainable, housing societies must make green living an indispensable part of community living. Every policy must be viewed according to its impact on the world around us. 

Essential sustainable living practices

Here are 5 essential practices that we must follow to ensure a sustainable community:

Make every drop count

With water scarcity worsening every year, conservation has been a major concern for every Management Committee (MC) and Resident Welfare Association (RWA). To be effective, they must adopt a three-pronged approach: track consumption, reduce wastage, and recycle. There are multiple means of achieving these goals, including:

  • Deploy ApnaComplex metered utility billing to collect water meter readings for different households. 
  • Install water flow regulators in every tap to control water flow and reduce water wastage. 
  • Install RWH to catch and utilise freely available rainwater. But be sure to pick the right design and size. To know more, read our article, Is your Rainwater Harvesting Falling Short? Here’s Why.

Read our article on Smart Water Conservation for more tips. 

Track and conserve energy

Energy conservation should be a prime focus for any sustainability initiative. Like water conservation, this strategy should also involve tracking consumption and reducing wastage. Given the high energy consumption in our daily life, it’s important to conduct an energy audit to understand consumption patterns. This can be followed up by adapting and encouraging energy-efficient solutions. 

  • Conduct an energy audit to understand the consumption pattern over different seasons with ApnaComplex metered billing. 
  • Setting an energy baseline for different seasons.
  • Move to LED lighting instead of CFL, GSL, or other standard lighting. 
  • Install energy-efficient smart devices, such as motion-sensor lighting in common areas. 
  • Hold educational sessions or invite smart solutions providers to help residents adopt more efficient energy consumption. 

Mind your 3Rs

Follow the golden rule of the 3 Rs of sustainable living in every area: reduce, reuse, and recycle. The 3R strategy for water management and similar energy usage reduction has already been mentioned. Other initiatives include:

  • Waste management with STP plant.
  • Ensuring waste segregation at source by enforcing penalties in case of violations.
  • Discouraging plastic use 
  • Repair equipment, implements, and other assets where it is economical to do so
  • Go for repaired and recycled options when buying assets like furniture
  • Start a composting project. The compost can be used for plants within the premises or sold to farmers. 
  • Educate staff and domestic workers on policies like waste segregation
  • Educate residents on how to dispose of highly contaminating waste like cooking oil or batteries.
  • Organise seminars and workshops 

For further clarity, please read our article on Helping your Society go ZERO-waste.

Build self-sustenance

The ultimate aim of green policies is to build community self-sustenance. It means meeting the community’s needs within the premises. For instance, proper rainwater harvesting can help meet the community’s water requirements. STPs can add to self-sufficiency by supplying water for flushing and watering plants. 

Similarly, composting is useful in caring for green spaces within the premises. Many housing societies have also started vegetable gardens. Solar panels can help meet power requirements while Electic Vehicle charging stations are vital in meeting mobility needs. 

These practices reduce dependence on outside sources like tankers. In addition, They also minimise the community’s carbon footprint. 

Sustainable management of natural resources

Every gated community has access to natural resources like air, water, light, and soil. For long-term sustainability, we must invest in processes and means that can help conserve these resources. This means cutting down on pollution and wastage. Resource management is a long-term process and should be consciously considered when taking every decision. 

  • Invest in energy-efficient solutions like solar panels and LED lighting.
  • Plant trees, shrubs, and plants to filter pollutants from the air and reduce the community’s carbon footprint.
  • Install drip irrigation to water plants.
  • Discourage excess consumption through slab-based billing.
  • Stop the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in green spaces. Switch to compost produced in the premises or get natural substitutes. 
  • Switch to natural alternatives in place of plastics in common areas and the society office and clubhouse. For instance, switch to newspaper lining in bins in place of garbage bags.
  • Get RWH and STP structures regularly inspected for efficacy. 
  • Designate a dedicated place for the responsible disposal of electric waste. Invite e-waste disposal companies to regularly collect waste from the residents. 
  • Ensure proper and regular disposal of waste.  
  • Hold periodic workshops and seminars to raise awareness.

Sustainable living with ApnaComplex

Gather community consensus, ensure regular communication, and bring residents together to enact these policies with ApnaComplex. 

  • Upload waste management policies on ApnaComplex Community Wiki to ensure easy access.
  • Hold polls and surveys to gather consensus for green living policies. This can help in reducing any conflicts.
  • Invite ideas through Discussion Forums.
  • Form special interest groups on ApnaComplex. This can include sub-committees composting and gardening groups. The app plays a vital role in easing communication between members.
  • Leverage utility metered billing to audit consumption. Integrated with the accounting module, this can be used to track payments. 

If you want to learn more about sustainable living solutions by ApnaComplex, get in touch with us at support@apnacomeplex or call 80886 11229.

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Tapping the gated community votebank
Paromita Datta
April 26, 2023

Tapping the Votebank – How Political Parties in Bengaluru are Wooing Gated Communities

Taps running dry in your building? Waterlogging outside the society gates? For the first time, residents of Bengaluru gated communities may have a chance to solve these nagging issues through the time-honoured route of the Indian democracy.

As Legislative Assembly Elections approach, gated communities have emerged as an important vote bank. Apartment bodies and residents must take this valuable opportunity to demand change. They have the chance to air and resolve key concerns plaguing gated communities. These range from the general development of the constituency to the state of water supply. Here’s a close look at what’s happening on the ground.

Why it matters?

Assembly polls are an important occasion for every Indian. It is both our duty and right to cast our vote. State elections also often have a direct impact on our life. The candidates we choose will be responsible for the development of our constituency. The issue concerning apartment bodies ranges from general infrastructure to land ownership. These include:

  • Khata transfer
  • Land rights in gated communities
  • Establishing a dedicated authoritative body
  • Land title transfer
  • Effective implementation Acts like RERA and Sakala 
  • Transfer of common areas to the apartment associations
  • Severe scarcity of water
  • Safeguard depositors

Campaign hotspot

This is not the first time political parties have targeted apartments. In 2014, politicos went all out to woo residents of gated communities with door-to-door campaigning. Parties also arranged for registering voters, ensuring every eligible resident had a valid voter card.

In 2017, it wasn’t just the political parties that realised the value of the democratic process. The Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF), spearheaded the Vote Maadi campaign. It targeted 400 apartment associations with 50,000 flats. The campaign urged residents to flex their voting power in order to get their voices heard.

Unfortunately, the urban dwellers of high-rise residential complexes were still perceived to be fairly unimportant. This perception comes from a relatively low turnout in urban areas. In addition, many residents often travel out of town, furthering this perception. 

A growing vote bank

The scenario may be about to change this time. Gated communities account for 17-20% of the electorate in 28 of the assembly seats in Bengaluru. This amounts to almost 20 lakh people. Moreover, this demography is also growing as more housing developments come up.

Parties across the political spectrum are fast realising the potential of this growing vote bank. Congress has set up an exclusive apartment cell, headed by a Rajya Sabha member. Similarly, BJP has a Resident Welfare Association (RWA) cell. 

There is also renewed energy in turning this momentum into benefits on the ground. The BAF is organising  ‘All Party Town Hall’ with cross-representation from various political parties. Karnataka Home Buyers Forum has submitted a list of 14 demands to political parties ahead of the polls. The Bangalore City Flat Owners Welfare Association is similarly taking an active part in talking to different parties. 

Making it work with ApnaComplex 

ApnaComplex can play a vital role in bringing together residents. Here are just some ways to leverage the platform to raise awareness:

  • Form forums to discuss pressing issues 
  • Inform people about important dates, including Townhalls or poll dates
  • Know your candidates by sharing the profiles
  • Post notices and reminders urging people to vote

Learn more about our communication tools, get in touch with us at support@apnacomeplex or call 80886 11229. Our team will help you understand the various features you can use for reaching out to residents in your community.

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Peak time for rental housing
Paromita Datta
April 17, 2023

Bidding Wars & Record Rents: It’s Peak Time for the Rental Housing Industry

May-June marks the peak time for rental housing. The summer holidays and the beginning of the new school session is often the time that many people choose to move their families to minimise any disruption. But as the imbalance between supply and demand persists, there is a scramble for well-designed and located apartments in cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai.

ApnaComplex Rentals makes the process easier for tenants with extensive listings from the leading gated communities across the country. Available on the app and the web, it is easily accessible and allows users to view available properties in different cities. Backed by extensive background checks, each listing is also vetted for authenticity. 

Bidding for apartments

So frenzied is the search for apartments that tenants are now reportedly bidding for the best apartments. According to recent reports, prospective tenants in Bengaluru ended up bidding for an apartment in a prime location. In another case, a tenant was left stranded after a landlord changed his mind after receiving a higher bid from another tenant. 

This is not an uncommon practice in cities where real estate is premium. In New York, tenants often have to bid for any apartment with a half-decent address. Brokers often let prospective tenants know in advance that they would be bidding for the best rent and commission! Similarly, cities like Sydney haven’t been able to banish bidding wars despite governmental opposition. 

Lagging supply & soaring rentals

The frenzy is driven by a supply that still seems to be lagging behind demand which shows no signs of slowing down. The spike in demand occurred first in 2022 as offices started opening up. However,  supply was impacted as new developments were halted during the COVID lockdown. This skewed the balance, leading to insufficient supply. 

As the economy further opens up, the situation has not improved as most new developments in these cities are still under construction. Housing rents went up by 20%-30% in the top 7 Indian cities with some micro-markets in cities like Bengaluru seeing close to a 40% spike. Read our article on the rental boom to understand what’s driving it and why it’s here to stay. With the peak time for rental housing hitting the market, supply has slowed down further.

ApnaComplex Rentals to the rescue

ApnaComplex Rentals offers all-inclusive rental management services that ease the job of finding a suitable home in a gated community. You can filter your search by location and gated community to find the most suitable match. The on-ground team can also help you with site visits at a suitable time as well as facilitate negotiations with rent and rental deposits.

Online listings are also highly convenient for people who are relocating to another city. Backed by diligent verification of each listing, they can be assured of a reliable and trusted experience.

If you want to know more about ApnaComplex Rentals, write to us at rentals@apnacomplex.com or visit realty.apnacomplex.com.

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Are you Getting the Most out of Your Digital Asset Solution?
Paromita Datta
April 13, 2023

7 Hidden Benefits of Digitally Managing Gated Community Assets

Asset management is the key responsibility of every community facility manager. The manager’s job is to ensure optimal functioning despite the inevitable breakdowns and depreciation. Well-maintained assets like lifts are also key in ensuring optimal living conditions for the residents. ApnaComplex digital asset management enables facility and management committees to simplify this task while reducing costs. 

But asset management is more than just ensuring a long asset life cycle. Here are some hidden benefits of ApnaComplex asset management that you may be missing out on:

It helps in identifying usage trends

The asset tracker can help identify trends in the usage of different assets. Frequent repairs tell us if the asset is near the end of its lifecycle or if it is not being used properly. Similarly, it can tell us if a particular piece of equipment needs frequent repairs and if it is not being used properly.

It offers instant access to asset data

A digital asset management solution frees you from paperwork. As an online system, it makes data, such as asset service history, accessible instantly. Innovative solutions like QR-based management mean that you only need your phone to access the entire asset history. In short, you don’t have to worry about improper filing, lost information, or damaged documents. 

It accelerates maintenance planning

Maintenance planning is key to reducing asset downtime. With ApnaComplex, you can schedule the servicing of different assets and set up reminders to ensure that you don’t miss a critical deadline. A proactive maintenance approach minimises the need for emergency repairs, thus reducing breakdown costs. It also increases the life expectancy of assets and reduces their downtime. 

It enforces policy compliance 

Management committees set up policies for the optimal use of resources. The main challenge then lies in struggling to ensure compliance with these policies. A digital system creates a more accountable system where every entry has to be logged in and can be traced. Similarly, maintenance policies have a better chance of being followed when there are set schedules and regular reminders.

It facilitates accurate forecast

Accurate forecast depends on data like precise spending on repairs, usage patterns, and the complete history of assets from acquisition to end-of-life. This information can be extracted easily through the asset management module. Moreover, these reports are available in an easy-to-read and understandable format. 

It optimises ROI on assets

With ApnaComplex digital asset management module in place, you can understand the role of each asset, its usage, and its capabilities. With an accurate record of repairs and maintenance, we can also evaluate the optimal way to operate available resources. For instance, frequent repairs can help us decide if it is worth keeping an asset. Proper maintenance also ensures that assets are running optimally. For instance, well-maintained lifts are less prone to breakdown. This means reduced repair bills and a longer lifespan. 

If you want to learn more about ApnaComplex asset management, get in touch with us at support@apnacomeplex or call 80886 11229. Our team will help you understand the various features you can use for facilitating asset management in your community to reduce downtime. 

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