Archives: April 27, 2023

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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Tenant Verification Verify before you Trust
Paromita Datta
April 10, 2023

Tenant Verification: Why & How you should do it

In recent years, there has been a marked increase in rental scams. In separate incidents, two landlords in Bengaluru were scammed by prospective tenants who siphoned off their savings using UPI QR codes. Similar cases emerged in Pune and Mumbai. 

Getting a tenant requires a huge amount of trust. Every landlord trusts that the tenant will take care of the property while following the rules and regulations of the community. However, this trust cannot come blindly. As the famous adage goes, every landlord must ‘trust but verify’. In many states, tenant verification has been made mandatory by law. ApnaComplex Rentals makes the process easier by conducting tenant verification and background check. 

Type of tenant scams 

Tenant scams are not limited to scamming landlords of their savings. Here are some of the common tenant scams:

  • Scamming through UPI 
  • Lying about a co-tenant
  • Posing as landlord and leasing out the property
  • Falsifying pay slips or lying about current employment
  • Lying about or falsifying previous landlord references
  • Not pay rent.
  • Carry out illegal activities at the property.

Why opt for tenant verification and background check?

  • Ensuring that rent is paid on time.
  • Ensuring that the tenant can pay the rent.
  • To check that all submitted documents are valid and correct.
  • Avoid any legal penalties because of the tenant’s misconduct.
  • Police verification is legally mandatory.

How to complete police verification for tenants?

The verification process can differ slightly depending on the state. But it all starts with filling up the police form. Broadly speaking, the process is as follows:

  • Download the form online or get it from the nearest police station.
  • Fill in your details.
  • Upload required documents including identification proof and references
  • Attach photographs.
  • Duly sign the form and save the acknowledgment.

How ApnaComplex Rentals eases the process?

ApnaComplex Rentals offers landlords an all-inclusive rental management service that includes tenant verification and background check. Tenants have to go through a rigorous screening process. The two main components here are:

Tenant verification: This is necessary to check that the tenant is who he/she claims to be. This includes checking identification and credentials.

Background check: Checking the background, including employment history or previous landlord references. 

Like landlords, tenants must also conduct their due diligence. Read our article to know what are rental and lease scams and how to avoid them. 

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co-operative housing society member rights
Paromita Datta
April 7, 2023

Know your Basics: Co-operative Housing Society Member Rights

Many people today choose to live in a gated community because of the high living standards offered. Management Committees and Resident Welfare Associations play an important role in maintaining the facilities and amenities behind this. To maintain this high standard, MCs and RWAs have to enforce some rules and regulations, such as parking or garbage disposal rules.

While these obligations are important, the other side of these responsibilities lies in the rights that every member enjoys. These rights are equally important in ensuring peace and satisfaction among residents. So what are the rights of members of a cooperative housing society? Read on to find out.

Why it matters?

Rights are the flip side of responsibility. It tells each member what they can demand. Knowing your co-operative housing society member rights is important for many reasons, including:

  • Knowing when your rights are being violated.
  • In resolving disputes between members or between members and the MC or RWA.
  • In keeping the MC or RWA in check
  • To safeguard your property investment 

Co-operative Housing Society Member Rights

Right to vote

Every unit has one vote in society elections. So, if you own more than one unit then you are entitled to the same number of votes. This right remains intact even if you default on any payments. 

Right to nominate other members

Members have the right to nominate associate and nominal members for the governing body. The first nomination is free. Subsequent subscriptions are charged. 

Right to know the model bye-laws

Bye-laws are the rules and regulations that members have to follow in a cooperative housing society. Every member has a right to ask for a copy of these bye-laws. To make this easily accessible, many societies upload these on Community Wiki on the ApnaComplex. This ensures that every member can access these laws at any time. 

Right to amenities

Members and their guests have to right to access common areas and amenities like the swimming pool or clubhouse, provided they have paid their dues. The MC may also impose additional charges for guests. However, members have the right to access essential services like water and electricity even if they have outstanding dues. 

Right to inspect the books

Members can ask for the society accounting books at any time. They have the right to inspect books like balance sheets or profit and loss statements at no extra cost. A member can also get these accounts examined by an external auditor. 

Right to attend AGM 

Members have the right to attend the AGM (Annual General Meeting). They can also ask for the minutes of any general, annual, or special meetings of the Management Committee. Attending the AGM is also one of the key obligations for every member.

Right to complain 

A member has the right to raise complaints on any illegal or unreasonable restrictions by an MC or RWA. This can include conditions like not allowing pets, falsified maintenance records, failure to conduct elections, or adding charges under false pretexts.

Rights during expulsion

The housing society can expel a member, which amounts to losing ownership of property. The expulsion has to be passed as a resolution by at least three-fourths of members in the general body meeting and approved by the Registrar. In such cases, the member has the right to get a fair hearing. 

Now, that you know the co-operative housing society member rights, learn about the Code of Conduct for MC Members. Also, read about Roles, Duties And Responsibilities Of Members Of A Resident Welfare Association.

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