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November 19, 2010

Is The Estate Manager Of Your Apartment Efficient? – Part 2

In a two part series, ApnaComplex examines the Estate Manager Efficiency, the profile and job resposnibilities of an estate manager. Read the Part-1 of this Estate Manager Special here.

Maintaining accounts and performing bookkeeping activities

The apartment estate manager is supposed to ensure that all accounts pertaining to purchase and sales relating to the apartment are in order. As most estate managers are required to handle bookkeeping and accounts, having an intrinsic knowledge of accounting software is beneficial for the apartment estate manager. Computerized management of accounts saves time and also ensures accountability and transparency.

Human Resources

Hiring household and estate staff and ensuring they perform their duties to the best of their ability is a key aspect of being an apartment manager. The apartment manager is also responsible for releasing any excess staff in a smooth manner. The manager has to run a background check of the local labor, while hiring and also check for any past criminal records.

The apartment manager has to ensure that the staffs receive their payments on time and arrears in payment, if any, are subsequently paid. Settling pay hike disputes with unions and other organizations is also an important job role of an apartment manager. Unions are volatile organizations and maintaining a cordial relationship with them is important. Thus, an apartment manager has to be well versed in personal relations as well.

Dispute Management and Resolution

The apartment manager has to act as an intermediary in the context of any disputes over common areas or disagreements on usage of areas such as swimming pool, gym, sauna and sports rooms. In any large apartment complex there are disputes between the residents from time to time and the apartment manager has to be mature enough to handle such volatile situations. The manager has to find a proper solution that is suitable for both the parties involved and settle the dispute.

Ensuring smooth processes

The apartment manager has to ensure that residents can move in and out of the apartment in a smooth and easy manner. The manager has to maintain a list of efficient packers and movers in the area and he has to base this list in terms of past services rendered.

Aiding in promotional activities

The apartment manager has to coordinate with any private agencies, which are looking to engage in promotional activities in the apartment complex. Obtaining special discounts and commission for the apartment is to be done by the apartment manager.

Conducting workshops for residents and networking

The estate manager can network with the neighboring apartment communiites and layouts and then organize small workshops on topics related to community living and efficient living to all residents. Topics such as eco-friendly living, rain warer harvesting, best practice sharing among communities will be well recieved by all residents. This also helps in bringing together all communities in a neighborhood

Ability to work with Apartment Management Software

Employing property management software also ensures timely collection and payment of dues. It also helps the estate manager communicate with vendors and ensure timely delivery of required estate materials. On the whole, knowledge of appropriate apartment management software will make the apartment manager an efficient and organized individual.

Other aspects of an effcient estate manager include:

Ensuring timely and correct disposal of waste in designated areas. The apartment manager has to ensure that PWD department is ready to assist in terms of problems with sewage overflow during the monsoon season.
Maintaining a contact list for emergency series that include police, ambulance, public works department, water department and fire service.
Gaining knowledge of at least 3 different languages so as to be able to converse with different people. Ideally English, Hindi and the local Lingua Franca

ApnaComplex – the value for money apartment management software is offering 30-day no obligation free trial for every complex. Go ahead and register your complex and see how you can manage your complex more easily, efficiently, and effectively.

ApnaComplex
November 19, 2010

Is The Estate Manager Of Your Apartment Efficient? – Part 1

In a two part series, ApnaComplex examines the Estate Manager Efficiency, the profile and job responsibilities of an estate manager.

Definition And Outline Of Job Profile – Estate Manager For Apartments

An estate manager is a manager or a caretaker of a property or piece of land that is privately owned. Estate managers are similar to landlords and they perform many similar functions. Estate managers might be either permanent or short term caretakers of property and they are generally appointed by the owner of the land or his legally appointed representative, such as the apartment owners association in the case of apartments. Apartment managers are responsible for managing the everyday activities of apartment and this may vary from something as simple as collecting rent to settling disputes between residents amicably. Apartment managers are generally required to live inside the premises of the land they are responsible for, usually in separate living quarters. You can use this artcile to understand the profile of an estate manager, how to look for for an efficient estate manager and also evaluate if your current estate manager fits the bill.

Power Of Attorney, Responsible Management

The estate manager is responsible for representing the residents of the complex. The manager has to take up any complaints and redress them. The apartment manger speaks on behalf of the apartment to the police or any government body. S/he is also responsible for the overall management and smooth running of the day to day activities of the apartment.

Qualification Of An Apartment Manager

An apartment manager is required to have formal training and prior experience in managing an estate or piece of private property. Generally, managers are also obligated to have some knowledge of land laws and rules pertaining to tenants and settling of disputes. Some amount of qualification in accounting precepts and formal training in computers are also essential to be an efficient estate manager. Managers are also required to have a wide knowledge in management of general household duties. It is also important that apartment estate managers know the in depth functioning and mechanisms behind the working of machinery and equipments such as elevators, water pumps, sewage and storm water drains, generators, water tanks and piping. This is because the apartment estate manager is required to deal with a variety of vendors and individuals to repair, operate or maintain these equipments and basic knowledge will aid in speeding up any processes that involve these.

Duties Of An Apartment Manager:

Specific duties of estate managers may differ according to requirement, however some of the basic duties of an estate manager are as follows:

Ensuring proper security

Ensuring security in the premises and coordinating with police to ensure that they arrive on time in case of any emergency is an essential role of the apartment manager. Managers are also responsible for ensuring security personnel are hired from a trustworthy agency. The security personnel must be required to check every person that enters the complex and ensure that they are registered at the front desk.

Ensuring effective management of day to day errands

The manager has to ensure that the payment of bills, depositing credit instruments etc are done in an efficient manner. On a daily basis an apartment may have a huge volume of transactions and the manager has to keep a record of each transaction so that the residents or the association can inspect it if they wish to. All purchasing and selling has to be transparent. The manager is also responsible for coordinating with all government agencies such electricity department and public works department.

Inspecting the property

The manager has to inspect the apartment complex at least once a day and ensure that swimming pools, generators and public toilets are in good order. This is important considering it is the only way by which the manager and hence the association will have a clear idea as to how the apartment maintenance staff are performing. The manager also has an opportunity to step out of the office and interact with residents of the apartment and other executive staff to gain insights and feedback that he may not have earlier been in a position to receive.

Presentation and landscaping

Ensuring proper landscaping and making sure that the apartment is presentable is one of the most important duties of an apartment manager. The manager has to maintain the presentation of the apartment so that the value of the apartment complex does not reduce in the future. In order to do this he has to coordinate with the staff to ensure regular and efficient sweeping and cleaning of common areas. In case any painting work is required, the manager has to ensure this is done without any inconvenience to the residents.

Events

Organizing private parties and events that pertain to the estate and coordinating with the various associations in the apartment is also a part of the manager’s duties. The manager has to make sure that materials and the manpower required for these events are made available. An apartment is a community and the manager must bring together the apartment residents during festive and social events to ensure harmony in the complex and to foster the community spirit.

To be continued in part-2

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ApnaComplex
November 15, 2010

Roles, Duties And Responsibilities Of Members Of A Resident Welfare Association

A resident welfare association is necessary, as it can serve as a committee through which queries can be explained, and issues and problems solved. The presence of a committee or resident welfare association will also spice up interaction among residents and get them to contribute equally from their part. Such open social interaction will improve the joy of living in an apartment complex.

A resident welfare association, however, needs to be registered under the government for it to be recognized as a proper association. A registered resident welfare association will this way be able to enjoy many legal benefits. While forming a registered resident welfare association, make sure that you have more than seven members who are at least eighteen (or above) years of age. This is very important.

Every Individual Has A Role in an Apartment Association

The primary objective of every resident welfare association would be to collect the common maintenance charges from every single resident in the apartment and use this in establishing good public infrastructure for the residents. An association will normally have to be formed under The Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act of 1972 or
The Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960 (and appropriate act for states other than Karnataka).

Every resident welfare association will have a management committee, a president, a treasurer and a secretary, apart from the regular members. There are many common responsibilities that members of the association should take up among themselves, and some of these have been mentioned below (we will cover other roles in future blog posts):

The President’s Role:

The President will be given the authority to defend any form of legal action that is taken against the association, and will also be given the authority to sue people for legal purposes and reasons.
The President of a resident welfare association will have the final call in approving a contract that is brought by the committee and implementing the terms.
The President should maintain an overall view on the occurrences and ensure that all residents and members are satisfied without having any qualms or problems. The President should also oversee all expenses and make sure that they are put to good use.

The Treasurer’s Role:

The Treasurer in a resident welfare association will be given the task of maintaining all funds within the organization. The responsibility of maintaining the money safely along with all documents also rests solely with the Treasurer.
The Treasurer’s role is a demanding one and should be bestowed upon an experienced person with good management capabilities, as these documents and funds are very important for the association.
The Treasurer should also make note of the overall income and also calculate monthly and yearly expenditures. This way the flow of money will be constantly regulated for the benefit of the residents.

The Secretary’s Role:

The secretary in a resident welfare association will be given the responsibility of conducting various general body meetings.
The secretary will also be given the responsibility of compiling the minutes of the meeting and analyzing the overall information brought to the table.
The secretary will have to bring up concerns from each individual resident in order to ensure active participation of all members.

These are the three major roles in any resident welfare association, and you’ll need to be aware of all such responsibilities involved, in order to contest for the spot yourself, or even in order to vote for the right person when the polls come up.

ApnaComplex supports the notion of committee members – administrators can tag members with different committee member roles and even give “permissions” to modules specific to thier roles. For example, a member can be tagged as a treasurer can be given access to only accounting modules. ApnaComplex is an apartment managment software. We are now offering a 30-day no obligation free trial for every complex. Go ahead and register your complex and see how you can manage your complex more easily, efficiently, and effectively.

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ApnaComplex
October 31, 2010

Diwali – A few Do’s and Don’ts for your Apartment Complex

It’s that time of the year again. The whole country reverberates to the joy of celebrations over a five-day period. There’s music, food, light and an air of prosperity all around! Yes, we’ll soon be celebrating Diwali, the festival of light that marks the victory of good over evil.

Celebrated with great joy and festivities in most parts of India, it is marked by the lighting of lamps, crackers, exchange of greetings and gifts, buying gold, decorating of home and sharing sweets with family and friends.

Along with all the above, the festival of Diwali has also become associated with firecrackers that cause injuries and leave people with burns, loss of eyesight, damage to the ears and to property if adequate care is not taken. Every year, there is a significant number of burns and other injuries that are reported during the festival.

Download Posters you can use in your Complex

Diwali – Do’s and Don’ts poster for your complex
Customize Diwali Notice to update designated fire cracker burning areas and timings and post on your notice boards.

Do’s and Don’ts

It is therefore important that each one of us who is celebrating with firecrackers follow a few Dos and Don’ts to ensure that Diwali ends as a happy festival for one and all. If you are a member of the Managing Committee of your residential complex, make sure you list down your Dos and Don’ts so that every resident is aware of what they should and should not do to make it a festival that everyone enjoys.

We provide a list of Dos and Don’ts that you can use as it as is or as a guideline for your apartment complex. You can download the Diwali Do’s and Dont’s poster, print it and post it in your society notice board as is or under your official letterhead.

NEVER	ALWAYS
Buy fire crackers from street vendors.	Buy fire crackers of a reputed brand from a well-known shop.
Carry or throw firecrackers for fun.	Handle fire crackers carefully. Read instructions before lighting a firecracker.
Have flammable materials like wood, electrical cables, fuel, lighted lamps etc. around where you store or light fireworks.	Store your fireworks in a safe area. Clear the area around before starting to light crackers.
Burst crackers in crowded areas.	Keep a couple of buckets of water handy for putting out fires. Remember, every major fire starts small.
Let your children burst crackers on their own.	Have an adult accompany children while bursting crackers.
Wear long, loose synthetic clothes while lighting crackers. The loose ends can catch fire.	Wear well-fitting cotton clothes.
Light crackers bare foot.	Wear shoes or slippers while bursting crackers.
Leave spent sparklers on the ground.	Put the spent sparklers in a bucket of water as soon as you’ve used them.
Ignore a burn injury.	Wash the affected area with plenty of cold water and seek medical help.
Ignore an eye burn	Wash the eye with plenty of water then rush the victim to the hospital.
Have a Happy and Safe Diwali.
Download this table in easy to print format

Designate areas to light fire crackers

Another important thing that is mandatory in a gated community is to light fire crackers only in designated areas. While, every one loves to light crackers in their balconies or just outside their flat, it is not preferred as it can lead to serious fire accidents. It is imperative that in a community, the managing committee designates areas where fire crackers can be lighted and for all the members to follow the same. Usual places where fire crackers cannot be burnt are balconies, staircases, lobbies, lawns. It is also important that fireworks are lighted only during desinated timings to avoid disturbing residents of your complex.

We offer here a template that your association can customize updating the designated timings, designated areas to light crackers and also update emergency contact numbers. You can share the notice with your residents, print the same on your society’s letter head and put it up in all notice boards. Download the Diwali Notice template to customize it for your complex.

With a little bit of care and caution, Diwali can be enjoyed by one and all. Take that few additional steps to make sure that the festival leaves only pleasant memories for all involved. We wish you a very happy and safe Diwali!

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ApnaComplex
October 22, 2010

Society etiquette for members in an Apartment Complex

With prices of land increasing by the day, more and more families are finding apartments a better and affordable option to stay in. However, living in an apartment is a whole lot different than staying in a stand-alone house or a bungalow. Unlike a independent house, in an apartment, there are dozens of families living apart from you. And therefore, it is imperative that you keep the comfort of others in mind too while enjoying your own when staying in an apartment. Often, people coming to live in an apartment for the first time find it hard to adjust to the slightly restrictive environment of apartments. However, it is vital for your own good as well as the overall harmony of the society that you follow some general etiquette while living in an apartment complex:

Keep the noise down

Noise if one of the most common irritants in a apartment complex; a apartment complex, understandably, has walls of different homes very close together, so the blaring sound from your stereo system can easily disturb your neighbour. Always keep in mind that while you may love your music, others have right to their sleep as well. Whether you are watching television or listening to your favourite number, keep the volume at a level which does not disturb others.

Inform beforehand about a party

In case you are having a party at your place, inform the other dwellers in the apartment building beforehand; ask them till when is it okay to keep the music blaring. Doing so helps in building a good rapport with the neighbours. A good rapport means that even if you cross the limits by chance, chances are that you would be politely told about it rather than inviting cop trouble.

Use the elevators appropriately

If you are living in a high rise, chances are that you would be using the elevator several times a day. However, while using the elevator, keep in mind that you do not keep the elevator waiting unnecessarily. If you waiting for your family or friends to come in and if they are taking too long, let the elevator go; after all, there are others too who are waiting on some other floor for the elevator. Getting into an overcrowded elevator is also a bad habit, even if there is just enough space for you to squeeze in. Refrain from doing it.

Keep the children under control

Families with children should make their kids understand that too much noise or stomping on the floor can disturb the sleep of others, which is not appropriate.

The guest factor

If you have some guests coming over, make sure you brief them about the rules and regulations of the society beforehand to avoid any trouble.

Keep your pet on a leash

Everyone does not love animals. If you have a pet, keep it on a leash when you take it out for a walk. Never leave your pet alone when it is outside the four walls of your premises as it may cause more than just inconvenience for the neighbours.

Do not honk

If you arriving from a party late at night, do not honk incessantly as it can disturb the sleep of people.

Park your vehicle properly

Although most apartment complexes have designated parking slots for people residing in the complex, there are still some people who park their vehicle without paying heed to others’ discomfort. Always park your vehicle at your designated slot and park it in a way that does not block the right to passage of other vehicles.

Use of stairs

Most often, children run up and down the stairs, which, other than causing disturbance, can also cause injury to others. Please be firm when dealing with your kids who indulge in such games.

Walking in the hallway

While walking down a hallway, you should always converse softly. Talking loudly in the hallway can irritate others and can also jeopardise your privacy. Now, you surely do not want that to happen, do you?

We at ApnaComplex care about each and every person living in an apartment and this is a small initiative on our part to make people understand that it is important to keep the rights of other people in mind while enjoying your own freedom.

ApnaComplex is offering a 30-day no obligation free trial for every complex. Go ahead and register your complex and see how you can manage your complex more easily, efficiently, and effectively.

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ApnaComplex
September 6, 2010

Household Help: Look before you hire

Household helps were once considered a symbol of affluence – a luxury that only a few could afford. But now, hiring one or even a few to help with the daily chores has become a necessity. From nannies to cleaners to cooks, drivers and gardeners, the services on offer are diverse and all of them have takers.

But while there is a healthy demand-supply ratio, things are not all that easy and rosy. While India has a reputation for getting manual labour at much cheaper rates than other countries, the quality and reliability of these staff has raised a huge question mark. At the extreme end is the number of crimes committed by such household helps on the very employers who hired them. So should one give in to the need for a household help even with the associated risks or try to manage life one our own even if it means compromising on certain things? It’s a conundrum that only those who’ve experienced can relate to.

In this article we present our views on the process of selecting and hiring household helps based on the experiences of people from around the country. It should offer you some insights on how you could go about finding and keeping a household help that will make a positive difference to your lifestyle.

Know your needs

Before you decide to get a household help, ascertain your need for it. Get into the specifics of how this help will add value to your life. It could be a nanny for your child, a driver, a cook, etc. It’s not just a matter of money. You need to understand that you’ll be handing over some part of your life to these people. Not to mention a bit of your privacy and personal time. You may also have to get involved with some of their personal problems too. So decide how much value this additional resource will add to your life. Once you are sure that everything considered, your help will make a substantial difference, start looking out for him/her.

Define your requirement

Once you’ve decided to go for a household help, define the tasks that this person will carry out for you. Assume that you’re going to recruit this person by placing an ad in the newspaper. In which case, you’ll have to list down the job description and the qualifications for that post. Jot down these points before you go help scouting. Of course, you’ll not place an ad – but it will come in very handy when you’re screening potential candidates and short listing the ones you like. Age, familiarity with the locality, gender, salary expectations, experience, language etc. could all be the criteria that you mention in this requirement definition.

Announce your need

Now that you are armed with what you want, you should make your need known to the market. You have quite a few options here – not all of them very structured, though. You could approach a few of the agencies in your area that supply helps. The advantage of agencies is that they will send people after knowing your requirements and once you’ve engaged them, they usually tend to offer services over a period of the contract. In case the household help has to be replaced, the agency also steps in to provide an alternative within a specified time limit. But you’ll have to mention these clearly to the agency when you discuss your needs. The other option is to go the social networking route. Talk to other household helps in your complex, mention it to the security guards and even other residents who employ household helps. Once the word spreads, you’ll have your candidates dropping in to your home.

Interview and salary negotiation

If you talk to some of the fellow members who employ helps, you’ll realise that the most common grouse against helps is that they go on leave without giving adequate notice or that they extend their leaves without prior notice. This is the most critical part as it throws your life completely out of gear as you try to fill in the gap that your household help was filling in. If she was responsible for looking after your baby then you either have to take a leave or work from home. If she was responsible for cooking then you have to either leave late or arrange for meals from outside or drop in early. If it was the driver then you have to learn how to negotiate the traffic jams all over again. And so on.

During the interview stage, make sure that you clear all these points. The best way to go about through the interview process is to let the other person talk as much as possible. Ask them to describe their daily routine in their current job, their family background, their experience, etc. In case you make your demands first, they are bound to structure their story around your expectations. So just mention the requirement first and then ask them to tell you how they fit into the role. Once they’ve finished, you’ll have a fair idea of whether this is the person who could fit into your needs. You could question them to get more details on a particular aspect, if you wish.

The salary part is not as tricky as some people might think. There is a standard rate for most roles and you could ask around to know that is the going rate. If you offer certain benefits you could mention them while discussing the salary. It could be festival offs along with weekly holidays or bonuses or any other benefits. If someone makes an unreasonable quote, find out if there’s a genuine reason for it and if it something that you’d like to pay for. For example, a nanny who’s been trained in first aid and knows how to talk and write in English may charge a premium over someone who doesn’t know these. Similarly for a driver or a cook who is tuned to a lifestyle similar to yours. And so on.

If you’re recruiting through an agency then the fees would be mentioned upfront and you’ll have little room for negotiations. But you should be absolutely be clear about the service that the agency will offer after the person has joined your employment.

Getting along with your household help

Once you’ve got the person you wanted, you’ll need to spend some time with that person to make him/her understand your way of doing things. Make sure that you are very clear about things that you will not compromise on. Cleanliness or punctuality or a day’s notice before taking a leave – anything that you are very particular about should be communicated to the help so that there is no misunderstanding on that front.

With the spate of crimes abounding, it would be wise to record information about your household help. This can be in the form of an ID that you can photocopy and keep with you or if you are able to, recording the personal details with your local police station or the managing committee. In case you have to dismiss a help for a conduct that you feel has criminal overtones, make it a point to register it with your local police station.

Be on the alert till you are completely sure that the household is reliable. If there is a family member at home then that person can supervise the work. But if you don’t have that luxury, then make it a point to drop in for a surprise visit once in a while so that you don’t get an unpleasant surprise at some later date.

Finding and retaining a household help that fits in well with your needs can make your life much more peaceful and efficient. So put in that extra bit of effort to get the right person. All the best!

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ApnaComplex
August 19, 2010

Be an Ideal Resident of your Apartment Complex

Managing the affairs of an apartment complex is not just the responsibility of the Managing Committee. Surprised? Don’t be. Just as the quality of your family life depends on the behaviour of all members of the family, the quality of life you enjoy in your complex and the manner in which it gets maintained depends a lot on how you interact with the committee and the rest of the members. We list below a few such interactions which can well decide how well your society functions.

Breach of bye-laws

It is not unusual for members to have some disagreements with the Managing Committee. Usually such disagreements are resolved amicably over a period of time. But sometimes a member decides to respond to a perceived negative action on the part of f the Managing Committee with their own illegal actions. They feel it’s the best way to get back at the Committee and have a resolution in their favour. Some deliberately breach a bye-law or stop paying their maintenance charges to the society.

Members should realize that breaking a bye-law or withholding payment of maintenance is not the legal way of complaining against the Managing Committee. They should get their complaint addressed by the competent authorities as per the bye law. If they withhold their dues to the society, the Managing Committee can issue a showcase notice to them apart from instructing the authorities to impose severe penalties on the member. Members should realize that no matter what the provocation, the society needs funds to run smoothly. And by holding back on their payments they are harming their own interests.

Unauthorized constructions

Just because members have paid for their flats and apartments doesn’t give them the right to do anything they wish within their premises. The way they behave and conduct themselves has an affect on the lives of other members of the complex. This is especially true for constructions and renovations that members carry out in their flats or outside. Members should check with the society if the construction activity they plan to carry out is within the rules of the society. If they are planning to renovate their apartment and it involves some amount of construction activity then do get the consent from the Secretary of your Managing Committee in writing. Make sure that any changes done will not inconvenience the flat owners staying below in the form of leakages or loud noises for an extended period of time. Plan ahead on where the debris will be dumped. If any member feels that a particular construction activity is affecting their lives they have every right to complain and seek redressal.

While members breaking down pillars and altering parts of the building’s fundamental structure are quite common there have also been instances when a group of members have built a temple or a club within the premises without taking the society’s approval. Any such activity is illegal and can be dealt swiftly by the society. In such a situation the Managing Committee can inform the municipal corporation which can take immediate and punitive actions against those members and the construction that has been carried out.

Asking for favors from the Managing Committee

Some members might be close friends to managing committee and thus might tend to ask for a favor – like waive off that penalty charge for late payment, or reduce the club house rent for your function. This would be a huge dis-favor to the rest of the community. This puts the managing committee members in a delicate situation where they would be forced to chose between the friendship or performing thier role. Do avoid asking for a favor and just abide by the by-law.

Common Property

The society has a major say about common areas like the terrace, gardens, etc. For example, the society may disallow members from installing TV or personal dish cable antennas on the terrace as it could damage the wall or the terrace leading to leakages. In such a situation, the member can request the society to consider putting a common antenna that could be used by all residents of the society. Similarly, residents putting potted plants in their balconies could lead to water dripping and thus dirtying the outside wall. Sometimes the watering is done in such a manner that it falls into the balconies of the member who stays directly below. In both cases, the society can raise an objection to this and make the member remove or alter the manner in which the plants are taken care of.

Pets

Many people love to keep pets. Unfortunately, apartment complexes are not always the best environment for pets as it may sometimes inconvenience other members. Those members who’d like to keep pets should therefore try to understand the reason for any objections that may be raised by fellow-members and address it in the best way possible. They should remember that everyone who complains about pets should not be automatically categorized as animal haters. The members who complain may have genuine concerns which need to be addressed.

What pet owners should be aware is that banning licensed pets from an apartment complex is not legally valid. But they should also not misuse this right to let their pets cause a nuisance and dirty the common areas of the society. While showing their commitment to their pet they should also show respect to the concerns of other residents. Some simple steps include cleaning any littering that is caused and always keeping the pet on a leash so that you are able to control your pet when required. Managing Committees should realize that although the society can frame certain restrictions, they cannot curtail the fundamental rights of the members and any resolution that is seen as discriminatory can be challenged in a co-operative court.

Participating in society meetings and elections

The middle class and the upper middle class are infamous for their aversion to participating in any kind of elections – whether state or national-level. This antipathy gets extended to their society meetings and elections as well. There are many instances of members unwilling to accept any responsibility in running the affairs of the society but demanding that the Managing Committee is available at their beck and call. They may also skip attending meetings on crucial topics due to personal commitments and then blame those who took the decision for any untoward result that occurs.

Every member should realize that it is their duty to be present in as many meetings as possible so that they can make their point heard and influence the decision-making. Their commitment to the affairs of the society doesn’t end with just giving a cheque for the monthly maintenance. They have to work with every other member to make the society run as efficiently as possible. To make this possible they should also be willing to put up their hands and share any skills they may have when the need arises.

These are just a few of the areas in which the behaviour of the members can decide how efficiently an apartment complex gets managed. We hope you are playing a proactive role in the affairs of your apartment complex – whether you are part of the Managing Committee or not!

Want to use ApnaComplex for your association? please submit details of your complex here and we would reach out to you to set up your complex’s portal online.

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ApnaComplex
July 9, 2010

No more power failures in your residential complex!

Unless you live in one of the super-exclusive localities in India, power failures will be an all too familiar concept. As you go further into the interiors, frequent power cuts become the norm instead of the exception. And the way the power situation appears, India will be experiencing a major shortage of power in the coming years irrespective of the efforts of the government. Sure, we have diesel generators for back-ups. But with the increasing cost of fuel and the environmental impact of fossil fuels, it’s not the wisest choice either.

So what’s the solution? For a country like India, which enjoys an average of 300 sunny days, the answer is blowing in the air: yes, Solar Energy. Environmental-friendly, renewable, and being completely free, solar energy should be the obvious future for India. It should be the ideal solution for residential complexes like yours to reduce power cuts as well as your electricity bills. All it needs is the will and the foresight to make an investment that will pay dividends in the years to come.

Use of Solar Power in Residential Societies

A wonderful example of a residential complex going solar right from inception is Rabi Rashmi Abasan (http://www.bengaldcl.com/Rabi_rashmi.htm) society in Kolkata. This complex consists of bungalows with each bungalow being fitted with solar photovoltaic panels on their rooftops. In turn, each bungalow is fitted with a solar heater that is connected to the kitchen and bathrooms. These solar panels generate around 60 units of electricity every day – which is about two units for every home. The complex still uses power from the main electricity grid, but the dependency and thus the bills, are much lower. Any surplus energy that the society generates gets pushed back into the state power utilities. The difference between what the society uses from the power grid and what it pushes back is monitored and the society pays the balance to the electricity board. This project was envisioned by the West Bengal government, to showcase how solar power can drastically reduce traditional power consumption in modern homes.

Cities Encouraging Solar Power

Rabi Rashmi is an example of just one project. There’s an example of a city that has adopted solar energy as the way to power its future. No, it’s difficult to guess the city as it’s not one of the metros or even one of the other larger cities. The city we are talking about is Thane in Maharashtra.

Their effort started a few years back when they introduced solar panels at the Rajiv Gandhi Medical College. The introduction of solar heating reduced their electricity bills by a whopping Rs. 9 lakh per annum as it heated around 19,000 litres on a daily basis. Buoyed by the success of this exercise, the Thane Municipal Corporation offered a 10% cut in property tax for those residential complexes that adopt this facility. It was noticed that societies that adopted solar heating were able to recover their costs as early as three years. So successful was the experiment that the corporation has now made it mandatory for all upcoming complexes to have solar water heaters as part of their facilities.

Cities like Bangalore and Pune are other examples where the government is taking proactive steps to encourage the use of solar energy. Bangalore has the largest deployment of rooftop solar water heaters in the country, generating a daily equivalent of 200 MW, with 60% of the city’s household and industrial units using solar water heaters. It also offers an incentive of Rs. 50 on monthly electricity bills for residents using roof-top thermal systems. This is now being mandatory for all new structures. Pune is the other city, which, like Thane and Bangalore, has made installation of solar water heaters in new buildings mandatory. At present, it is estimated that 20 per cent of houses in Pune are using solar water heating units.

Power Solar Equipments for Residential Use

Residential solar panels are available in various shapes, sizes and categories. You should select the panels depending on your requirement and your investment ability. For a typical household that uses four Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulbs of nine watts, a fan and a television set for six hours every day, the solar panel would cost around Rs 25,000. To run all the fans, lights and other gadgets, the cost would be anywhere between Rs 30,000 and 60,000. And if you plan to install a 100-litre water heater, the cost will be around Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000.

Residential complexes could start with using the energy generated to power the common facilities in: the lawns, the passages, the fans, lights and computer in the society office, the security cabin, club house, etc. You could then move to installing solar heaters for all residents of your complex. Studies show that as much as 25% of a household’s electric consumption is for heating water! Imagine if that cost can be totally eliminated for life! You can also consider replacing your diesel-guzzling back-up generators with environment-friendly solar power. With fuel prices on the rise, this is one investment that can show healthy savings in the immediate future.

Once installed, maintaining solar panels is pretty easy. They are flexible enough to be moved from one place to another. If you can keep it away from dirt and pollution, you won’t need to service it regularly either. All you need to maintain it properly is clean and wipe it regularly so that the efficiency of the panel is always at a high.

Government Incentives

IREDA (Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency) provides soft loans at 2% to domestic users, 3% to institutional users not using accelerated depreciation and 5% to industrial/commercial users availing depreciation. The government also provides an interest subsidy, besides a 5% rebate on property tax. You can check details of all incentives offered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) under the recently launched Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission here. The Delhi government provides a rebate of Rs. 6,000 for every solar water heater you install.

The onus is now on us. Are we up to it? Residential complexes can take the initiative and use solar power to reduce their power consumption, avoid power cuts and cut down on electricity bills. Although the initial investment may seem high, once adopted the future benefits of solar energy to the residential complex as well as to society at large is simply immense.

This article aims at collating and providing information on using solar energy for residential complexes for benefit of ApnaComplex customers and blog readers. While ApnaComplex has taken every care to ensure the information is accurate, we suggest to please use the information in the article only as a guidance for further discussion and action with help of relevant professionals. If you need professional advise on this topic or any other property related matters, please send your request through our contact us form. You may post your questions/inputs in the Comments section below and we will try and get them answered through relevant subject matter experts.

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ApnaComplex
May 21, 2010

And they lived happily ever after….!

Ask anyone in the Managing Committee of an apartment complex or a residential layout, and most of them will confess that it’s the most thankless job one can think of. What makes the job a challenge is the brickbats that follow even after having worked in the best interest of all. “You can never please everyone” is a truism that every apartment managing committee member learns early enough in their tenure!

But all’s not lost! If you’re a managing committee member, we are glad to reveal that there is a way you can actually reduce your work and even win some praise for the efforts you put in.

To begin, we’ll have to first understand where most managing committees stumble in getting along with the members/residents of the apartment complex or layout. Broadly, the issues that residents have with their managing committees can be classified under the following heads:

a. Communication

b. Complaint Resolution

c. Transparency in Expenses

We are sure you’ll agree that almost 90% of the criticism that members of owners association have against their managing committees fall under these three heads. When it comes to communication, the most common grouse is that the managing committee didn’t communicate early enough or clearly enough. When it comes to complaint resolution, there are always comments from other members of the association saying that no complaint gets attended in time, same issues keep happening and so on. As for expenses, the lesser said the better. Members will always claim that they do not know where the money is being spent, that the Association should have curtailed expenses under certain heads and got a better deal on something.

Now, if an Owners Association can “manage” to get these three aspects of their functioning in control then you could have a managing committee that will actually be loved… or let’s make it… accepted by the other members of the association and residents of the apartment complex.

So how do we go about doing it?

The answer is simple: use tools that help your Owners Association become efficient and thus more effective! At ApnaComplex we offer online technology solutions that help Managing Committees streamline their workflow and create better synergies with residents of the apartment. The Single Directory View of Members allows managing committee to view details of each owner and tenant in the apartment complex or layout. The powerful Notification features that we have ensures that you can use the power of SMS and emails to communicate with every member of your society – or broadcast to only specific segments of your members – like residents and tenants.

The online Complaint Box feature of ApnaComplex registers, tracks, and closes complaints from all apartment members in a central place. Complaints shall be filed under various categories and tracked till closure. Residents can know the status of a complaint anytime and also how many complaints are attended to by the maintenance staff. Sure, that makes the residents happier.

Apart from these, ApnaComplex offers rich features to support your billing and expenses. The Maintenance Charge Tracking feature allows the Treasurer to raise invoices for various charges and tracks payments made against them. To make the life of a Treasurer even simpler, the Income Tracking feature captures the details of income from maintenance collection and other revenue heads. The Instant Receipts Issuance feature not only enables speedy creation of receipts but also enables members to view/download the receipts at any time. In addition, the Expense Tracking feature tracks expenses incurred under various heads and the Publish Accounts Statement publishes statements at the push of a button to all members and on to the notice board. Now, that’s total transparency.

Finally, the Metered Billing feature ensures that invoices are generated for various metered utilities such as a piped gas or water meter against each house and their respective payments are tracked with in ApnaComplex!

If that covers 90% of all issues, we are glad to inform you that we haven’t missed out on the remaining 10% either. ApnaComplex has an Online Notice Board that ensures every one can post their needs to all members. Online Notice Board can be used by Managing Committee to ensure meetings and other events are known to everyone. To ensure that only authorized personnel can access the Management Committee features, ApnaComplex has an effective Role Based access control system. So while ApnaComplex can be used by all, the right to information and features is rigidly controlled.

If you are a member of an Owners Association or an owner/resident in an apartment complex or gated community, please register your complex now and experience how ApnaComplex can make your apartment management easier, efficient and effective. We are confident you are going to love what you see.

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ApnaComplex
May 14, 2010

Live a perfect life with ApnaComplex

As a member of a gated community, you would be enjoying a level of comfort and security that people on the other side of the fence can only dream of. While this exclusivity translates into peace of mind, convenience and higher returns in terms of increased property and rental values, there are always some niggles or the other that could make you say “if only this was possible it would have been perfect!”

An instance would be the time you missed an important society meeting simply because someone forgot to inform you about it! There might also have been occasions when you may have wanted to make a complaint or request permission to hold a function but just didn’t get the time to write to the Managing Committee. Or maybe you wanted to share an important announcement with your fellow residents but couldn’t get the approval of your Committee in time. Then of course there are those notices lost in transit, misplaced bill receipts, minutes of the meeting that didn’t reach you and so on. These are just a few of the many small but significant issues that leave you with a feeling that things could be so much better if only there was a more efficient way of handling them!

That’s exactly where ApnaComplex comes in. At ApnaComplex, we are dedicated to make the world you inhabit as complete as possible. For the sake of simplicity (another proof of our intention to make things better for you), we would categorize the benefits we offer in the following manner:

ApnaComplex - Residential Layout and Apartment Complex Management Software

a) Saving precious time

b) Keeping your identity and data private and secure

c) Making communication more efficient

d) Providing financial information at your fingertips

e) Improving social interaction with fellow residents

Now that we’ve listed the benefits, let’s take a quick look at how ApnaComplex actually makes them possible.

a) Saving precious time

The speed and connectivity of an online platform ensures that you can connect from anywhere, anytime to carry out all your correspondences and get updated on all activities in your complex.
Our focus on usability ensures that you spend the minimal amount of time on carrying out any activity: from responding to an email to posting an ad to checking your bill payments.
A Dashboard view ensures that all your transactions and communications can be accessed easily and quickly.
You can also save time and energy by booking your clubhouse facilities, library and other services online through ApnaComplex.

Consolidated view to a member of all activities in the complex.

b) Keeping your identify and data private and secure

With ApnaComplex, you can communicate with people within or outside your complex without revealing your email address. This ensures that while you are able to send and receive mails, your email id remains private until you choose to reveal it.
Others can also contact you directly without having to know your email id.
Your data is 100% secure even while transit. The entire portal is SSL enabled – which means peace of mind.

c) Making communication more efficient

You can receive important information such as your maintenance dues, emergency repair schedules, association meetings, etc. directly from committee members by email/sms.
You can raise, view, track complaints related to your house in one place. If you mange more than one house – whether within the same complex or outside – you can manage all activities using ApnaComplex in an integrated way.
You can view the directory of all members as well as know the members on your Managing Committee and communicate with them.
If you want to offer your house for sale/rent, you can simply put up an online classified ad in ApnaComplex that will be made available on the Internet. This ad can be accessed by people both within and outside the complex. This way, you not only save on the effort required to post your ad on various online sites you also save on hefty brokerage fees as you can get in direct touch with the lessee or buyer.

d) Providing financial information at your fingertips

You can enter payments made to your association online and get confirmation on validation by the Treasurer.
You can view a consolidated statement of all the charges and payments made for all the houses you own.
You can view as well as download receipts in PDF format for the payments you made, any time (did we hear a sigh of relief from the Treasurer there?).
You can see how the money is being spent on the complex maintenance with help of expense statement that Treasurers can publish every month.

e) Improving social interaction with fellow members

You can publish notices online that will reach all other members.
You can communicate with other members in your complex about upcoming events, meetings, and any other activity without having to know their email ids.
You can know and reach your managing committee members through our secure messaging feature.

This is just the beginning of what we’ve in plans for you. We are currently focusing on getting more information about local businesses and services at your fingertips and many more such features that offers you a little more convinience. We’ll keep you posted on the developments.

In the meanwhile please let us have your feedback on the features currently on offer. Good, bad or ugly – we’d love to hear from you. We’d also appreciate any ideas on features and functionality that will make ApnaComplex more useful for you. So please feel free to get in touch with us with your thoughts and comments. You can contact us here.

So, what are you waiting for? Register yourself and your complex. Now.

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