While there are certain principles of community management that never change, it’s important for any HOA board to adapt those principles to the specific needs of a given community. Take, for example, a high-rise condo or apartment building. These structures provide their own unique set of challenges and concerns, and it’s important for community management associations to think these through.
But what, exactly, makes condominium management in a high-rise building different from community management anywhere else? Here are three particular differences to consider.
1. Remember that condominium management of high-rise buildings bring unique security concerns. Ensuring the safety of residents (and the security of their possessions) should always be a top priority. First and foremost, you need to have around-the-clock security precautions at the entrance of the building, given that this is the first point of access to your residents and their community. Also consider that you’ve got an unusually high concentration of residents in a relatively small area, so some additional precautions, like security cameras, may prove necessary for making sure everyone feels safe and secure!
2. Another significant concern is fire safety. Because you have a lot of people in a confined area, because it will take firefighters longer to reach upper floors, and because even an accident from cooking or smoking could quickly get out of hand, it’s important for the HOA board to have a comprehensive fire and evacuation plan in place. Review it as often as necessary, and keep residents up to date on any changes you make to it.
3. Finally, ensure that condominium management is accessible around the clock. This is true of any HOA scenario, really, but, in a high-rise apartment or condo building, a malfunction in the elevator could prove disastrous. Make sure your HOA body has protocol in place so that someone is always reachable should something like this need a quick, decisive resolution!