In self-managed condos, the manager role still exists. But instead of having a full-time manager, those duties are taken on by someone else. In most cases, either a board member or the president of the condo board. The idea is that with fewer units and tenants, small condos don’t always need a full-time manager.
Of course, that works out when everything is running smoothly. But the regular hiccups and challenges of self-managing a condo can quickly turn this position into a full-time gig. We take a look at some of the likely challenges and the tools to manage them.
Conflict of Interest
When a board president takes on the condo manager role, it can create a conflict of interest. Boards are rarely able to adequately supervise the president. As a result, conflicts arise.
The board president, acting as a manager, is able to make decisions on their own that can result in them being accused of putting their interests before those of the condo. Regardless of whether this is true, it creates problems and conflicts within the condo community.
Solution
Usually, when a condo board president takes on on management responsibilities, they step down from their presidency. They may still participate on the board. But this puts them in a position where their actions are supervised.
As well, transparency can be an important element in this style of management. Often, boards use online software for self-managing a condo. This allows all necessary parties to access documents and records easily.
As a result, there is more transparency, ensuring all actions are in the interests of the condo community as a whole.
Managing Time & Streamlining Tasks
Without a full-time manager, time is always going to be a factor. Whoever takes responsibility for self-managing the condo is almost always a volunteer. They have other priorities, almost always working their own full-time job as well.
As a result, streamlining tasks becomes essential to managing their time. They need to be as productive as possible without sacrificing the quality of their condo’s management.
Solution
Automation. Automated property management saves time and money. It’s becoming a necessity for large condos, and for self-managing condos, it’s a huge time saver.
Automated condo management takes away hours upon hours of manual tasks. Not only does it stop users from having to waste time on menial tasks, but it accomplishes them faster. This frees up the person filling the manager role to focus on tasks that require a person.
Boundaries
Without clear boundaries, self-management can easily turn into a 24-hour job. Residents will contact staff at all hours of the day with complaints, conflicts, and requests.
Board members need to ensure that their personal lives and boundaries are respected, while still offering prompt responses and providing appropriate support.
Solution
The first step is to set clear boundaries and communication channels. For instance, hours of availability for certain types of communication. If the person acting as the manager allows people to call or visit them in person, they will want to set clear hours and locations where this is appropriate. This will help prevent them being swamped with calls late at night or ambushed with questions while moving around the building.
While doing this, they should also set up alternative communication options for outside of these hours. Some people will want indirect communication for anything other than an emergency. For example, sending an email for a request but calling in the event of flooding. Communicating boundaries clearly is important to make this position work without intruding your personal life.
A crucial tool for this is self-managed condo software to improve communication management. These tools handle communication to make it manageable and effective. You can prioritize according to importance, and set-up reminders so no one gets forgotten. This reduces complaints, improves efficiency, and keeps the system accountable for everyone.
Handling Requests
Even in a small condo, there is a seemingly endless build-up of requests. From booking amenities to servicing broken utilities, requests can pile up fast. How can a part-time manager keep up without leaving tenants feeling ignored?
Requests need to be handled quickly to meet resident expectations. As such, it’s important to find a way to streamline condo requests.
Solution
The solution is finding a balance between ways residents can help themselves and track requests to make sure they’re being met. For small items, an online condo store lets the community buy necessities like keys and garage remotes easily, without having to wait for a manager.
Other requests like amenity booking can also be handled with self-managed condo software. Residents can check an online calendar for availability and then put in a request online. They can also fill out any terms, conditions, or deposits right through the software. They then receive an email notifying them when booking is approved. This is a faster and easier solution for both sides of the process.
Accessibility & Usability
Ease of access and ease of use are core components of efficient self-managed condo software. Outdated condo management technology and systems can be difficult to use and take long hours in training. That’s a big ask of someone in a volunteer position.
The result is systems that aren’t fully learned and so, many features aren’t used. This is wasteful and means less efficient processes.
Ease of access is another common hiccup. The more difficult it is to access the system, the less it will be used. Every year, small condos waste thousands of dollars on systems that barely get used. Property management software is a hugely useful tool for any condo, but it needs to be used to get the value out of it.
Solution
The solution is using mobile condo management tools. Mobile apps offer intuitive use and maximum accessibility. Training is faster and usage relies on natural behaviour patterns, with easy to navigate search features.
Ideally, this mobile feature should be part of an all-in-one condo platform. It offers secure cloud access, so the platform is accessible from any device – at work or on-the-go. As a result, these modern tools see much more usage and have a higher ROI than their predecessors.
Try Automated & Online Self-Managed Condo Software
A self-managed condo is all about doing more with less, so you need a software platform that offers the same. With scalable pricing options, you can find the perfect fit, whether your condo is large, medium, or small. All of which offer top-tier support and automation to run your condo with ease.
Contact Condo Control Central today and discover the really smart way to run your condo!