Owners corporations, sometimes called the body corporate, take care of managing the common property in strata. It’s a big responsibility that comes with some benefits for being actively involved. Owners corporations influence how a building is managed and maintained, as well as how levies are spent. It can be a time-consuming role and one that feels endless and thankless.
Regardless of your view on owners corporations, if you own your own apartment, you’ll automatically be a part of the owners corporation for your building. Deciding to be actively involved is up to each individual. However, the advantages of active involvement outweigh those of being indifferent to the position. Having a hand in improving your building’s value, policies and security are some of the benefits active members enjoy.
Finding the right balance between responsibility and the benefits of being involved in your building’s management is easier with the right tools. A clear view of what’s going on in your building, clarity around building maintenance plans and schedules, and easy communication with all residents – even tenants who aren’t part of the committee – are some of the advantages the right building management software will bring owners corporations.
Transparency of building maintenance and simple management for owners corporations
Owners corporation members are responsible for the management of common property and keeping it in good repair. There are different levels of management, depending on the nature of the strata. However, all committees need to ensure the building and shared spaces are kept in good repair.
Understanding the maintenance issues for an entire building is difficult when a building is large or committee members have other jobs to attend to. Software that lodges issues and records each step towards their resolution greatly improves the management of building maintenance. It also cuts the amount of time needed to do it. Committee members are easily able to see problems and any bottlenecks that may be hindering their resolution.
Equally, a robust maintenance management system like BuildingLink can automate many regular maintenance jobs. Once requests for work are recorded, it becomes a simple and transparent process of allocating the work to approved contractors and signing off on the completed work. Records for works can be automatically recorded too, dramatically cutting down on the administrative hours needed to maintain appropriate records.
Communication between owners corporations, residents and management
Communication is the glue that holds strata communities together. New policies, changes to maintenance plans or regularly scheduled work all need to be shared quickly and efficiently. What’s more, some documentation like financial records and meeting minutes need to be shared only with a select few.
BuildingLink’s committee portal lets owners corporation members securely access and share sensitive information about their strata. Meeting actions, committee decisions and policy changes can also be communicated quickly and effectively to residents using their preferred methods of contact with the same software.
Communication records are also automatically created and date stamped so people know when actions were taken and who was notified.
Better value for money
Active members of owners corporations can influence the value of their properties with the decisions they make about them. Choosing building management software that streamlines and automates elements of building maintenance and management reduces costs while boosting the property’s value.
Regularly maintained systems such as HVAC, lifts and other shared infrastructure, break down less often, costing less in repairs and call-out fees. Well-looked-after buildings are more valuable than those that are neglected or only taken care of reactively.
Building management software can negate the need for a full-time building caretaker. Virtual building management cuts costs for owners corporations and residents. Often, the level of care is improved as digital communications and streamlined processes allow issues to be taken care of faster and with more ease.
Building management software not only improves the roles of owners corporation members, but it also enhances communication and the value of properties too. Get in touch today for a tailored demo that shows how BuildingLink can improve your strata.