Living in a Chicago condominium has its advantages. As a condo owner, you pay monthly association fees to your respective association to cover the maintenance of shared space, reserve funds, insurance policies, and more. While a nominal fee, this relieves much of the financial burden compared to owning your own property and having the sole burden of the upkeep fall on your shoulders.
Condo owners can rely on their Homeowners Association (HOA) and, to an extent, the property manager to ensure their space is well-maintained, clean, and safe. These governing boards are also the ones to go to when a problem arises.
Knowing when to contact your property manager depends on the circumstances. This article should help you understand when and how to contact your property manager.
What Does a Property Management Company Do For a Building?
At least three parties are regularly involved in condo ownership—the association board, the individual condo owners, and the property manager. The property manager or property management company technically works for the condominium—the HOA and property owners—and can provide support to the condo unit owners.
Here are just a few ways a property manager supports HOAs and condo owners:
- Maintenance and repair issues
- Safety concerns (i.e., broken locks, faulty wiring, etc.)
- Emergency repairs (i.e., burst pipes, flooding, or electrical outages that require immediate attention)
- Advice on resident-related items (i.e., noise and nuisance complaints)
- Management of move-in and move-out
- Maintenance of shared spaces and exterior repairs (i.e., roofing, siding, windows, landscaping, etc.)
When Does the Condo Owner Contact Their Property Management Company?
Whether or not you should contact the property manager depends on the situation.
If there are serious hazards present or an emergency, residents should immediately contact emergency services as well as the fire department and evacuate the building.
Contact the property management if something could cause significant damage to the building or personal property, such as flooding, burst pipes, or structural accidents (e.g. a car hitting the side of the building). The Property Manager should also be contacted if major inconveniences to the residents, like the absence of water or heating in the winter season, occur.
If there is a roof or masonry leaking into the building, the project management team will likely need to get involved to contact appropriate vendors and submit repair proposals to the board for approval.
It is also important to highlight that most common issues in units are the responsibility of the owner. For example, a broken dishwasher may be inconvenient, but since it does not impact the common parts of the building, the owner must get it fixed. On the other hand, if a washing machine in a common area of the building breaks down, it would be the responsibility of the HOA to repair it.
When working with a property management company like Hales Property Management, residents can easily initiate contact their property manager by using the resident portal on our website.
Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Property Management Team
Hiring a property management team is just the beginning of maximizing your investment property’s potential. To truly get the most out of your team, you need to establish clear expectations and open lines of communication.
When it comes to making requests, being clear, organized, and concise helps ensure your message is understood.
Take the time to carefully craft your message, double-checking for any potential misunderstandings, and make sure that what you’re asking for is presented in a straightforward and accessible manner. If making a request, be sure to provide all of the necessary information right from the start.
When interacting with someone, it is important to remember the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. Being friendly and approachable is also important, as this can help build trust and rapport between individuals.
What To Expect After Contacting Your Management Company
The management company should guide and provide applicable updates to owners throughout the duration of an open task.
Hales Property Management has an online portal that is monitored during business hours, where condo owners and board members can submit their requests. After reaching out to Hales, residents can expect prompt acknowledgement of the request and a specialized department lead to support them throughout the duration of the issue and its resolution.
A timely response from a property manager is critical to maintaining any legal obligations for safe and habitable spaces. It maintains resident satisfaction, prevents issues from worsening, and protects the condo’s reputation.
Working with Property Managers That Will Give You Peace of Mind
As a condo owner or association board member, contacting your property manager when you need something fixed or another issue addressed is important. Consider your property manager a part of the team to keep your building in top shape. Letting them know what is happening at the property is the best way to help them help you.
With Hales Property Management, you will not have to worry about micromanaging your property manager. We take pride in ensuring that things are getting done proactively and efficiently, giving board members and property owners peace of mind. With Hales, you can trust that your property is in good hands.
If we already manage your building, you can reach us through our resident portal anytime, and we will handle it. If you are looking to change management companies, contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you!
