Common Housing Societies Problems and Ways to Solve Them
Living in a housing society isn’t always a cakewalk, it comes with its share of common housing problems. And being an active member of the Management Committee (MC) holds a lot of responsibilities – from making sure the society is safe all year round to ensuring its smooth functioning – there are many tasks and community problems that crop up uninvited and need one’s attention.
While some of these community problems appear in the most unexpected time, a few of them are recurring issues in the lives of those who live in housing societies such as parking issues, water shortage, noisy neighbours, garbage disposal issues and so on.
Most of the time, problems arise because of a lack of communication between the committee members and residents and because societies still manage tasks manually – leading to errors and inconsistency. However, with better planning and a proactive attitude, society issues can be resolved without it reaching a boiling point.
Here are a few common housing problems faced by residents of housing societies:
Parking Woes
Problem
One of the most common housing problems that quickly escalate into arguments between residents is parking woes. Whether it is using other parking areas or guests parking their vehicles haphazardly in no parking spots, this can easily be a reason to irk residents. Thus, it is important to come up with a well-thought of and well-planned strategy that benefits everyone.
Solution
Ideally, an apartment society allots one parking spot for a single vehicle. In case of shortage of parking spots, MC members take an amicable decision by drawing slots or by the first-come, first-serve basis. Legally, 5% of the space must be kept vacant for visitor parking. In case you are facing community problems related to parking regularly, it is essential to notify the MC members at the earliest. Write an email to them or have a discussion face-to-face. If even after this the issue is not resolved, a resident can approach the co-operative court, registrar’s office or a consumer forum.
High Maintenance Charge
Problem
There is a set of predetermined fees that every resident of a residential society needs to pay under maintenance charge. These can include water charges, common electricity charges, parking and service charges and so on. However, it is also seen that some societies charge an arbitrary amount in the name of maintenance charge, for example, asking the resident to pay more maintenance because they live in a bigger flat, or because they have pets at home.
Solution
To avoid such a community problem, it is necessary to take a walk-through of the exact calculations of the maintenance charge before you buy an apartment. Make sure you are absolutely clear about what exactly is included in the maintenance fee before you sign the agreement. This will relieve you from future surprises.
Safety Issues
Problem
One common housing problem why people prefer gated communities is because of how secure it feels. However, it is not always safe – the possibility of outsiders entering the gate of a society is higher, especially, if stern security measures are not in place. It has been observed that some societies careless when it comes to planning out these measures – lapses in monitoring CCTV footages or not repairing or replacing outdated CCTV cameras, dimly lit common areas like corridors, staircase, lifts, parking area, not maintaining a visitor ledger at the gate or having a team of ineffective security guards. These mistakes can result in unwanted crimes like theft, encroachment, vandalism of society property and so on.
Solution
To avoid this, committee members should make sure to hire dependable security personnel from a reputed agency, maintain digital ledgers and have fully functional CCTV cameras in every corner of the society. Schedule and carry out annual maintenance checks and emergency drills for all residents.
You can make use of NobrokerHood’s features such as notice board, group chat and forum, complaint management and notify gate to communicate with other residents and guards in case of any society-related issues.
Water Shortage
Problem
It is not just a society-related issue, but water shortage is an overall community problem in big cities. Which makes it every individual’s duty to use water responsibly. While residents should make sure they don’t waste water and use it judiciously, committee members should ensure that available water is evenly distributed among all residents.
Solution
Though most residential complexes supply water 24/7 but sometimes the MC cuts-off water supply from the common overhead tank (to meet water shortage situation) for several hours without prior notice. This is a wrong practice – MC members must notify residents before restricting water supply. On the other hand, residents should keep an eye out for leaky taps and faucets and get them fixed immediately to avoid water wastage. MC members can use NoBrokerHood features like Notice Board to send a prior notice (of any kind) to residents. However, if water issues continue to persist, a resident has the right to approach the municipality or the cooperative court.
Waste Disposal Problem
Problem
Some residents do not comply with the waste-segregation and disposal rules and often dump mixed waste carelessly. As responsible residents of a society, it is every individual’s responsibility to adopt healthy waste management practices considering that housing societies generate a huge amount of waste throughout the year.
Solution
To avoid these common housing problems, tie-up with a private agency or make the most of local municipal corporations. However, this isn’t enough! As committee members, take it up as your responsibility to create awareness among residents and others in the society about proper segregation of waste and its management. Make sure you provide separate dustbins for wet, dry, sanitary waste and so on.
Noisy Neighbours
Problem
Life in gated communities is not always peaceful. Sometimes, apartments can get overly disturbing with children playing in corridors, bachelors partying and playing loud music at odd hours and unruly neighbours getting into arguments with security guards, littering the apartment premises and so on. All this can get frustrating for other residents, especially, if no heed is given even after several complaints.
Solution
MC members should highlight the housing society rules on the noticeboard. In case of an intolerable offence and if he or she is a habitual offender, the society has the right to penalise, rebuke or even evict the individual.
Problems in a housing society can either appear uninvited or are recurring. However, with a little cooperation from both parties (residents and MC), residential societies can solve every problem amicably without having local authorities interfere. Try resolving an issue with face-to-face communication, if that doesn’t help, a formal written complaint can ease out most of these issues without noise. Approaching local authorities should be your last and final resort.
Comment below to let us know if you found this article helpful. You can avail our society management software services, also visit www.nobrokerhood.com to know how we can make life in housing societies convenient, easy and safe.
FAQ’s
1. What are the housing issues most commonly experienced by residential societies?
Those problems most likely to arise in such communities, where residents can be affected by the behaviours of other residents include parking problems; high maintenance charges; a shortage of water; noise from neighbours; waste disposal and rubbish problems; and threats to security.
These community issues stem from either a lack of foresight when planning a governing body or a lack of prior communication when the Management Committee (MC) has contacted owners/occupiers about rules or issues that affect social behaviour.
2. How can a housing society resolve parking issues fairly?
Policies that the society can put in place for parking can consist of one car parking slot allocated to each flat; drawn up by lottery for residents; or general allocation based on first-come-first-serve. Parked vehicles should not block roadways used by other vehicles. Every society should also provision 5% of its total parking space for visitors. All parking disputes should be addressed by the MC which can be escalated to a cooperative court if necessary.
3. What are some helpful measures in addressing the shortage of water in housing societies?
MCs should address the shortage fairly to all residents and report to owners/occupiers about any predicted shortage (to which steps can be taken). Residents should: ensure they fix leaks in taps, flush toilets, waste of water etc., If water issues continue to persist, the MC could provide information to the municipality for resolution of the shortage.
4. What measures can societies adopt to provide better safety and security for residents?
Employing trained security guards, keeping CCTV cameras operational, using visitor management systems like NoBrokerHood, and conducting periodic safety drills can enhance society safety and minimize incidents such as theft and trespassing.
5. How should management committees manage residents who flout the society rules?
If residents are habitual offenders, such as being loud and non-compliant they should first receive a notice of the problem. If the resident still does not comply with rules then the MC can impose fines or otherwise escalate the issue under the rules of the society. It also helps to have visible rules posted on notice boards to help discipline.