Housing Society Secretary Responsibilities in India

The role of a housing society secretary in India is vital for the smooth functioning of residential complexes and societies. In this blog we will take an in-depth look into the primary housing society secretary’s responsibilities, ensuring the efficient management of housing societies across the country.

What are the Responsibilities and Duties of the Secretary of a Housing Society?

The role of a housing society secretary comes with a set of responsibilities that may seem daunting at first, but delving into the details reveals a rewarding and engaging position.

1. Meticulous Record-keeping

One of the primary duties of a housing society secretary is to maintain precise records and registers for the society.

This includes essential documents like the Cash Book, Ledgers, Sinking Fund/Investment Register, Audit Register, Nomination Register, and Minutes Book.

Additionally, the secretary oversees the management of membership files, construction plans, bank account statements, society financial reports, annual reports, election documents, and expense vouchers, among other crucial records.

Maintaining these essential records can be a hectic task. This is where society maintenance apps like NoBrokerHood step in. 

2. Efficient Organizational Activities

The secretary plays a pivotal role in organizing meetings and recording meeting minutes. Responsibilities include acting as a liaison between the chairperson and members regarding meeting agendas, ensuring the meeting quorum is met, and overseeing the complete execution of agenda items.
Share certificate issuance, handling member resignations, expulsions, and cessations of memberships, as well as conducting elections per the society’s bylaws, are all part of the secretary’s role.

Moreover, the secretary must present society records before relevant authorities, with the chairperson’s consent, and participate in disciplinary hearings when necessary. Handling financial matters, such as finalizing the accounts for the previous year, preparing financial statements, and overseeing the recruitment and compensation of service staff, falls under the secretary’s purview.

3. Effective Communication and Correspondence

The secretary is responsible for issuing notices and agendas for all general body and committee meetings. They also issue letters of flat allotment and send out demand notices and bills for society charges.

Managing communication and applications from society members and vendors, and serving as an intermediary between the committee and members, is another key responsibility. The secretary handles correspondence with various authorities, including the Co-Operative Registrar, and manages communication-related to common electric supply and property taxes, including Non-agricultural taxes.

Additionally, the secretary conducts property inspections and coordinates visits to flats for inspection, providing advance notice to members.

In summary, while managing a housing society can be a challenging task, it is certainly achievable with a well-integrated and proactive Managing Committee (MC). The secretary plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of the cooperative, and their dedication to these responsibilities is essential for the thriving management of the housing society.

Housing Society Treasurer Roles and Responsibilities

The treasurer in a housing society ensures the smooth financial management of the community. Here’s a detailed look at the duties and responsibilities of a treasurer in a housing society–

1. Budgeting

• Annual Budget: Prepare an annual budget for the housing society, outlining income and expenses.
• Special Budgets: Develop budgets for specific activities, such as festival celebrations, repair projects, or renovations.
• Revised Forecasts: Adjust financial forecasts based on actual expenses incurred during a project or over the year.

2. Accounting and Book-keeping

• Bank Account Management: Open and manage the society’s bank account, handling all transactions.
• Record Keeping: Maintain detailed records of all financial transactions, including cash flow, securities, vouchers, receipts, invoices, and bank statements.
• Cash Control: Ensure that petty cash remains within specified limits and that any amount over a certain threshold is paid by cheque.
• Audit Compliance: Maintain audit memos and prepare audit rectification reports as needed. Present the society’s accounts to external auditors.
• Financial Statements: Prepare monthly, and annual account statements, and the society’s profit and loss balance sheet.
• Transparency: Make financial records available for inspection by members and provide them to the Registrar, Managing Committee, or other government authorities when required.

3. Financial Management

• Receipt Management: The treasurer is responsible for depositing all funds received by the society into the bank or depository and issuing receipts to the payers.
• Record Keeping: Maintain a meticulous record of member contributions for maintenance, repairs, common funds, and more. Identify late or consistently defaulted payments and implement a due collection procedure for the committee to follow.
• Vendor Payments: Pay vendors, service providers, etc., through cheques, bills of exchange, or online transfers, serving as the signatory for cheques or initiator of online payments.
• Reconciliation: Regularly reconcile member ledgers, passbooks, statements, and bills received from depositors with the general accounts ledgers. Ensure annual reconciliation as well.
• Charges Calculation: Compute maintenance charges, parking fees, premiums payable by transferors, and contributions for various charges. Verify dues by members and calculate interest payable by defaulters.
• Financial Policies: Establish financial transaction policies for vendor payments, petty cash management, cash withdrawal, and other internal expenses.

4. Asset Management and Investment

• Asset Records: Maintain up-to-date inventory and financial records for all fixed and movable assets of the society.
• Insurance: Compute insurance coverage for assets and pay regular premiums.
• Investment Strategy: Advise the Managing Committee on investment strategies, considering the society’s needs, risk factors, financial capacity, and calculating return on investment (ROI). Develop investment guidelines and policies.

5. Fundraising

• Fundraising Strategies: Recommend and create fundraising strategies for the society.
• Fund Utilization: Define rules and regulations for fund utilization and ensure compliance with predetermined policies and plans. Report any wrongdoing to the Managing Committee.

6. Compliance

• Financial Institutions: Ensure that the society complies with the guidelines of financial institutions, including cooperative societies, nationalized banks, and the RBI.
• Legal Compliance: Review and adhere to all legal, contractual, or builder-related compliances that affect the society’s funds and financial management.
• Bye-Laws: Familiarize themselves with the society’s bylaws to ensure compliance with internal and external rules affecting financial transactions involving members, vendors, or the society.

Additionally, the treasurer may appoint a sub-committee of accountants or finance experts from within the society to assist with specific tasks while remaining accountable to the managing committee. This collaborative approach helps ensure effective financial management within the housing society.

NoBrokerHood offers a seamless society accounting software and society maintenance system. With this integrated system, treasurers can efficiently manage accounting, finance, and bookkeeping tasks. Additionally, society members can conveniently pay maintenance and utility bills using this application, making the entire process more straightforward.

The Duties of the Chairman in a Housing Society

The Chairman plays a pivotal role in overseeing and managing various aspects of the community. Here are the key duties and responsibilities of the Chairman:

1. Presiding Over Committee Meetings

At the heart of their responsibilities, the Chairman serves as the presiding officer during all meetings of the Managing Committee within the housing society. They are tasked with setting the tone for these gatherings, determining the necessary quorum for each meeting, and carefully reviewing the agenda beforehand to ensure that all pertinent matters are addressed.

2. Bank Operations Signatory

With joint authority, the Chairman serves as one of the signatories for bank operations related to the housing society’s finances. This entails authorizing financial transactions and upholding the security and integrity of the society’s funds, a critical responsibility in maintaining financial stability.

3. Final Authority

The Chairman occupies a position of significant authority and accountability within the housing society. They have the ultimate say in a range of matters, including ballot decisions that involve approving or rejecting proposals through a voting process.

Additionally, the Chairman holds sway over expenditure approvals, ensuring that expenses related to society projects and maintenance are reviewed and authorized appropriately. They also oversee the acceptance of procedural decisions to guarantee that committee actions align with established processes.

Committee nominations, the selection and appointment of committee members, fall under their purview, as does the approval of proxy attendees for meetings and taking necessary disciplinary actions against members or committee members for violations of rules and bylaws.

4. Casting Decisive Vote

In cases where a vote on a particular issue within the committee results in a tie, the Chairman steps in to cast the decisive vote. This role ensures that decisions are reached even when committee members are evenly divided, ultimately maintaining the forward momentum of the society’s affairs.

5. Agenda Control

The Chairman holds the authority to shape the agenda for committee meetings, having the power to include or exclude specific items. However, this discretion must be exercised judiciously, and any decision to omit an item from the agenda should be backed by a valid reason following the principles of democracy.

6. Community Building

Beyond their administrative and decision-making roles, the Chairman plays a crucial part in fostering a sense of community within the housing society. They initiate and promote community-building activities that create a healthy and progressive environment. By fostering unity and cooperation among residents, the Chairman contributes to the overall well-being and development of the community, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all members.

The Essential Responsibilities of the Managing Committee

Once the housing society’s registration is complete, and the initial committee has been selected, the Managing Committee (MC) assumes a range of fundamental responsibilities aimed at effective daily management, financial transactions, legal compliance, and member services.

1. Financial Responsibilities

• Collection of Society Charges: This includes property tax, water charges, lift/parking/service charges, non-occupancy charges, and repair and maintenance charges. Rates are determined through committee discussions with members.
• Funds and Deposits: Raising funds and deposits from members as needed.
• Reserve and Sinking Fund: Managing and collecting contributions to the Reserve Fund and Sinking Fund.
• Insurance Premiums: Deciding and collecting insurance premiums, particularly if commercial use of a flat is involved.
• Interest Collection: Collecting interest from members in default.
• Property Insurance: Ensuring the society’s property is adequately insured.

2. Member-Centric Duties

• Membership Affairs: Reviewing resignations from members/office-bearers, maintaining records of nominations and revocations, and taking appropriate actions.
• Allotment of Flats: Issuing allotment letters to members upon flat purchase and providing necessary society documents.
• Membership Termination: Handling the conclusion of memberships.
• Share Refunds: Refunding shares and associated interest as applicable.
• Complaint Resolution: Addressing and resolving member complaints.
• Community Engagement: Organizing events, festivals, and special occasions to promote camaraderie and friendship among society members.

3. Operational Duties

• Document Attestation: Authorizing a committee member to attest society-sealed documents such as lease agreements, deeds of conveyance, and share certificates.
• Property Management: Overseeing lift operations, managing service staff, and ensuring their compensation and accommodation (if provided).
• Property Maintenance: Regularly inspecting and maintaining society property, conducting renovations and repairs as necessary.
• Vendor Management: Reviewing and approving vendor applications for services within the society, such as produce stalls and dry cleaning services.
• Parking Regulation: Regulating parking facilities.
• Bylaw Enforcement: Supervising member compliance with bylaws and society rules, suggesting fines or penalties for consistent violations.
• Secretary’s Reports: Reviewing reports from the Secretary on flat inspections.
• Election Management: Organizing and conducting elections for a new committee, electing office-bearers, considering their resignations, and facilitating replacements.
• General Body Meetings: Recommending and organizing general body meetings, including annual and special gatherings.
• Committee Meetings: Hold regular committee meetings, typically at least once a month.

4. Executive Responsibilities

• Deed of Conveyance: Executing the deed of conveyance for the land and building.
• Audit Reports: Approving audit rectification reports from statutory and internal audits and forwarding them to relevant authorities.
• Contract Management: Scrutinizing tenders for construction work and presenting them, along with committee reports, to the General Body meeting. Entering into contracts with contractors.
• Architect Engagement: Contracting with society architects, particularly in cases of redevelopment.
• Housing Federation Affiliation: Ensuring the society’s affiliation with the Housing Federation and timely payment of subscription fees.

The Managing Committee shoulders these multifaceted responsibilities, ensuring the efficient and lawful operation of the housing society for the benefit of its members.

Managing a housing society entails financial diligence, member-centric focus, and operational efficiency. It’s crucial to uphold legal compliance, ensure prompt issue resolution, and foster community spirit. 

Residents often face challenges in record-keeping, vendor management, and financial transparency. NoBrokerHood offers a comprehensive building management system to streamline society management, simplifying tasks, enhancing communication, and ensuring transparency. Start your journey with NoBrokerHood’s society and visitor management system today to simplify society management and build a thriving, harmonious community. Join us in embracing the future of housing society management!

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