Category: Building Operations

Reducing energy waste and saving money go hand in hand. In addition to helping the planet, using energy more efficiently can save time, lower bills, and improve daily life. In fact, according to a joint report by the American Council for an…

Everyone wants to be comfortable in their home, but as every resident knows, that comfort comes at a price. Boards and managers know this too; with rising energy costs, climate change-related weather fluctuations, and looming fines on the h…

As the climate crisis has worsened, governments at the federal, state, and local level have made attempts to legislate solutions. While necessary, that three-pronged approach can often make compliance a complicated process for multifamily b…

With the recent passage of legislation extending key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the debate over who benefits most from the U.S. tax code has once again come into focus. Originally passed in 2017, the TCJA lowered indivi…

A recent item in the Wall Street Journal highlights the potentially dire situation facing residents of Carnegie House, a 324-unit brick co-op building on what’s now called ‘Billionaire’s Row’ in Midtown Manhattan just south of Centr…

Keeping lobby spaces attractive and up-to-date often requires more than a fresh coat of paint and seasonal floral arrangements. One key component is the lobby décor; the furniture and furnishings that fill out the space and make it appealin…

As noted elsewhere in this edition of CooperatorNews, all types of properties, including co-op, condo, and HOA communities, are experiencing steep increases in their insurance premiums while coverage is being reduced. Some are seeing their …

Over the past few years, nearly all property owners, including shared interest communities, have seen sharp increases in their insurance premiums. That costs have spiraled and coverage gotten harder to obtain is obvious; the questions are, …

Access agreements—the legal documents you must secure before you can encroach upon your neighbors’ property to carry out needed work on your own—have long been a thorn in the side of co-ops and condos. This is particularly true in Manhattan…

While they all collect fees from residents, it’s important to remember that condos, co-ops, and HOAs are nonprofit entities; those fees go right back into maintaining, repairing, and generally running the building those residents call home.…