Category: Building Operations

Cleaning products should, ideally, have one primary function: to make things less dirty. But once one delves deeper into the overall goal, things get more complicated. For instance, what makes something really clean? Does it mean to look sh…

The majority of residential buildings in New York City obtain power from Con Edison or secondary energy suppliers. But in recent years, boards and managing agents have investigated, and in some cases, installed “cogeneration” systems that a…

In multifamily buildings that hundreds —maybe even thousands—of people call home, it comes as no surprise that unpleasant smells can become an absolute nuisance. The airways that run through the building, the chutes and areas that house the…

Most folks know that turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, taking shorter showers, and turning down the thermostat a couple of degrees can help save energy – and by extension, money. However, helping an entire building or association cut …

When it comes to energy efficiency, mismanagement of energy could be both wasteful and costly for multifamily properties. Scott Burns of Marathon Energy Corp. talks to The Cooperator on what could be done to prevent those mistakes. 

One likely looks upon a towering high-rise shining upon the Manhattan skyline, and assuredly thinks to oneself, “that building must be quite the endeavor to manage, should it be a condominium or co-op residential property.” And that hypoth…

With so many people leading busy, sometimes hectic, lives that revolve around work, kids, social functions, and other obligations, it’s often very difficult for co-op/condo/HOA administrators to find residents willing and able to serve thei…

Successful association or cooperative living requires harmony between all parties involved, from management to staff to board to residents. Should one of these groups put their own self-interests above the common good, the wheels can come o…

Insurance liability is a very important issue for a condo or HOA association or a condo board. Most have built up a good relationship with their insurance agents or brokers, and many are content to leave the details to the pros.  However, …

Whether a small service contract for something like snow removal, or a larger initiative like replacing all the windows in a building or HOA, boards and property managers have to exercise extreme due diligence before signing on the dotted l…