If you are reading this, chances are that you have recently moved in or are planning to move into a housing society. Or perhaps, you are a recently appointed management committee member and just wish to brush up on your basics. Either way, we have got you covered. This blog post will provide you with everything you will need to know about housing society management. Let us jump right into it.
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Table of Contents
What are housing societies and why do we need to manage them?
A housing society is an organization that is owned and operated by members, mainly to meet the residential needs of the community by providing them houses and accommodation. Members with common interests usually come together and register a legally established society to improve their living conditions meet their needs. Co-operative housing societies are defined by multiple characteristics like democratic control which entails the organization of regular meetings and elections for the management committee members.
Members contribute economically either monthly, quarterly or yearly, and there is mutual cooperation on various issues and aspects of the community. Membership is completely voluntary, and all rules and regulations are laid down by the respective state’s policy on bye laws that govern all the housing societies in that state. Thus, it comes as no surprise that such societies need housing society management systems in place. In today’s tech savvy world, a society management app like ADDA provides a one-stop solution to manage all these aspects at the tips of your fingertips.
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Major segments of housing society management
There are various segments to be managed in a housing society. However, the following segments are most commonly found in housing society management systems everywhere:
- Finance: Since a housing society is non-profit, majority of its income comes from the maintenance paid by residents. However, finance does not only involve collection of maintenance, but also regular journal entries, record keeping of all expenses and transactions, paying taxes, presentation of annual reports, performing timely audits and making budgets.
- Maintenance and Upkeep of Infrastructure: Undertaking regular repair, maintenance of assets and necessary construction projects within a society complex is a crucial segment that ensures all amenities are performing in top-notch conditions and the residents are not inconvenienced for prolonged periods of time.
- Property Management: Members in a management committee have hundreds of flats and multiple buildings under them. Renting, selling and buying of apartments are functions that require a separate segment altogether under housing society management.
- Welfare: Community welfare is a segment that takes care of all socio-cultural needs of a society’s residents. Celebration of festivals, organizing events, trips, conducting talks and workshops etc. are all part of welfare that uphold the spirit of togetherness and concern for community.
- Staff and Vendor Management: A variety of services provided by vendors and staff such as delivery, cleaning, repair, pest control and the likes require smooth facilitation to track their entry and exit and other functionalities. Sometimes, these services might be booked by the society on a contractual basis or outsourced to external service providers and individuals. On a side note, make this function much easier to manage by using our society management app, ADDA.
- Gate Security Management: An optimal housing society management system always considers safety and security of the society to be a top priority. While Gate Security Management is about protection from threats, today’s technology combined with extended responsibilities during pandemic situations requires special resources and time. Check out our blog on The Best Gate Management System to know what questions one should ask to have a holistic housing society management.
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Who takes care of these segments?
Every housing society has a management committee whose members (individually or together) are solely responsible for the management of each of the above-mentioned segments.
- Treasurer: All finance related tasks are supposed to be carried out by the treasurer. A treasurer presents the annual budget of the society and formulates savings plans. He/she must maintain and provide detailed records of all financial expenses and transactions. Other duties of a treasurer include liaison with the society appointed auditor and monitoring all funds and dues. Account and monetary management features provided by ADDA are every treasurer’s best friend and helps cut down on additional costs and savings. To know more about society billing and accounting, check out this blog.
- Secretary: A secretary is responsible for driving the overall mechanism of the housing society management. He/she organizes and coordinates all management committee and general body meetings. A secretary lays down the agenda of meetings, takes down meeting minutes and shares it with the attendees. Attending to the resident’s complaints and grievances and putting them before the management committee is also undertaken by the secretary. A secretary, along with the treasurer and the executive committee looks after the welfare of the society’s residents.
- Chairman/President: The President is the leader of the management committee. He/she is the representative of the society in terms of legal matters and is answerable to the concerned authorities. A chairman has the final say in all decisions and matters. All society meetings are headed by the President. He/she must ensure that the society’s goals and needs are met, and all obstacles are dealt with, from time to time.
- Society Manager/Building Manager: A building manager or society manager takes up repairs and executes welfare functions based on the instructions of the society secretary. He/she also handles Staff and Vendor Management and helps the management committee in managing the properties.
- Executive Committee: Apart from the Chairman, the Treasurer and the Secretary, the management committee consists of executive committee members who help execute and perform day-to-day functions of the society and implement welfare programs for the residents.
- Security: Check in/Check out of visitors is a prime responsibility of security guards appointed by the members of a housing society. Security guards also monitor CCTV cameras and handle other security equipment. Guards are responsible for coordinating with the management and reporting all incidents. Whenever required, guards are answerable to law enforcement officers, like the police.
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What are the rules of housing society management?
Every housing society management has certain rules and regulations that must be followed by the members and residents. In India, all societies follow the state implemented bye-laws that serve as the backbone for an ethical and disciplined management system. The Bye laws are flexible and can be amended from time to time.
- Being a member of a housing society, you are free to approach the management committee and demand to have a look at the account book. Legally, the society cannot refuse to reveal the annual balance sheet.
- A digital accounting system, like ADDA helps maintain cashless transactions and makes way for sustainable and efficient accounting system.
- According to the Society Bye-Law No. 46 and 47, every member must keep the premises around the flat clean as part of maintenance of flats. Every member is eligible to make alterations or additions to his flat with the prior permission of the committee. In the same way, members shall allow the secretary and other MC members to examine and inspect the flats to undertake any repairs or to be carried out at the society’s cost.
- If the society conducts a background check and finds out that a certain resident has a criminal history, the society can refuse membership (renting and buying of the flat). However, no society can refuse membership on the basis of religion, caste, race, ethnicity or gender. Read more on what constitutes as discrimination here.
- Every Housing Society management system will have clear rules for gated communities. Besides the society appointed security guards, residents often act as protective back ups for fellow residents. Parking spaces will be equally shared and allotted among the residents. Using a visitor management software makes the whole process seamless and comfortable.
You can most certainly refer to your society’s booklet of Bye-laws for details on all the rules that have to be followed.
Housing society management is easier than before with an online software like ADDA that provides a consolidated system in a single device to manage the various segments of a society. Contact us us to know more.