The norms established by those that are living in an apartment building can be very different from those that are in suburbs and subdivisions. An apartment building may be categorised as being the same as taking a specific subdivision and compressing all the homes into one concentrated living arena. This condensing of space means that large numbers of people are brought together in one area. The consequences of this concentration of living spaces are that multiple personalities, temperaments, and expectations are also brought together. Unless clear rules and regulations are set out for all to refer to, then apartment living would be unbearable and chaotic for owners and tenants alike.
An apartment building can be an individual entity or part of a larger block or blocks of buildings. There are several apartments within the building depending on the size of the building and the individual layouts of the apartments themselves. These buildings, however, typically include the presence of common areas such as a lobby, mailroom, game room, gym, or garden area. The use and care of these common areas must be well regulated to maintain harmony within the community. It is here where etiquette comes in.
Etiquette means rules that govern everyday actions. These rules may vary, depending on the setting in which they are established and the goals that they can help to achieve. Etiquette that is set for residents of an apartment building has to provide guidelines to all that are acceptable and enforceable. If there is a consensus among those residing within the apartment building about what is tolerable and what is not, then accord can be established and maintained throughout.
How is Etiquette established?
The residents will come together to agree on those rules that they feel would work best for them. Alternatively, the owner’s corporations that comprise the various owners of the units within the building will establish these guidelines based on the ideas they have for their ideal living community.
These etiquette guidelines will often determine the kind of community that is established and how it is run. With clear etiquette in place, everyone living in an apartment understands that they are held to a certain standard and that it is up to them to ensure that they do not fall short of these expectations. It is in this way that the greater good is cared for at all times.
What about Enforcement?
The owners’ corporation through a strata manager achieves enforcing the observation of etiquette in apartment living.
The owners’ corporation is established by bringing together the individuals who own apartments within the building, be it one or more. This corporation then takes on the task of running the affairs that are to do with the apartments and common areas of the living community. To do this efficiently, a strata manager is often employed who then becomes the point person in the carrying out of these pertinent tasks.
The strata manager is tasked with the day to day running of the community. This use of strata management services ensures the enforcement of community etiquette directives in a fair and unbiased manner. Being able to rely on a strata manager can take a lot of the guesswork out of running a healthy and thriving community.