Common area: learn about the types and rules of condominiums

What if we told you that understanding how the common areas of a condominium work is one of the main keys to maintaining a good relationship with your neighbors? Would that be an exaggeration, or would it make perfect sense?

One of the most valued features by those looking for an apartment to rent is the common area of ​​the condominium. Whether it's a huge pool to cool off in the summer, courts to have fun playing soccer, a gym to work out in or a party room to celebrate with our friends or family.

Regardless of the space, they all have their own rules and regulations that must be followed. Many buildings, for example, do not allow visitors to enter the pool, which often leads to disagreements among those who do not follow these rules.

Or, we have the famous noise problem. All apartments have their own set time limits for loud noises. This can also cause huge fights between those who are having a party in the living room and the neighbors who live on the first floors.

Anyone who lives in an apartment building knows that we can't limit our daily lives to just the confines of our homes. Living with so many neighbors is inevitable, as is maintaining good harmony with everyone.

To do this, it is important to follow and comply with all your rights and duties. Not only within your apartment, but in all the common areas that you will have to share with the other people who live there.

So, come with us and check out this text for everything you need to know about a common area in a condominium. See the topics that will be covered:

• What exactly would be the common area of ​​a building?
• What are the benefits of a common area in a building?
• Does the common area add value to the property?
• What are the basic rules for the common area of ​​a building?

Happy reading!

What exactly would be the common area of ​​a building?

The common area of ​​a building is nothing more than the spaces that are equally divided among all residents. In other words, they are the spaces that everyone has the right to use on a daily basis, of course following the condominium's rules of use.

When we talk about common areas, the places that many people think of are the pool, gym, party room, barbecue area and sports courts. However, they also include many others that are often forgotten. Here is a brief list:

• Entrances, halls, stairs and corridors used or shared by two or more condominium owners;
• Courtyards and gardens attached to the building;
• Central water, electricity, heating, air conditioning, gas, communications and similar installations;
• Storage spaces for each apartment, usually located next to the garage. In this case, each condominium owner is responsible for its maintenance and upkeep.

Its main premise is that of non-individuality. In other words, this means that no common area can prevail over the individual interest of just one tenant.

On the contrary: in every common area, the collective interest of at least the majority of residents must always come first. For this reason, it is now very common for many buildings to hold periodic meetings in order to reinforce the rules on the use of these spaces and, if necessary, review and update what is needed.

Types of common areas in a building

No condominium is made up of just the common area. There are many other spaces that make up the buildings that must also be well understood in relation to their rules and operations.

The first of these is the private area, which represents the individual and exclusive spaces of the residents. It includes not only our apartments, but also the parking spaces and storage rooms, if any in the building.

As the name suggests, no other tenant should have access to this area, of course only with the resident's consent. When signing the housing contract, these spaces will be delimited in the document, so that there is no doubt about their use.

The second is the useful area, where the resident can decorate, furnish and move around. It is similar to the private area, but without pillars and walls.

In a basic example, it represents the hall of each floor of a building. In it, the residents of the floor can decorate the space as they wish: placing rugs, plants , mirrors, or other objects they wish.

Finally, we also have the total area of ​​a condominium, which includes the common and private areas. All of these spaces make up the daily lives of the tenants of a building, which makes them extremely important to understand in order to maintain harmonious coexistence.

What are the benefits of a common area in a building?

There is no doubt that the common area of ​​a condominium is one of the main attractions and decision-makers when choosing the building of your dreams. The more spaces and options you have, the more they will make the eyes of future residents shine.

In addition to the enormous convenience of having several leisure options in your day-to-day life, the common areas in a building provide countless other advantages. Do you know which ones?

The common area optimizes the apartment space

Did you know that common areas can even help optimize the space in a small apartment? That's right!

Let's take as an example classic properties that have been gaining great popularity in the market, such as studio apartments. These are small and very compact apartment models that often end up not having space for a laundry room, for example.

Therefore, many properties are being built today to solve this problem, which many tenants saw as a disadvantage. You can find several buildings with laundry spaces for shared use by residents, the cost of which is already included in the condominium fee!

And this is just one of the great examples we have on the market today. There is no shortage of properties with coworking spaces with tables, sofas, meeting rooms, and even kitchens to be shared among residents.

So, even if your apartment is smaller, these common areas will help you optimize the space. This will help you without having to miss out on these utensils and spaces in your daily life.

With the common area, you will have a better quality of life

No one can live solely focused on their work or other responsibilities. We all have to balance our routines with moments of rest and leisure, avoiding extreme fatigue or other serious health problems that may develop.

These problems can be incredibly solved with the common areas of a building. Whether it’s sunbathing by the pool, relaxing in a wooded area feeling the breeze, or simply playing soccer on the courts with your neighbors.

All of these spaces provide important moments of relaxation for our daily lives, especially for families with children who will certainly have a lot of energy to burn playing in these environments.

Have more practicality in your day to day life

The common area can also contribute to greater practicality in your day-to-day life. One of the best examples of this is the gym itself.

Many people consider exercise an essential part of their routine. However, it is not always easy to fit it in with work, household chores and other responsibilities.

Instead of having to travel to exercise, many condominiums make it easy to do this activity in the building itself. Many buildings already have very complete gyms, with lots of equipment that guarantee a variety of workouts to maintain good health.

In addition, many also have joint classes at the gym, from personal trainers to dance classes, fighting classes, and many others that also encourage socialization among residents.

In terms of food, one of the new features that is also gaining ground in more and more buildings is the joint markets and vegetable gardens. Today, many tenants no longer need to go to the market to buy basic or last-minute groceries.

Instead, many buildings already have small markets with the main products that can be useful in our daily lives. This is an excellent advantage, especially for those who have children at home and cannot always leave them with someone to do such tasks.

Greater socialization with neighbors, friends and family

Human beings are, by nature, sociable. In fact, we clearly felt this need during social isolation , in which our interactions with friends, family and even neighbors were seriously affected.

In this sense, there is nothing better than socializing with everyone who lives in the same building, than having fun in the common areas of the place.

Whether you live alone, in couples or with many children, fun is guaranteed, as there is no shortage of options to relax, chat and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the week.

Be safe

Finally, all residents can rest assured that they can safely enjoy the condominium's common areas.

Firstly, because today the vast majority of buildings contain several protection and surveillance systems against invasions. In addition to the security guards and doormen themselves, who work shifts that cover 24 hours a day without leaving a single gap unprotected.

In addition, there is the convenience of being able to enjoy so many leisure options without having to leave home and travel anywhere else. You can rest and relax just by walking down from your apartment, just a few steps from your home.

This way, you will feel more secure knowing the environment you are in, along with the people who frequent the place. Without having to share it with strangers or others with whom you are not familiar.

For families with children, this is one of the main benefits and features that a condominium should have. This way, you won't have to worry about the safety of your little ones, knowing that they will be in a monitored and protected environment 24 hours a day.

Does the common area add value to the property?

Absolutely. Even though many people still don't give it the value it deserves, keeping the common area tidy and clean can make all the difference when it comes to deciding to buy the property.

The logic behind this concept is simple, and it applies to any development in fact. The more service, leisure and entertainment options a building has, the greater its value and prominence in the market.

After all, keeping a common area running in perfect condition is not an easy task. It requires collaboration from everyone involved, not just the building manager, security guards or other people in charge of the condominium.

The residents themselves are also responsible for acting together to ensure that none of the common areas of the building are damaged for collective use. This can be done through small actions such as not leaving trash on the floor, objects scattered around the place, keeping the walls painted and clean, and many others.

In fact, this is one of the main reasons why more and more properties are constantly investing in improving their common areas, whether through small renovations or, in a trend that has been growing in recent years, retrofitting.

Common area retrofit

Retrofitting is a practice that has been gaining more and more ground in many buildings. It involves extensive recycling of the entire building, initially focusing on older buildings that have been abandoned, in order to recover and revitalize them.

With the aim of bringing a more sustainable lifestyle to residents, retrofitting can be applied and reinvented to a series of items throughout the building. Both in the way the building operates, for example by using solar panels to save more energy, and in the common area itself.

This change can be made in any environment, in the most creative and simple ways possible. In a party room , for example, it is possible to remove the walls from the space to create a feeling of spaciousness in the space. This will reduce the need for lamps, making way for natural light.

In addition, we also have the famous green spaces of the condominiums. Environments with diverse plants and benches to relax on a sunny day, which also brings an important quality of life to the residents.

Based on a general diagnosis of the renovations that need to be done in the condominium, it is possible to guide the project with a focus on a completely different lifestyle. Using retrofit, in this case, in favor of the condominium owners in the construction of a modern and complete common area for their leisure.

What are the basic rules for the common area of ​​a building?

Every condominium has its own rules and regulations to be followed for good coexistence. And, they also cover the common area in order to keep it clean and tidy for the collective use of all residents.

These rules are not necessarily the same for all buildings, as they will depend on each administration. Even so, it is possible to analyze a certain consensus between some of these standards.

For example, many condominium administrators now ask residents to schedule use of the party room or gym directly through the company's app. This makes it easier to have greater control over the use of the space.

Furthermore, the times allowed for use of common areas are also usually similar. They are normally available from 9 am to 10 pm, as a general rule for all environments.

Regarding noise, the vast majority of buildings also limit loud sounds to this period of time. This is so that no one is disturbed by noise early in the morning or late in the evening.

What are the penalties for non-compliance with the common area rules?

If any resident fails to comply with their duties and rules regarding the common area, they will definitely suffer some type of penalty stipulated in the building's housing contract.

Normally, the property manager will have a conversation with the tenant about what happened, in order to explain the reason why they will receive a fine or any other type of sanction.

Its value will also vary depending on each case, especially if non-compliance continues to occur, which will increase the price to be paid by the resident.

Conclusion

It is impossible to visit a condominium and not be drawn to its common areas, especially when it has several clean and complete spaces for leisure.

After all, many people dream of having a swimming pool to sunbathe and swim in without having to go to a club. Or, a gym just a few steps from our apartment, without having to pay another monthly fee to enjoy such services.

Keeping a common area tidy is the duty of everyone who lives there. This way, anyone can enjoy these spaces without any harm. Therefore, it is essential to understand the rules regarding these spaces in the building to ensure that they continue to function normally.

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