For over four months since the COVID-19 outbreak became predominant, condo owners have found themselves with a number of increasing challenges and dilemmas requiring solutions to deal with keeping their communities and the members safe from COVID-19.  Condo owners have had to increase their cooperation with their building co-owners and their governing board in order to keep their communities healthy while attempting to carry on as normal a life as possible and still maintain goodwill within the community. 

In normal daily life, condo owners have always had to abide by numerous echelons of law – local, state and federal – as well as having to follow the governing documents and rules that act as community “laws” from the boards of directors.  More recently with the persistence of COVID-19, condo owners and governing board members have found themselves in an awkward position in having to pose new questions and develop new rules and policies on how repairs should be made, and how to keep community living safer and the common areas disinfected and clean on a continual basis, and without exposing community members to workers. 

AEI housing market indicators, June 2020

Condo life has its many benefits. However, during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, many challenges have presented themselves to both owners in condo regimes as well as the board members who need to develop policy to keep the community safe. With cramped elevators, tight hallway spaces and confined common areas, new policies and modes of conduct are being implemented every day and are required from community members themselves to stay safe.

The key question has arisen as to how to best keep “social distancing while using common areas in order to curb the spread of the virus.  The CDC has reported that the virus can be spread through coughing out viral droplets into small, populated spaces such as in an elevator or small lobby or community recreation room. But the virus may also be spread by touching common areas and then touching one’s face, eyes or nose with contaminated hands. Common use of elevator buttons and door handles mandate conscientious user hand-washing, sanitizing and prohibits face-touching after use of common utilities to stay safe. And governing boards must ensure complete, repetitive sanitization of the community area facilities themselves. This can be done professionally or by volunteer community members who wish to ensure a safe community environment.

Breaking Condo Financing News: FOR RELEASE Wednesday August 14, 2019