Maintaining common areas in an apartment complex or a gated community is a continuous process, and every single individual living in the community should do their part in order to live that dream life of perfection.

Every apartment is expected to have a professional maintenance crew, who will be responsible for keeping the premises clean and green. However, this does not mean that individual responsibility does not count and is not necessary. Residents will need to maintain their exteriors and common amenities well, in order to enjoy the benefits of living in a collective community that looks good, feels good and functions great!

Living in an apartment complex is all about learning to co-exist in peace, as you will be sharing many public spaces like gyms, swimming pools, lawns and even roads with the other members of the community. Due to the sheer volume of people using these spaces, maintaining them properly becomes an aspect of utmost importance. There are a few basic tips that any resident can follow to maintain these places.

Workout Rooms and Gyms

Most apartment complexes will have common workout rooms, and you will need to do your part in maintaining these properly after every single workout session. Although you need not roll up your sleeves and fix broken equipment, there are some basic things you can do.

• Clean all equipments once you’re done using them. Sometimes all that gym equipments need is a proper wipe, because sweat and perspiration will tend to collect on them during a workout session. Take a separate cloth along with you and wipe all the dumbbells and weights after working out.
• Equipments that have gears will need to be oiled regularly for their proper functioning. Take time off to tell the gym in charge if you notice any equipment is not doing great. This also gives the administrators of the gym that you’re participating in the upkeep of it, rather than just using the equipment and “getting them to do their job”.
• Nuts and bolts that are loose can prove disastrous, so tighten all the bolts once in a while to ensure proper safety. Keep the administration informed, or talk to your trainer or instructor about the equipment. If some equipment seem overstrained, its best to put up a small note on it or by the side, asking other users to treat the equipment with care until it is repaired or replaced.

Lawns

A beautiful lawn can grab many eyeballs, and maintaining a lawn is quite easy once you know the bare basics.

• The secret to maintain a beautiful lawn is proper watering. Hose down the lawns regularly without fail, as lawns will need at least an inch of water every week. The condition of the soil can indicate whether the lawn needs watering or not, as dry soil is often a dead giveaway. Observing the lawns on an everyday basis before or after returning from work will help in the long run- you’ll notice if the plants are responding favourably to the conditions they are in and can discuss the same with the gardening staff.
• Keep an eye out for weeds and remove them constantly. Using weed control tools and fertilizers and other chemicals in this case can also help. Your actions should be approved by other members while using chemicals, though. This is something best done through the association of the gated community.
• Take some time off to partner with a few neighbours to maintain or develop your garden. Gardening is a great stress buster and residents can pool together to monitor and innovate the gardens and lawns to ensure that the greens are good to go.

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Swimming Pools

There’s nothing quite like taking a dip in the pool during a sunny summer day, but keep in mind the fact that the pool is a public space that needs to be properly maintained in order to avoid infections and fungi.

• Follow up with the pool staff to see how often the pool is being cleaned and chlorinated or filtered. This helps in two ways, one, you know when the pool was last cleaned and whether it makes sense to jump in, and two, everybody is aware of the maintenance of the pool and that the maintenance staff are doing their job accountably. Getting the association to put up a “Cleaning Schedule” in the vicinity of the swimming pool goes a long way in achieving this.
• Make sure that other users and residents of the swimming pool adhere to the rules of the amenity. If you see people jumping in with improper swimwear, notify the lifeguard or the staff and ensure they take action. The same goes with hygiene in the pool, usage of head and shower caps etc.
• There will be some corners that these chemicals will not reach, and these regions should be scrubbed with cleaning brushes, considering they accumulate dirt and grime. While you’re in the pool it’s important to notice if these “dark areas” are existent and whether they have been cleaned effectively. You can then take the same up with the maintenance staff and ensure it’s been done.
• Try and get your association to put up a complaint board in the swimming pool premises. This ensures that people can make public complaints, of course, with their identity and information of who they are, where they live, what the problem was, when it was reported etc, so the management can follow up with staff to ensure the problem is validated and fixed immediately. The solution and the response from the maintenance staff can also be put up in plain sight on the same board so residents know that the staff are addressing key issues and working to come up with solutions.

These basic tips, when followed properly, will help you enjoy an active and healthy social life with the other members in your apartment, without any worries or issues! A gated community is like a big house. It involves commitment and social responsibility to maintain what is beautiful and good for all. The best gated communities in the world are built not only by brick and stone, but by active and participating residents and innovative public governance and responsibility.

Source: Upkeep of Common Areas in a Gated Community – Lawns, Gyms and Swimming Pools. Link: http://blog.apnacomplex.com