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Besides safety, amenities and wide-open spaces, a sense of community is a great attraction to residing in a gated residential estate. In the gated communities of today, residents can build closer connections within their local communities and share the life experiences of being part of an estate with their neighbours.
Rules manage relationships
However, where you find people together, you will also find complex relationships and situations. The best way to manage these relationships is to ensure that there is a solid and mutual understanding of what is acceptable to society.
In estate management, this is the purpose of the rules and regulations which are put in place by the Homeowner’s Association. These are divided into management rules, conduct rules, and building rules which cover issues: such as who is responsible for damping, which areas are common property, which paint colours are allowed on buildings, use of facilities, parking rules, and more. However, things change and sometimes rules need to be amended or new rules put in place.
While there are procedures in place in the estate’s memorandum of incorporation that dictate how this should be done, the most important part is getting buy-in from the community. Failure to do so is guaranteed to doom a new rule from its inception as it will lead to unhappy residents, infighting and the new rule not being adhered to, and in a worst-case scenario could lead to a legal battle.
Brettenwood Coastal Estate, situated on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, says that on their estate, rule changes are initiated by sub-committees, which are made up of residents from within the Estate – essentially, they function as the voice of the community.
‘If we need to introduce changes to any rules, we communicate with residents through our sub-committees to engender interest from the residents, thereby building and reinforcing a sense of community,’ says Brettenwood management.
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How to achieve buy-in
To gain the required buy-in, first and foremost ensure that the rules tick the following boxes: transparency, sufficiency, positivity, efficiency, no side effects, and enforceability. (See our previous article which looks at the components of a good rule.) If they meet these criteria, then half the battle is already won.
Furthermore, clear and consistent communication with homeowners is key. Introduce the topic of the rule change in various ways. This can be done through a residents’ meeting, flyers delivered to the front door, via an SMS or email. Educate residents about why the rule is being introduced and reinforce the message through other means of communication. Then it is vital to address any valid concerns or questions. The very people who will obey the rules and advocate for compliance are those who understand its primary purpose and benefits and who feel that they are part of its success.
Benefits include more than just adherence
If more people agree to the rules, then there should be better social benefits for the estate community and better marketing value for the estates. Good and bad news travels fast and if people are sending out a positive message about the estate, it builds a solid reputation, goodwill within the community and, in the longer term, sales, as people want to be part of a successful system that works.
Capture your community
Brettenwood management says they fully understand and embrace the importance of notifying their stakeholders about changes, because they have bought into the estate concept and all that means.
‘There are so many channels for interacting with residents that can be used as a method to emphasise important rules and regulations, in a pleasing way. Some methods that come to mind are direct communication via a portal, newsletters, and magazines.
‘We believe that the HOA must “capture the community” and continuously work to keep them interested in what is happening. With good administration, smoothly running programmes, enough help from the committee structure, and effective and efficient administration, there is a stronger likelihood of harmonious community living,’ they said.
