As an apartment complex owner or a condo association manager, there are a lot of things you can take care of on your own. You’re probably very familiar with tenant laws and likely have a staff that completes regular repairs and maintenance on your buildings and their grounds. You pay bills, accept payments, keep records, and generally make sure that everything is in great working order. But how do you handle more complex issues that crop up from time to time—issues that require a certain level of expertise that you or your staff don’t possess. In those cases, it can be wise to bring in outside professionals.
For example, there are two new California laws (SB 326 and SB 721) that require all condos and apartment buildings with three or more units to have their exterior elevated elements inspected regularly. These two “balcony inspection laws” not only require that balconies, exterior staircases, and elevated walkways be professionally inspected, but also that a follow-up report be written and kept on file. If repairs are needed to any of the inspected structures, permits need to be pulled, and the work needs to be completed by a licensed general contractor. In other words, your complex’s staff handyman isn’t able to complete the work needed to get your building in compliance with SB 326 or SB 721. If you have a general contracting company that you work with regularly for larger repairs, they might not be willing to do the job because they don’t want to take the time to understand all the requirements or write any reports. When that’s the case, you will want to look for a company that specializes in compliance issues like these.
I run a company that works with a lot of California businesses to help them stay in compliance with entities such as OSHA and Cal/OSHA, and with their insurance companies’ demands. When SB 326 and SB 721 passed the state legislature, I knew that we needed to learn more about these laws and how we could help Californians comply with them. Once we got a good handle on what these laws require of apartment building owners and condo associations, we assembled a team of engineers, architects, and general contractors throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties to do the inspections and complete the follow-up reports. Then, SB 607 was passed into law that stated that the same companies that complete the inspections and reports could also make the needed repairs. So now, we are able to offer a full-service solution to those who own and manage apartment and condo complexes. They make one phone call, and we handle the entire process, from beginning to end—from inspection to completed repairs.
We know that to some people, outsourcing work is considered a last resort. They handle as much as they can in house to save money and keep things as simple as possible. However, there are some instances where it just makes sense to outsource certain tasks—especially in areas that require extensive research and expertise. If you’re going to hire a company to help you stay in compliance with the government’s requirements, make sure you go with one that has your best interests in mind. There are plenty of companies out there that will take your money and do the bare minimum. At DTS, we go the extra mile for our clients and ensure that they are in full compliance with the law.
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