States are starting to lower lockdowns and social distancing regulations. That’s mostly good news, but it’s bred new concerns regarding how to reopen installations for property management. Many firms are starting to provide insight into how to do so.
Community amenities are one of the most common issues brought up in these tips. They’re some of the most important spaces in building management. However, they also enable crowding and security concerns.
Proper communication is vital
The most important first step when planning a reopening approach is to communicate with everyone. That includes your property management staff as well as residents within the residence.
Therefore, make sure you share every strategy with everyone. Luckily, modern property management software enables messaging and notifications. You should leverage these features as much as you can.
Report your plans
You want everyone to stay on top of every information available. You want to share schedules, renovations, and plans. Doing so helps the entire process to run smoothly without compromising your community’s safety and comfort.
The most important reason behind this need is to avoid disruptions. You don’t want people to crowd as soon as your community amenities reopen. Remember that easing restrictions doesn’t mean the pandemic is over. You still want everyone to remain healthy.
Strategies for reopening amenity spaces
The National Apartment Association has an outstanding article about reopening public spaces. They provide vital guidance and recommendations for building management to streamline the entire operation.
Now, the article also touches on office spaces, but community amenities are our main focus. Property management is responsible for ensuring security while residents start to go back to their daily lives.
Clubhouses
You need to clean your clubhouses if they’ve been unoccupied for more than a week. Thankfully, the virus hasn’t been proven to survive for more than seven days.
However, you should still limit crowding in these areas. Make sure you don’t allow for enough people to compromise proper distancing during events.
Fitness centers
Your fitness center can actually benefit your community’s overall health. When reopening, you want to focus on cardio areas, which help cope with the virus’ symptoms.
The most important method to reopen gyms and similar installations is to set strict schedules. You want to make sure people can exercise without crowding.
Swimming pools
There’s no evidence suggesting that COVID-19 can spread through water. Proper maintenance also helps to inhibit the virus’ transmission in these areas.
However, you still want to avoid people crowding in pools. Like gyms, pools can benefit residents’ health, but schedules and social distancing must be implemented.
Outdoor spaces
Outdoor areas are some of the least problematic amenities for building management. They’re already excellent to avoid crowding, but proper maintenance is still required.
Pay closer attention to installations prone to crowding. Those include playgrounds and courts.
Laundry rooms
Finally, laundromats are vital for homeowners to keep their hygiene, but they’re prone to overcrowding.
Guarantee proper maintenance and disinfection before and after their reopening. Create strict schedules to limit how many people use the space as well.