December 2024
Vacant units pose challenges to high-rise communities when residents can be absent for extended periods of time.
Despite best efforts, water problems can and do happen in vacant units. In one situation, a toilet tank system breaks and the tank overfills with water. The leak goes undetected for six hours as water damages other vacant units. Eventually, someone notices water in an inhabited unit. It takes additional hours to identify the source of the water leak. Eight units below are severely damaged and families are displaced for more than six months. There was a huge insurance claim.
All this could have been avoided if people were home, or had taken measures to protect against water problems. Water sensors would have informed of the problem and avoided most of the resulting damage.
When a resident leaves for a four-month vacation in Florida, the door gets closed and locked. Residents rarely consider problems this may create for the condominium manager or neighbours during their absence.
A vacant unit affects building systems, particularly water systems and plumbing. Water can freeze or build up in pipes and cause damage during the vacancy. Informing management of when units will be vacant is a safety precaution. Before departing, water to the unit should be shut off to protect pipes from damage.
Some units can be overly large for the number of occupants and lead to similar problems. Not all rooms may be used and checked on a regular basis. A resident may not notice indications of water or other problems on walls and ceilings, or a window problem. A situation can become more serious while they are absent that soon affects units below.
Package deliveries for a vacant unit is another concern. Forgetting to suspend deliveries during an absence can lead to lost or damaged items. Packages may have to be returned if not retrieved in the required time to avoid running out of space. Making advance arrangements for these packages can help ensure deliveries are stored securely until the recipient returns home.
In short, monitoring unoccupied units is a necessary role for building management. Dealing with problems in an unoccupied unit is more challenging than for occupied units and common areas.
When planning to leave your unit vacant for more than a week, informing management in advance of your departure is advisable. Always provide a way for management to contact you should a problem arise, and provide a way for them to access your unit. If your absence is for an extended period, ask management if someone can periodically check the unit to avoid problems.
When Vacant Units are Beneficial
Major capital projects, elevator repairs and garage maintenance are best undertaken when more units are vacant. There are fewer people to work around and be disrupted by the work. Fewer complain.
Building residents should be proactive in making management aware of their planned absences. Building management can periodically remind residents of the need to inform of absences prior to departure and the benefits of doing so.
