Condo Living Made Easy

A condominium community relies on its volunteer board members to operate effectively. These dedicated individuals give their time and energy for the benefit of all owners, often tackling challenging tasks. This is especially true in smaller, self-managed buildings without the support of a property manager to ease the burden.

As we reflect on our blessings this Thanksgiving, Chicago Condo Resource and Haus Financial Services want to express heartfelt gratitude to all condo board members who generously dedicate their time to support their associations.

To condo board members: thank you for everything you do.

To owners: take a moment this week to show your appreciation for your board. Their hard work truly makes a difference for your investment.

Acknowledging the board’s commitment and expressing thanks can help foster a positive and thriving condo community. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

For years, owners and occupants have had the right to request reasonable accommodations or modifications from community associations to allow disabled individuals to fully use and enjoy their units, with assistance animal requests being the most common. Starting January 1, 2025, a new section (18.12) of the Illinois Condominium Property Act will require boards to adopt policies for accommodating disabled unit owners’ requests for accessible parking, ensuring a review process within 45 days.

Even though this requirement is specific to condominium associations, non-condominium associations should also adopt similar policies. The process should outline how to handle all accommodation and modification requests, including assistance animals, with boards advised to make decisions carefully, avoiding hasty denials, ensuring thorough review, and seeking legal advice when necessary. Both state and federal law prioritize housing accessibility for disabled individuals, and boards must handle requests objectively and in compliance with the law.

Learn more here. 

Jamie Carlson is the Program and Event Manager for CAI Illinois, and a real estate agent who holds both CMCA (Certified Manager of Community Associations) and AMS (Association Management Specialist) certifications.

Join Jamie on the second Wednesday of every month to talk all things condominiums, townhomes, and HOAs. Each month she'll cover different topics regarding buying, selling, and living in community associations, with some special guests along the way.

Each session will include 15 to 30 minutes of open Q&A time to ask all your burning questions about anything related to community association living. This event is FREE. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gJK_BFi9