House Rules play an important and central role in the effective management of any condominium project, especially those that experience high rates of turnover in the way of Owner, Guest and Renter occupants in the condos. Having a clear set of rules to assist the Board and Management in the day to day operations and oversight of the development are crucial. Such rules can help maintain order and consistency in the delivery of whatever "experience" it is that the Association of Apartment Owners (AOAO) hopes to create for their particular community.
The Beach Villas at Ko'Olina located on in the Ko'Olina Resort on West Oahu has published their 5th version of House Rules and distributed them to Owners and Managing Agents, with the intent of having them universally shared and displayed within the 247 privately owned condos there.
THE CHALLENGE
It is difficult for Boards to find the balance between existence and enforcement of rules and the freedom and latitude to fully enjoy your surroundings and condo, the way that you want to. Naturally, there are some that either find the rules difficult to follow if they don't come naturally, or that violate rules out of innocent ignorance about what the rules are in the first place.
Those tasked with the responsibility of professionally enforcing these rules in a manner that shows hospitality and respect do not have an easy job. It is especially challenging in a community like the Beach Villas at Ko'Olina when there are thousands of Guests turning over in these condos in relatively short periods of time.
Therein lies the importance of Owners and their Managing Agents to convey these House Rules to their Guests prior to arrival, and again at the time of check-in, as well as leaving easy-to-read reference material for the Guests in their Villa to ensure that there is at least a baseline level of awareness that 1) rules do exist and are expected to be followed, 2) that the on-site staff is committed to ensuring the rules are followed and 3) that there are potentially notices of violation and eventual fines that could occur should the rules not be complied with.
"HOW" IS JUST AS IMPORTANT, IF NOT MORE SO, THAN "WHY"
How the enforcement is carried out is just as important as the rules themselves! There are so many different ways to interact with others and to "enforce" the rules. We should consistently look to the World-Class hospitality brands for insights into how they approach enforcement of various concerns that arise with their Guests. The general rule of thumb, in my opinion, is that the Guest should feel respected and heard during and as a result of the encounter with staff regarding a House Rules violation.
There is a friendly and tactful way to do that and, if done properly, the majority of Guests will respond favorably and with a willingness to be more mindful of their behavior and compliance with the rules. More often than not, House Rules infractions occur unintentionally, usually because the Guest was not aware of the rules in the first place or because they made an honest mistake (for example: parking in a BP1-049 stall instead of the OP1-049 stall that was assigned to them).
Staff should understand that the majority of infractions are not done intentionally, but are most likely due to unfamiliarity with the rules and each Guest encounter should be welcomed as an opportunity to greet the Guest with a smile and kindly educate them without making them feel wronged or disrespected. It's an art, like most of the hospitality business experience is.
THE HOUSE RULES DOWNLOADS
Click on the links below to download the latest versions of the House Rules for the Beach Villas at Ko'Olina.
1-Page Summary of House Rules for Beach Villas at Ko Olina (2017)
39-Page Full House Rules for Beach Villas at Ko Olina (2017)
Mahalo!
Munro
[photo credit: BattysGambit Sunset and Palms via photopin (license)]
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Munro Murdock is an Entrepreneur, Athlete, Real Estate Broker, Blogger, Father, Author, World Traveler and Podcaster. He resides on West Oahu in Hawaii with his wife and three children. You can Contact Munro by email here.
