How to ensure genuine equality in a housing company
Equality within a housing company is not a given, which is why it must be consciously promoted. In the asunto-osakeyhtiölaki (the Finnish housing company act) it is stated that all shareholders are equal in decision-making. However, it should be noted that besides shareholders, there are also tenants living in housing companies – and sometimes tenants make up the majority of residents.
The housing company must ensure that both shareholders and tenants feel welcome and valued. It should not overlook tenants, as all residents contribute to the housing culture of the company, which in turn shapes the living experience for everyone. A successful living experience is achieved when the housing company values all its residents equally: both shareholders and tenants.
How can equality be supported in a housing company?
Equality is not achieved through mere appreciation; it requires concrete actions. Communication plays a crucial role in building equality.
Poor communication can cause challenges within a housing company. Conflict arises when common rules are not clear to everyone. Inadequate communication also directly affects how the property and living environment are perceived and cared for.
Digital communication channels are crucial in promoting equality
If a housing company sends messages only to shareholders, they should remember to pass on the information to their tenants, which is not always smooth or quick. This results in communication gaps and unnecessary delays in tenants receiving information.
Digital communication channels help in creating an equal living culture. When both shareholders and tenants are informed and guided equally in real-time through the same channel, information reaches everyone quickly, and all parties stay up-to-date on the company’s affairs, rules, and their own responsibilities.
Giving a voice to tenants
However, mere information is not sufficient to promote equality. The housing company must ensure that information flows both ways: it needs to understand the needs and desires of tenants alongside shareholders.
Tenants live in the property, so they know firsthand what works and what doesn’t in the company. Their opinions should be regularly sought, for example, through surveys conducted in the resident app. Surveys should also cover topics for the general meeting, allowing a diverse range of perspectives on the company’s affairs and living therein to be raised. The housing company’s board should also be accessible to tenants, which can easily be achieved through the resident app.
A well-functioning housing company is also a prerequisite for investors, as maintaining long-term lease agreements requires good living conditions. Tenants also act as messengers to shareholders, informing them about how practical matters work within the housing company.
Communication enables a good living experience
It matters greatly whether the housing company listens to and communicates with only shareholders or also with tenants. When all parties are treated equally, the impact on the living experience of all residents within the housing company is positive.
The living experience, in turn, affects the reputation and brand value of the housing company, which in part affects the concrete value of the property. Investing in equality, benefits all parties involved in the housing company and therefore is worth investing in.
-Kitte Hamilton
This article is an ai-generated translation of the original article in Finnish.