THE Selangor Housing and Real Property Board is drawing up a list of councillors and assemblymen in all districts and municipalities to help homeowners living in high-rise buildings resolve problems with their building managements.

The board’s executive director, Alinah Ahmad, said there were many cases of misunderstanding between unit owners and the management companies. The councillors and assemblymen, she said, could help work things out between the two parties by acting as mediators.

She added that the board would provide the councillors and assemblymen with information on the laws pertaining to such matters.

“If the problem is serious, we will take over as mediators or provide assistance to the councillors and assemblymen so that the issue can be resolved amicably,” she said.

Alinah was speaking during a briefing for councillors and council officers at the council’s board meeting on Wednesday.

She said the board had mediated and solved a number of stand-offs between homeowners and the management companies or developers through discussions.

“The most common problem is when the owners refuse to pay the maintenance fees while the management company refuses to provide services because the fees have not been paid,” she said.

Alinah said another common misunderstanding, especially among owners of low-cost flats, was that the local authority was responsible for repairs on common properties such as the roof.

She said according to the strata titles issued to owners, the roof belonged to all those living in the block and as such the owners should pay or the repairs.

Alinah also called on local authorities to inform the respective district Land Offices when certificates of fitness (CF) were issued.

She said developers were required to submit applications for the strata titles within six months of the issuance of the CF but the Land Office could not get the developers to do so as the CFs were issued by local councils.

She said strata titles were important as they would allow the owners to set up a management corporation and take over the management of apartments.

She said having the pre-management committee would also help with the transition when the management of the apartments was handed over to the residents upon the issuance of strata titles.