PETALING JAYA: About 70% of the condominiums and apartments in the country are being badly managed, resulting in the residents having to put up with deplorable, and even downright hazardous conditions. 

According to the National House Buyers Association (HBA), facilities like swimming pools, saunas, indoor badminton courts, tennis courts and playgrounds were in a state of disrepair in many of these apartments and condominiums. 

The problem is more acute in older buildings. 

This is despite residents forking out a monthly service charge of between RM50 and RM500 or even more. 

HBA secretary-general Chang Kim Loong said that most of the complaints they received were on the inefficiency of management companies set up by the developers and management committees elected by residents. 

Even in well-managed high-rise dwellings, tussles between factions of residents for the control of management of the condominiums and apartments are said to be frequent. 

“There seems to be constant disputes between management companies and committees, and residents. 

“Most of the feuds deal with transparency and accountability,” added Chang, who said the 70% figure was based on the number of complaints received by the association. 

In a report in October 2002, the Finance Ministry’s Valuation and Property Services Department said that as at the second quarter of that year there were 723,827 units of flats, apartments and condominiums in the country, the majority of which were in the Klang Valley, Penang and Johor. 

Chang said that the tussles between management committees and residents were difficult to solve. 

“Residents refuse to pay maintenance fees because they are not satisfied with the management company’s services. This results in a lack of funds to upkeep the condo and its facilities. 

“Also, some management companies or committees are not transparent in managing funds which is made up of service charge collection,” he added. 

Chang said these problems were not limited to lower or middle-cost condominiums and apartments, the prices of which were mainly below RM150,000. 

“There have been complaints from even residents of high-end condominiums that cost RM300,000 and above.”  

On the other hand, the association had come across examples of cheaper apartments that were better managed.