HOW TO RUN YOUR BUILDING!

Carol Ott of Habitat Magazine interviews Carl Borenstein, president of Veritas Management, about managing rising costs in co-op and condo buildings. Borenstein shares strategies for handling double-digit maintenance increases, particularly focusing on creative uses of co-op abatement programs to generate additional income. He discusses the dramatic rise in insurance costs, especially umbrella policies, and advises boards on choosing appropriate coverage levels. Borenstein recommends implementing small annual maintenance increases to avoid larger hikes later, noting that 80% of building budgets are fixed costs.