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The day-to-day management of the building is the responsibility of the housing association. An association is formed by the residents of the complex. Any person who is a resident of that apartment complex has a right to become a member of the association. The member will have to pay a pre-decided amount as subscription or maintenance charge.


Bye-laws
Any group of apartment owners can form an association to ensure better maintenance of the building, betterment of the area, and to solve common problems. The association should constitute a committee or governing body and elect its members as its office bearers. The byelaws should be approved by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies and should proclaim the association's aims and objectives. They should spell out the rules and regulations that apply to members. They should have details of how the association will run, who can become a member, who can become an office bearer of the association, and in what way the association will help members. It must also say how the association will use the money collected from subscriptions. It should mention the office bearers who are the authorised signatories for cheques and monetary transactions. The bye-laws can be amended with the approval of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies with the jurisdiction.


Books of accounts and meetings
The governing body should keep proper books of accounts with respect to money received and spent by the association, with receipts and vouchers. It should furnish details of sales and purchases of goods by the association and the assets and liabilities. Audited accounts should be submitted to the Registrar every year.
The members may decide on an appropriate time and place for meetings. Normally, a meeting should be held only on a public holiday, so that all the members of the association can attend. Every association should conduct an annual general body meeting every year. The first meeting should be held within six months from the close of the financial year and thereafter every year after March 31. It should be held by giving at least 21 days' prior notice to members.
A bank account should be opened by the association into which all money received on behalf of the association should be paid. The treasurer may keep in hispersonal custody some approved amount for petty expenses. The treasurer is the custodian of the association funds and cheques should be signed jointly along with either the president or the secretary. The bank passbook and cheque book should be in the custody of the treasurer or two of the office bearers.
Every member has the right to obtain copies of the bye-laws, and to inspect the books of accounts and minutes of the general body meeting. Any member who wants to contest the elections should have been a member of the association for at least for 12 months and should have paid subscription.
The association should collect monthly, quarterly or yearly charges and issue receipts to members. Receipt of amount should be shown in the members' personal account. Normally, three office bearers are authorised to sign documents. At a given time any two of them can sign cheques and clear bills for payment.

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AN ASSOCIATION LOOKS INTO ISSUES SUCH AS MAINTENANCE OF THE BUILDING