A housing company app: what it can include and how to introduce it

A housing company app or online resident portal brings notices, documents, fault reports and bookings together in one place. Noticeboards, paper notices and email still work, but information gets scattered across them and an important notice can easily go unread. When choosing an app, the board should think carefully about what it needs it to do.

What an app can include

Notices

The app sends a notification straight to the resident’s phone. This is well suited to announcing water and power cuts, maintenance work, renovations and safety matters.

A notice of a general meeting can be published in the app, but on its own this does not replace the method of notice required by law. Under chapter 6, section 21 of the Limited Liability Housing Companies Act, a written notice is sent to every shareholder at the postal or email address recorded in the register of apartment shares. This provision changed on 1 October 2026, so it is worth checking your notice procedure with the property manager.

Fault reports

Fault reporting is one of the most useful features of an app. A resident can report a leak, damp, a broken door, a lighting fault or vandalism straight away and attach a photo and location. The maintenance company gets more precise information, and the progress of the report can be followed. When reporting is easy, problems come to light earlier. Read more about reporting a fault in a housing company.

Documents

The app can hold the documents that shareholders and residents need:

• the articles of association and house rules
• the rescue plan and safety instructions
• renovation guidelines and the alteration notice form
• the maintenance needs report
• minutes of general meetings
• the energy performance certificate

A ready-made document library also makes things easier for the board, because from 1 October 2026 a shareholder has the right to receive without delay a copy of any document held by the company concerning their apartment that is relevant, for example, to assessing maintenance or costs. Apartment-specific inspection reports are also worth storing so that they can be found when requested.

Bookings and contact details

Sauna slots, the laundry room, the clubroom, visitor parking or an electric vehicle charging space can be booked through the app, which reduces administrative work. Contact details for the maintenance company, the out-of-hours service and the property manager are quick to find. In an emergency, always call the emergency number 112 first.

App or website?

A website is suited to public information, presenting the housing company and serving prospective buyers. An app serves the everyday needs of residents and shareholders. Many companies need both. See also housing company websites.

Things to consider when introducing an app

• Not everyone uses the app. Important notices should still be put up in the stairwell as well.
• Data protection. The app stores personal data, so how it is processed and kept must be agreed with the service provider. Not every document is for every resident to see.
• Change of property manager. Find out what the property management firm already offers and how data will be transferred if the property manager changes.
• Person responsible. Someone on the board, or the property manager, makes sure the information is kept up to date.
• Costs. Compare the monthly fee with how much of the board’s and the property manager’s time the app saves.

The board is often asked the same questions: when is the general meeting, where are the renovation guidelines, how do I report a fault and who do I contact about water damage? When the answers can be found in the app, there is more time for other things. But an app only proves its worth when reports are acted on and the information is kept up to date.

This article provides general information and does not replace case-specific legal or technical advice.