Digitalisation in a housing company: fix the data before the software
In this article
Digitalisation in a housing company is about running the building on the basis of up-to-date information rather than scattered documents and people’s memories. Before buying new software, the board should work out which digital tools the company actually needs and where it makes sense to start.
The information exists, the overall picture is missing
The administration of many housing companies has built up layer by layer. The maintenance log is in one system, fault reports in another and the accounts in a third. Minutes are in the archive, condition surveys are PDF files and observations from walk-throughs are in Excel or on paper. This is natural, as the property manager, the maintenance company, contractors, the energy company and the insurer each look after their own part.
The problem arises when nobody can see the whole. An example: in the first year, the maintenance company receives two reports about damp in the basement; in the second year, an unusual mark on the wall is noticed during a walk-through; and in the third year, a new board takes over that does not know the history. Separately, each piece of information looks minor; together, they are a reason to investigate.
What the law requires
The Limited Liability Housing Companies Act (opens in a new tab) (asunto-osakeyhtiölaki, in Finnish) does not require a digital management system, a particular app or artificial intelligence. Digital tools are an aid to carrying out the board’s duties.
Section 139 of the Building Act (opens in a new tab) (rakentamislaki, 751/2023, in Finnish) does, however, push building information in a digital direction. A new building must have machine-readable operating and maintenance instructions based on information models or machine-readable data, and the same applies to the subject of a renovation that requires a building permit. Existing housing companies do not have to build such a system retrospectively, but the direction is clear: building information is meant to be structured and to last.
A housing company’s administrative information, such as details from the maintenance needs report, loans and charges, is also entered in the National Land Survey of Finland’s Residential and Commercial Property Information System. This does not replace the company’s own document archive.
Start with the information, not the software
First work out what information the board actually needs, and only then choose the tools. Often the most sensible course is to make better use of existing systems and bring their information together. What matters is knowing where the information is, what is missing, what is out of date and who updates it. This is covered in more detail in the article information management in a housing company.
At a glance, the board should be able to see at least
- open observations about the building and recurring fault reports
- open maintenance tasks and observations from walk-throughs
- upcoming maintenance needs
- significant anomalies in energy and water consumption
- key contracts and when they expire
- open decisions and matters on which more information is needed.
How to put together such a summary is explained in the article the housing company situation overview.
Too many systems fragment the information even further. If everything is measured, the board drowns in data and complicated reports go unread. When considering a new tool, ask who will use it and which decision the information it produces will inform.
A system does not make decisions
A system can gather information, flag anomalies and make documents easier to find. But a consumption anomaly does not tell you what caused it, and a set of similar fault reports is not a building diagnosis.
The same goes for artificial intelligence. It can be used to search a large number of documents, group fault reports, summarise reports and help induct a new board. It may notice that six reports have come in about the same part of the building in two years, but an expert establishes the cause and the board makes the decision.
Digital information is most valuable when it is compared with the actual state of the building. If the system says everything is fine but there is a leak mark on the wall, the on-site observation takes precedence. A regular building walk-through keeps the picture honest.
If personal data is processed in the systems, the company must take care of data protection and access rights. Not everything should be shared with everyone, and not everything needs to be kept for ever.
Digital channels for residents and shareholders
In communicating with residents, digitalisation does not require large investments.
- A website or resident portal brings together contact details, fault reporting instructions, house rules, renovation guidelines and announcements. Minutes and personal data belong behind a login. See the housing company website.
- Online fault reporting records an observation in one go, with photos and location, and routes it to the right party. By law, a shareholder must report without delay a defect that the company is responsible for repairing, and an easy channel lowers the threshold. See reporting a fault in a housing company.
- A resident app brings announcements, fault reports, documents and bookings to your phone. See the housing company app.
- Technical monitoring systems, such as water leak detection, energy consumption and indoor air monitoring, and electronic access control, produce information continuously. Whether they are worthwhile is assessed case by case: what the system costs, who monitors the alarms and what risk it reduces.
At the general meeting, electronic procedures are already routine. A written notice of the meeting can be sent by email once a shareholder has given their address for the register of apartments. The board can decide that people may attend the meeting remotely, unless the articles of association restrict this. A fully remote meeting held without any physical venue requires a provision in the articles of association.
Not all residents use the internet or a smartphone, so the most important announcements still need to go on the stairwell noticeboard too.
Questions for the board
- Where is the building’s most important information now, and how many systems does the board have to use?
- Is the repair history easy to find?
- Are recurring fault reports identified?
- Are open maintenance tasks and observations from walk-throughs visible in the same place?
- Does any critical information depend on a single person?
- Who is responsible for keeping the information up to date, and are access rights and data security in order?
Frequently asked questions
Is digitalisation required by law?
Not as a whole. The Building Act does, however, require machine-readable operating and maintenance instructions for new buildings and for renovations that require a building permit.
Can artificial intelligence make the board’s decisions?
No. AI can support the handling of information and the preparation of decisions, but decision-making power and responsibility remain with the board. Nor does an AI analysis replace a technical or legal expert assessment.
This article provides general information and does not replace case-specific legal or technical advice.
