Active Building: inner networking for easy living

The one errand that inevitably gets pushed back on our to-do list is stopping into our apartment’s rental office to fill out a maintenance request, or pick up the package that was too large for the postal carrier to leave in the hall. We have good intentions, but it is so-o-o easy to forget. And then it hits us – usually at 9 p.m., long after the rental office has closed, that we still need to call about that darned leaky faucet! With busy work schedules and a jam-packed social calendar, wouldn’t it be nice if our landlord could just read our minds?

Milhaus’ newest edition to their residential management strategy isn’t all that far from being that kind of mind reader. Active Building, a residential concierge service gives apartment dwellers 24-hour access to residential management services. The online feature improves communication between apartment management and residents through email, text and broadcast in-the-lobby announcements. It improves and enhances building operations by creating an easy way to schedule package pickups, routine maintenance and individual repairs, and to make important community announcements. The program is paper -free, which means it is more economical, and environmentally friendly – no more flyers or newsletters jamming up the mailboxes.

One indicator of an apartment dwellers level of satisfaction depends on their connections with other residents and Active Building provides a space for that as well. The app allows them to connect online and get to know each other better, plan events, schedule play dates and meet-ups, or just chat about the local scene. Danielle Littlejohn, Residential Services Manager for Milhaus said that installing Active Building was an easy choice for the residents at Artistry. Given that the apartment community is located in a vibrant and lively area of downtown, it is sure to attract equally active residents who will appreciate the time-saving features Active Building offers.

“As soon as new residents move in,” explains Littlejohn, “they receive an online invitation to join the free service. Residents can choose to receive apartment updates or alerts any number of ways, including by text, voicemail or email. It makes everyone’s job here easier and we actually get to know residents better through the online newsfeed. Residents have constant access to the apartment calendar and can make online rent payments, service requests or reservations for the community’s conference or movie rooms. We are already seeing the residents use the network to create meet up groups. It keeps them always in the loop of what’s happening in their apartment community.”