Preparing for Winter: What Expenses Should Apartment Management Plan in Advance?

Before the winter months arrive, a review of winter preparations for apartment and site management will avoid problems that will occur during the winter months. So how should heating, maintenance, cleaning and possible repair expenses be planned? How can apartment management already anticipate the costs it may face in winter?

winter months are approaching, it is not enough for apartment managers to prepare only to operate the heating system. Maintenance of common areas, plumbing checks, energy expenses, cleaning and any emergency repairs that may arise should also be considered in budget planning

Making these preparations in advance can also avoid complicating the management of unexpected expenses during the winter period.

What Expenses Can Be Planned Before Winter?

Although the needs of each apartment are different, the following expenses can be reviewed in particular before winter:

1. Heating System and Heating Expenses

In buildings with a heating system, the maintenance needs of boilers, burners, pumps, plumbing and other common heating equipment should be checked.

Fuel or energy costs can also be projected in the budget, taking into account past period consumption and expected usage.

Here the objective is not to determine precisely in advance the expense to be incurred, but to create a reasonable estimate in the management's annual income-expense planning.

2. Roof and Water Insulation Checks

It is important to check the roof, gutters, rain drains and insulation deemed necessary before the onset of wet and cold weather.

Necessary checks can be carried out in a timely manner so that a small maintenance need does not translate into a higher repair expense in the following months, especially in buildings that have experienced water leakage.

3. Maintenance of Common Areas

Maintenance needs that may arise due to winter conditions in apartment entrances, stairs, corridors, parking lots and other common areas should also be assessed.

Checking elements such as lighting, door and lock systems, stair railings or equipment at the entrance of a building can help to recognize in advance some problems that may occur during the winter period.

4. Share of Expenses for Emergencies

Not every expense can be predicted in advance. Especially during the winter period, a plumbing failure, a heating system problem or an unexpected need for repairs in common areas may arise.

Therefore, it is important for management to assess the need for advances to cover not only routine expenses, but also unforeseen expenses in annual planning.

When Can Money Be Collected From Floor Owners For These Expenses?

Here one must act in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Law on Condominium.

accordance with Article 20 of the KMK, the expenses for the maintenance, protection and repair of common premises and the operating expenses of common facilities and the advance to be collected for them, as a rule, are among the obligations of the owners of the floors. The law stipulates that some expenses will be shared equally and some expenses will be shared in proportion to the share of the land plot. It must also be taken into account whether there is a different regulation in the management plan or law.

In addition, Article 37 of the KMK provides for showing the annual estimated income and expenses of the operating project, as well as the amount and advance that falls on the share of the floor owners. With the amendment made in 2026, the provisions on the approval of the operating project at the general meeting of floor owners and the preparation of a temporary operating project in the absence of the current operating project have also been revised.

So it is not correct to speak of a general rule in the form of “Winter is coming, now money is collected separately from everyone.” The nature of the expense to be incurred, the current operating project, the decisions of the floor owners board and the management plan should be evaluated together.

What can the administration do before the winter months arrive?

It does not necessarily mean that special processing is required for winter preparation on a specific date.

Management can control the following headings:

• The need for maintenance of heating and heating systems

• Estimation of fuel or energy costs

• Condition of roof, gutter and rain drains

• Maintenance and repair needs in common areas

• Malfunctions that occurred in the previous winter period

• Cleaning and personnel expenses

• Current advance and budget status

• Compliance of upcoming expenses with the operating project

Necessary financial planning for unexpected expenses

Thus, expenses that may arise during the winter period can be tracked in a more regular budget plan instead of being evaluated at the last moment.

Keeping track of expenses is also part of planning

As well as predicting an expense in advance, it is also important to keep track of the expense that occurs regularly.

It is easier for management to keep track of the budget when information such as how much was spent on heating maintenance, what fuel costs are, what common area maintenance needs to be done or whether an expected expense has occurred is regularly recorded.

In this process, keeping records of income and expenses, debts and advances, and payments made can help the manager more easily keep track of the financial outlook during the year. Apartment and site management software such as Biyos can also make it easier to keep track of these records through a single system, helping managers run their day-to-day operations more regularly

Conclusion: Review the Budget Before Winter Comes

Winter preparation consists not only in waiting for the day when the heating will turn on.

Management's budget planning can be made healthier when the heating system, common areas, roof and plumbing controls, maintenance-repair needs and possible expenses are reviewed before winter begins.

However, it should not be considered that the owners of the floors should be asked to pay separately for each expense to be made. It should be acted on the nature of the expense, the provisions of the KMK, the management plan, the current operating project and the decisions of the board of owners of

A few hours of budget and maintenance assessment before winter arrives can reduce the surprises that both management and floor owners may face in the coming months.