Many of our residents are unfamiliar with how condominium living is similar to and different from apartment and private home living. In many ways, it’s most like private homes within a Homeowners Association development, as there are individual responsibilities, communal responsibilities, and communal rules and regulations. Here are some thoughts to consider when evaluating your expectations for living here.
If there’s something that you need further clarification, please contact your Community Manager or the Resident Services Coordinator.
We all own the building. The building is communally owned by the Condominium Owners Association (COA), and each unit is deeded to the individual owner. The public areas, infrastructure, and property are owned by all of us. Our COA dues are prorated by the square footage of our units. Note that there are separate condominium associations for the North Tower (CityView) and South Tower (CityView II). There is a reciprocal agreement for use of shared assets such as the parking garage, pool, public spaces, and grounds, that are wholly owned by one tower or co-owned by both towers. Please note that a condominium is different from a co-op.
Your unit is yours from the walls in. Like a private home, repairs of anything inside your unit is your responsibility. Unlike an apartment, there is no superintendent/building owner to fix broken things for you because you are the owner. However, Resident Maintenance Services (RMS) can perform repair tasks for you for a reasonable fee.
Utilities are a split responsibility, but most are handled through the building. Utilities connect to the building and are billed through the building. Water and sewer costs are covered by the condominium association, but electrical (both towers) and gas (North Tower only) will be billed to you in conjunction with your COA dues on a monthly basis, so there’s no need to set them up yourself. (See below for more information on differences between the towers.) Waste removal is also paid by the condominium association. The only exception to this is telephone/cable/Internet service, for which you must select a provider, set up your own installation, and be billed directly. The North Tower currently offers Comcast Xfinity, Verizon FIOS, and PhillyWisper. The South Tower currently offers Comcast Xfinity and Philly Wisper, and expects Verizon FIOS to be available some time in 2024. For more details, contact your Community Manager or the Resident Services Coordinator.
You are not personally responsible for repairing anything beyond your walls. Public spaces, including hallways, elevators, etc. are the responsibility of the COA. If you see something that needs repair in a public space, please report it to the Chief Engineer, your front desk, your Community Manager, or the Resident Services Coordinator. These costs are the responsibility of the COA. (Note: The outside of your front door is the only thing “outside your walls” that is your responsibility.)
If you expect to rent your unit, please be aware of the rules. CityView is limited by the terms of Article 15 of the Declaration of Condominiums in what percentage of units may be rented at any one time, as well as the length of time that units can be rented. There is currently a waiting list for owners to rent units. Units must be rented for a period of no less than one year (so AirBnB and other short-term rentals are prohibited). Clients looking strictly for an investment property may want to understand that these restrictions may run counter to their needs.
There are lots of rules, but they’re there for a reason. If you’ve only lived in a private house before, you’re used to having a lot of freedom in what you do and when and how you do it. With a large condominium, while you own your unit, you share the building with many others. If you’ve lived in apartments, you’ve generally had a list of rules included in your lease. In our condominium, those rules are codified in the Resident Handbook. These rules may seem inconvenient at times, but when we all follow them, the whole community (and our property values) benefit.
While many of the rules may see arbitrary and capricious, there are actually reasons for all of those rules. In some cases, it may be that the results of certain actions would result in extra costs that would need to be paid by the COA. In other cases, it may be that it would infringe on the rights or comfort of other residents. In order to allow us all to live in harmony, we request that you review the handbook. If you are unsure of whether there is a rule that applies to an action that you wish to take, you can consult your front desk concierge or your Community Manager for clarification. Community Managers can also help if you want to know the reasoning behind a given rule.
Some rules differ between the North Tower and South Tower. Because the buildings were constructed differently for different uses prior to their conversion to condominiums, there are differences in the rules for each building. Here are some examples:
- North Tower units have laundry rooms on each floor (though some units do have in-room washer/dryers), but all South Tower units have in-room laundry.
- North Tower units have HVAC through a central air distribution system. South Tower units use Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners (PTACs), similar to what you might see in a hotel.
- The North Tower provides hot water centrally, while each unit in the South Tower has its own water heater.
- North Tower units have gas service for the HVAC, while the South Tower is all-electric with no gas service at all.
- Since the South Tower units have water heaters and PTACs, there are rules regarding water heater replacement and PTAC inspection, while the North Tower units have rules regarding HVAC inspection.
- The South Tower freight elevator is a separate elevator that goes down to the loading dock. The North Tower freight elevator is one of the regular lobby elevators, which must have padding installed before use with freight.
- Each building has its own standards, such as unit door colors, that residents should be aware of.