alarm and smoke detection monitoring..

Started by JimR24 • 9 replies • 1099 views

💬 Join us to post & get advice from 50,000 HOA & Condo leaders.

⚡ Takes 30 seconds

Already a member? Log in

JimR24 (Texas)
Posts: 399

Posted:

Hi everybody - we are a 113 unit condominium in Texas...single story with 26 separate buildings with 4-5 units in each building.

Right now, our Association pays for burglar and smoke detection monitoring for all the condo units. I am wondering how other Associations handle this. We are considering dropping the burglar monitoring - keep the smoke detection monitoring - and dropping our monthly fees a bit so each of our units can decide on their own about burglar/security systems. If any of you have had any experience with this sort of thing, i'd appreciate hearing more. Thanks!

oljim, in texas

Lovin' life with my honey!
and, President of HOA in Texas

JeffT2 (Iowa)
Posts: 880

Posted:

Talk to your insurance agent. You may be getting a discount on your insurance that offsets the cost of the monitoring.

JimR24 (Texas)
Posts: 399

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By JeffT2 on 09/10/2016 3:57 PM
Talk to your insurance agent. You may be getting a discount on your insurance that offsets the cost of the monitoring.

Appreciate the response Jeff. We are already getting a small discount from our insurance company. Thanks!

oljim, in texas

Lovin' life with my honey!
and, President of HOA in Texas

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

I don't think the HOA should provide the burglar alarm system. That should be individualized. Mostly because it helps individuals to have the opportunity to add this to their own home owner's insurance policy. They can decide if they want the protection. Plus if they do, then they can reap the insurance discount it provides on their own home's insurance.

However, I did a bit of research on this for me. I found that the insurance discount is not quite enough to cover the costs of having a system. Meaning that I may pay $20 a month for monthly monitoring. That is $240 a year. Now the insurance discount maybe $200 reduction. Now to me the savings isn't worth the installation costs and monitoring. Insurance is to kick in anyways if that happens. I've got nothing that worth enough to care that much about. Plus have 4 dogs...

Former HOA President

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

In our condo building, Jim, we owners take care of our own smoke detectors. It's always been that way and I imagine one reason might be that condos range in size from 1036 sf to 2,800 sf so there probably are varying numbers of alarms.

ChrisP5 (Missouri)
Posts: 165

Posted:

Kerry as you have described your buildings in the past I'm surprised you don't have to pay for centralized monitoring of your fire detection, alert and suppression systems.

Jim we are a similar but larger condo development. We maintain fire sprinklers but don't pay for burglar alarms and our sprinkler systems are alarmed but aren't centrally monitored by a service, rather they have a large bell on the outside of each building that goes off if they activate.

RichardP13 (California)
Posts: 3,868

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By ChrisP5 on 09/11/2016 8:04 PM
Kerry as you have described your buildings in the past I'm surprised you don't have to pay for centralized monitoring of your fire detection, alert and suppression systems.

Jim we are a similar but larger condo development. We maintain fire sprinklers but don't pay for burglar alarms and our sprinkler systems are alarmed but aren't centrally monitored by a service, rather they have a large bell on the outside of each building that goes off if they activate.

Based on my knowledge of these types of buildings in California, I would be very surprised if the building didn't have fire monitoring, which would be the responsibility of the HOA. Also, in properties I managed, the HOA would do the inspections of the smoke detectors of the individual units, but the inits were responsibility for the overall maintenance of the detectors within their units.

JimR24 (Texas)
Posts: 399

Posted:

Excellent information from everybody - thanks sooo much!

oljim, in texas

Lovin' life with my honey!
and, President of HOA in Texas

PitA
Posts: 1,416

Posted:

If two story - four unit buildings:

NOT high-rise occupancy, monitoring probably not required.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

Oh, Chris, I thought Jim was asking about smoke alarms in individual condo units, not some sort of overall FLSS (fire, life, safety systems) that are in high rises. In our high rise we have vendors under contract who check our common area smoke detection systems, ceiling sprinklers, etc., etc. So this isn't like Jim's situation.

🎯 You've read this entire discussion

Join the conversation with 50,000 HOA & Condo Leaders:

✓ Ask follow-up questions
✓ Share your experience
✓ Get expert advice
✓ Access 350,000 discussions

Create Free Account →

⚡ Takes 30 seconds

Already a member? Log in here