The community in summer: the pool, absences and a half-empty building

In August the building changes: half the flats empty, the pool full and the chair at the beach. You prepare for it in June.

Security with the building empty

• Reminder to residents: turn off the stopcock when you leave (the leak in a flat empty for three weeks is the classic summer catastrophe).
• Postboxes: arranging with a neighbour to collect an absent owner's post gives less away than an overflowing box.
• Entrance and garage doors: summer is high season for unwanted access — check the automatic closers.

The "chair away" plan

Before you leave: state who handles emergencies (the vice-chair or another neighbour), with access to the contacts for the plumber, electrician, insurer and locksmith. And make sure residents know who to turn to. Absence without a plan means a WhatsApp group on fire and a wildly expensive emergency bodge job.

Seasonal maintenance

The pool with its daily routine covered even while the usual person is on holiday; watering adjusted (and watched: one broken sprinkler in August is hundreds of euros of water); pests — the heat multiplies cockroaches: preventive treatment in June beats an emergency in August.

The administrative trick

Issue the July and August dues before everyone scatters, and leave the payments to suppliers scheduled. September thanks itself.