Digital housing administration frees up time for community activities in associations

Housing administration in owner and cooperative associations is often burdened by heavy processes and unnecessary bureaucracy, especially in large cities, which ends up taking time away from what truly creates value for residents. When boards get stuck in invoices, emails, and documents, it affects their capacity for community tasks and social events that strengthen neighborhood bonds.

A new report from Realdania shows that the environment around our homes has a significant impact on our quality of life. Seventy-two percent of Danes are satisfied or very satisfied with their neighborhood, and homeowners participate in more activities with neighbors than renters.

At the same time, the report shows that satisfaction with neighbors is lower in large cities. For example, Copenhagen ranks 98th and last among municipalities in terms of neighbor satisfaction, while Aarhus is ranked 92nd and Aalborg 87th. This may be related to the size of housing associations and residential complexes, as well as the fact that people live closer together and are exposed to more bureaucracy within associations.

This is where new digital solutions play an important role. They make it easier for residents to collaborate, find answers, and solve small issues before they grow. ØENS Ejendomsadministration is a housing administration company motivated by the desire to make daily operations in associations as smooth as possible. Volunteer board members dedicate time and effort to creating a well-functioning community for residents. But what about the administrative work itself?

Digital tools simplify administration

Nedim Husic, Head of Administration and Partner at ØENS Ejendomsadministration, points out that the key is to make communication and workflows much simpler and more transparent for everyone involved:

-We as administrators can define approval flows ourselves, and invoices can be handled without long email chains, while the document archive gathers all files in one place so residents, board members, and real estate agents can quickly find what they are looking for, says Nedim Husic, who knows the challenges from both sides, as he experiences them both as an administrator and a board member.

We increasingly see a need for more streamlined processes that support both boards and residents in daily work. This aligns closely with Realdania’s conclusions that strong housing and neighborhood frameworks enhance engagement and well-being. At the same time, a clear effect of digital solutions is seen, creating better oversight and reducing the time spent on manual and confusing workflows.

-It is about giving boards and residents easy access to documents, finances, invoices, and daily communication. This way, delays, misunderstandings, and duplicated work are avoided, explains Martin Holmgaard, SVP at EG.

Documented communication and simpler workflows 

In many associations, communication occurs via social media, where information quickly gets lost. Emails can also disappear in crowded inboxes, and important decisions end up in long threads and folders that no one can find.

This creates frustration and uncertainty for residents, board members, and administrators because no one can be completely sure that everyone has seen the same information. Many associations have therefore experienced a growing need for more structure and transparency in communication.

Since 2012, ØENS Ejendomsadministration has used the administration platform, now part of EG ProBo, for precisely this purpose. The solution provides housing associations with an overview and clear communication channels, meaning operations, dialogue, and documents are gathered in one place instead of scattered across multiple platforms.

Nedim Husic also emphasizes the value for daily financial follow-up:

-The board also has the ability to monitor finances day by day, so they are not dependent on the administrator for insight into bookkeeping.

Digital solutions provide self-service for residents 

To contribute to fewer frustrations, ØENS Ejendomsadministration seeks to ease daily operations with digital tools. According to Nedim Husic, ProBo is also a tool that helps residents help themselves, which is evident in daily practice:

-Many inquiries are about simple questions like house rules, pet regulations, or meeting times, and here the ProBo AI assistant is expected to make a big difference. It is a tool under development and has been followed with great interest at ØENS Ejendomsadministration A/S. Residents should be able to get qualified answers immediately, even outside office hours. This reduces frustration and saves both the board and administration from many repeated inquiries, concludes Nedim Husic.

The result is smoother operations, where the board has more time and capacity, and residents experience better service, faster responses, and greater transparency. For ØENS Ejendomsadministration, it ultimately means making it easier to live well together and ensuring that energy is spent on community rather than paperwork.