ABSTRACT
The rapid growth in housing development especially in the area of residential property market experiences decline in efficient management competence. The decline is attributed to the application of the outmoded conventional manual management strategy, which could not evaluate the rapid growth trend. This conventional technique employs the use of file cabinet, file folders of leases, drawings, file cards and manufacturers catalogs. Many organizations in the field of Estate Management at present adopt these basic tools of residential management method that consist of manila folders bulging with equipment lists, personnel allocation, space projection, lease expiration dates, related forms, documents and drawing of many kinds. This system is constrained in human speed and accuracy. Information management, appraisal and data processing become tedious and time consuming. This study is intended to conceptualize a technique such that would facilitate an effective database administration for Residential property management. This technique is automation in Residential property management that assesses sales storage, retrieval and automatic analysis for Enugu State Housing Development Corporation. The hypothesis therefore states that the use of automation techniques in Residential property management would significantly improve the database analysis in management of Residential property. The research adopted the survey method for collecting data. The staff and residents of Enugu State Housing Development Corporation formed the population study. A sample of 395 respondents within Enugu was drawn from the population parameters while the main selection of the sample adopted the stratified random and purposive sampling techniques. A total number of 345 completed questionnaires representing 87.3% of the distribution were recovered and used for statistical analysis. The data collected was subjected to nonparametric test using chi-square techniques. A study on the use of automation techniques on indicators such as constant house price indexing, growth trends, sales volume analysis revealed speed and accuracy in data processing. The traditional manual method is constrained in human speed and accuracy. The value from the chi-square calculation x2cal = 18.4. At 5% or 0.05 level of significance and 4 degree of freedom, the table value x2tab = 9.5. The hypothesis that the use of automation techniques in residential property management would significantly improve the database analysis in management of residential property is accepted. This implies that the implementation of automation techniques in residential database administration will enhance strategic management of residential property. The initiation of this new innovation (Automation) will help so much in reducing much space consumption resulting from multiple filing racks and shelves and as well improve the staff or workers moral, reduce fatigue and expedite work efficiency. The study therefore, recommended that automation techniques in management of Residential property should be initiated by educating the staff and residents of ESHDC on computer application through seminar presentation and workshop programmes.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Public residential property management is the operation, control, and oversight of real estate as used in its most broad terms. Management indicates a need to be cared for, monitored and accountability given for its useful life and condition. This is much akin to the role of management in any business (Wikipedia, 2015).
Public residential property management is also the management of personal property, equipment, tooling and physical capital assets that are acquired and used to build, repair and maintain the public residential property. Property management involves the processes, systems and manpower required to manage the life cycle of all public residential property as defined above including acquisition, control, accountability, responsibility, maintenance, utilization and disposition (Njoku, 2006). According to Ebie (2012), duties involved in public residential property management generally will include a minimum of these basic primary tasks
– The full and proper screening or testing of an tenants/applicant’s credit, criminal history, rental history and ability to pay.
– Lease contracting or accepting rent using legal documents approved for the area in which the property is located.
– Mitigation and remediation regarding any maintenance issues, generally within a budget, with prior or conveyed consent via a Limited Power of Attorney legally agreed to by the property owner.
There are many facets to this public residential property management, including managing the accounts and finances of the real estate/residential properties, and participating in or initiating litigation with tenants, contractors and insurance agencies. Litigation is at times considered a separate function, set aside for trained attorneys. Although a person will be responsible for this in his/her job description, there may be an attorney working under a property manager. Special attention is given to landlord/tenant law and most commonly evictions, non-payment, harassment, reduction of pre-arranged services, and public nuisance are legal subjects that gain the most amount of attention from public residential property managers. Therefore, it is a necessity that a public residential property manager be current with applicable municipal, county, state and Federal Fair Housing laws and practices. In advanced countries, public residential property management, like facility management, is increasingly facilitated by computer-aided facility management (CAFM).
However, managers of public residential properties in Nigeria are faced with various kinds of challenges ranging from uncooperative attitude from workers, poor maintenance and environmental condition, security and other basic infrastructures. Some managers in Nigeria has been able to cope with some of this challenges but the researcher will provide an overview about the challenges and how public residential properties can be managed effectively.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Enugu State Housing Development Corporation lacks adequate Residential property management tool that would meet the clients demand to maintain, preserve and update the status in value of their residential accommodations to contemporary standard. In addition, the data processing technique which is predominantly manual in operation makes the management technique in use very sluggish. This is characterized by the use of file folders of leases, drawings, and file cards and manufacturers catalogs. It exhibits limitations in efficient management competence. Many organizations in the field of Estate Management at present adopt this basic tool for residential management. It is comprised of manila folders stuffed with equipment lists, personnel allocation, space projection, lease expiration dates, related forms, documents and drawing of many kinds. This system is constrained in human speed and accuracy. Information management, property appraisal and data processing become tedious and time consuming. Enugu State Housing Development Corporation is selected as a public housing management outfit to assess this problem. This work is intended to discover the causes of the existing gap and how to recover the divide generated from these problems.
1.3 AIM OF THE STUDY
The aim of the study is to conceptualize an automated management technique that will expedite management of Residential properties to meet tenants demand.
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
· To examine how policies and decisions will positively influence the management of Residential properties.
· To determine a property management paradigm for efficient supervision of Residential properties.
· To examine how automated management technique will facilitate an efficient maintenance of Residential property.
· To ascertain how the application of automated management technique in residential properties will enhance speed and accuracy in data processing.
· To highlight the basic elements required for automating the management of Residential properties.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
· Can policies and decisions have positive influence on the management of Residential properties?
· Can there be any property management paradigm for efficient supervision of Residential properties?
· Can an automated management technique facilitate an efficient maintenance of Residential property?
· Can the application of automated technique in managing residential properties enhance speed and accuracy in data processing?
· What basic elements are required for automating the management of Residential properties?
1.6 HYPOTHESIS
The hypothesis of this research states:
HO: The use of automation techniques in Residential Property Management would not significantly improve the database analysis in Management of Residential Property.
H1: The use of automation techniques in Residential Property Management would significantly improve the database analysis in Management of Residential Property.
1.7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Policies and decisions will positively guide and influence the management of Residential properties.
An established practicable property management paradigm will steer an efficient management of Residential properties.
An automated management technique will facilitate a well-organized management of Residential property.
The use of automation will enhance speed and accuracy in data processing. The rapid growth trend in residential housing development can easily be evaluated through the application of automation techniques.
Transition from manual management method to automated technique will speed up response to tenants demand promptly.
An understanding of the basic elements required for automating the management of residential properties will help to equip the personnel with adequate operational skills and furnish the firm with the right tools.
This work will provide a referendum for future academic research in the subject of automation as a tool for effective management of Residential Property.
1.8 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study covers the Residential housing management activities of Enugu State Housing Development Corporation. Real Estate, residential housing at Uwani will be examined to ascertain how the current management technique addresses the work pressure of the real estate division in ESHDC; identify the weaknesses of traditional manual management method; and initiate a contemporary management method which is an automated management technique.
The research will also examine how the present management technique attends to the demands of the tenants. The management technique will assess the growing demand for maintenance on residential properties and database administration. This technique will be examined and compared with the traditional manual method. The tools that are prerequisite to automation such as information procurement, human resources skill and computerization of real property data will be given attention. The use of hardware, software and online services as components that make up the automated technology and their applications will be examined.
Issues relating to Installation of hardware, software and program designs for real estate management will not be considered in this work. The work will not cover the general management of Enugu State Housing Development Corporation. It will be restricted to the income residential properties especially at real estate, Uwani.
1.9 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
There was scarcity of information on management policies and operation framework of Enugu State Housing Development Corporation. The economy of their time schedule could not offer sufficient opportunity to appraise the required information.