Workshop on the rights of condo residents in Sri Lanka

Demand for condos and apartments have been growing in recent times, particularly after the civil conflict ended in May 2009 and many Sri Lankan expatriates have either invested or considered investing in this kind of housing.

The larger conglomerates like John Keells Holdings (JKH) and CT Holdings are also into condominium developments building hundreds of new units to meet a pent-up demand for convenient housing.

There are at least a dozen new developments including Altair, Krrish (yet to make the final payment for the land lease) and new blocks at the upscale Havelock City, as developers race to meet demand before saturation sets in and prices mellow. There are many other high end apartment complexes coming up in Colombo and the suburbs.

However in many of the older condominiums residents have been facing issues of deeds and proper maintenance through a Management Council. The rights and obligations of residents are still issues at many apartment blocks and condos.

For this purpose the Colombo-based Centre for Advancement of Resource Mobilisation (CARM) has organised an interactive seminar on "Understanding the Basics of Condominium Living" for owners and prospective buyers of condominiums on June 21 at the Taj Samudra, Colombo. The organisers said this would be useful to the public to understand the limitations of ownership, rights, responsibilities and obligations. The keynote speaker at the event is retired Supreme Court judge Shiranee Thilakawardena while three presentations will be made by Ajithaa Edirimane, Attorney-at-Law, Author of "Understanding the concept of Condominiums"; Changa Samaraweera, Management Consultant, former President of CIMA Sri Lanka; and Tissa Perera, Attorney-at-Law, Condominium Management Authority (CMA).