Multi-unit housing in Tirana, Albania

The challenge of this research is to provide a clear outlook of a growing problem that is a major threat to the longevity and quality of the Albanian housing stock. This study is focused on the management of multi-unit buildings in Tirana, Albania. More specifically, this study is focused on the way that the various financial, technical, social, legal and institutional factors affect the current management practice of the multi-unit housing stock, as applied to its equally divided composition of privatized and newer buildings. The researched aimed at both an extensive overview of the issues as well as a comparative outlook between the two building types. A single embedded case study was conducted to assess the impacts of the factors on a purposive sample of multi-unit residential buildings in the city of Tirana. Similarly to other post-communist countries, a significant component to the Albanian multifamily housing stock is composed of older, poor quality constructions featuring a marked lack of maintenance and dilapidation. The rapid privatization process after the regime change placed the management responsibilities at the hands of newly private owners. Since then, a series of legal and policy documentation has been compiled and approved to inform the way that owners could manage their joint-ownership spaces, with the latest passed in 2009. Despite the breadth of legislation available to them, the law has remained 'on paper' and has found little implementation from the public during these 4 years. Following the introduction of the free market after totalitarian collapse, the city of Tirana featured a large increase in construction activity. Owning to massive internal migration, the newly built multi-unit housing stock would rapidly increase to the point of surpassing the older stock in 2011. However, this newer stock also features the same lack of endorsement of the law on management. Newly constructed buildings do not plan for the future management of the building, leaving the uninformed buyers poorly equipped to instate a formal management system for their buildings. Additionally, population movements have altered the social composition of the existing buildings, introducing more renters and empty apartments that further complicate the building management issues. The research reveals that the factors influencing building management differ significantly when comparing privatized and the newer buildings. The differences extend beyond just physical characteristics but include factors such as their maintenance requirements, their social make up and dynamics, as well as financial considerations. Yet, the legal framework provides a 'one glove fits all' solution to the management issue in the country. Municipal institutions seeking to implement the law do not anticipate for these differences. The public was little aware of the law and the obligations of joint-ownership areas, whereas impractical procedures of registration were a barrier to the endorsement of legal management bodies. Strikingly, it was observed that financial consideration did not have a predominant effect in the choice of management, and that management quality does not directly affect the property's value. Awareness for the necessity of management, as well as a desire for transparency, accountability. and fairness of costs were considered as the main contributors towards better building management. Yet, the study found that the majority of administrators are currently acting informally. and that they possess no training regarding their duties. Targeting these issues should be the primary focus of the relevant policy makers. Awareness campaigns, viable means of training and information, as well as facilitating or subsidizing the registration process are ways that may positively impact the management practices in the city of Tirana. Furthermore, different tactics must be employed to tackle the vastly different contexts of privatized and newer buildings, to ensure that formal, quality management can be endorsed by all.