Monthly fees

One of the cons of condominium living is the monthly fee that you need to pay to the homeowners’ association for the general upkeep and maintenance of the building, and in some cases, for the ongoing mortgage or debt incurred when the building was constructed.  Before buying a condo, make sure you find out exactly what the monthly fee covers, and if there are any quarterly, semi-annual, or annual payments to be made. Do the fees include the following?

• utilities
• cable TV
• internet
• heating
• security
• cleaning of the parking areas and other common areas
• maintenance of the building itself (or are owners expected to contribute to emergency funds if maintenance is urgently needed?)