Resident community portals are nothing new. Many of the larger apartment communities have used them for some time. What is new is the social edge they are developing as a outgrowth of Web 2.0.
Social media sites organized around apartment buildings are sprouting up. See the New York Times article “Meet Your Neighbors, But Just Not in Person.” http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/22/technology/22ecom.html?_r=4&ref=business&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
www.LifeAt.com is betting that residents and their landlords are interested in communicating with one another.
However, one could just as easily organize the residents in a free Google site, or through a group at LinkedIN. So, what are the benefits of a specialized site such as what www.LifeAt.com offers? Does anyone have experience using this sort of site?
Many if not most landlords in areas with Rent Control in California will see these sites as too risky. On the other hand, if you can get control of a problem BEFORE it is out of control, perhaps the risk is worth it.
What do YOU think?