Rules Before You Arrive

Expectation. The building shall communicate the rules, conditions, and requirements of every shared space to the resident through the digital interface — before the resident books or arrives, not at the point of entry.

Required.

• Every shared space has its rules published in the resident-facing interface: operating hours, capacity limits, guest policies, noise restrictions, cancellation terms, and any charges or deposits. No rule that affects the resident's use of the space is discoverable only at the physical location.
• When a space is bookable, all applicable rules are visible at the point of booking — before the resident confirms the reservation. The resident does not complete a booking and subsequently learn of a restriction that would have changed their decision.
• When rules change, residents are notified through the primary interface before the change takes effect. No rule is enforced before it is communicated.
• When a space is temporarily unavailable — planned maintenance, seasonal closure, private event — the unavailability period, reason, and expected reopening are communicated in advance. The building publishes planned closures no fewer than 48 hours before the closure begins, except in emergencies. DEL.CL
• When a space has usage charges or deposits, the amount and conditions are displayed at the point of booking or, for non-bookable spaces, in the space listing. No charge is applied that was not visible to the resident before they incurred it.
• When a shared space has safety requirements — emergency procedures, supervision requirements, age restrictions, or required safety equipment — those requirements are published in the space listing and visible at the point of access.

Recommended.

• The interface displays current occupancy or utilization level for high-demand spaces — so the resident can decide whether to visit before making the trip.
• When a booking requires preparation — equipment setup, AV configuration, catering arrangement — the requirements and lead times are communicated at the point of booking.
• Planned maintenance schedules for shared spaces are published in advance as a recurring calendar within the interface.

In practice.

A resident books the rooftop terrace for a Saturday evening gathering. At the point of booking, the interface displays: capacity 20 persons, guests permitted with 24-hour advance registration, noise restriction after 10 PM, $200 refundable deposit charged at confirmation. The resident reads the terms, registers four guests, and confirms. They arrive Saturday knowing every condition. Nothing is discovered at the rooftop gate.

The building schedules pool maintenance for the first Monday of each month. The recurring schedule is visible in the interface. A resident planning their week checks the pool listing on Sunday evening: closed Monday 8 AM–12 PM for maintenance. They plan accordingly.

A resident considers using the gym at 7 AM on a weekday. The interface shows current occupancy: 12 of 15 capacity. The resident decides to go at 8 AM instead. They did not walk to the gym, find it overcrowded, and walk back.

The pool listing includes safety requirements: children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult, no diving in the shallow end, emergency phone location noted, pool hours with lifeguard supervision identified. A resident planning a visit with their children sees these requirements before they go.

Failure modes.

Discovery at the door. A resident books the BBQ area for Saturday. They arrive with six guests. A sign at the gate reads: maximum 4 guests, 48-hour advance guest registration required, $100 deposit. The booking interface mentioned none of this. The resident's gathering is disrupted by rules they could not have known.

Invisible charges. A resident books the private dining room. After the event, a $150 cleaning fee appears on their account. The fee was not displayed at booking. The charge is buried in a PDF rulebook the resident was never directed to read.

Enforced before communicated. The building changes gym hours from 5 AM–11 PM to 6 AM–10 PM. No notification is sent. A resident arrives at 5:15 AM and finds the gym locked. The new hours are posted on the gym door. The interface still shows 5 AM.

Undisclosed safety requirement. The pool requires a lifeguard present for children under 12. Lifeguard hours are 10 AM to 6 PM. A resident brings their child to the pool at 7 PM. A sign at the entrance states children are not permitted without a lifeguard. The interface listed pool hours as 7 AM to 10 PM with no mention of the supervision requirement. The resident's evening was disrupted by a rule that existed only on physical signage.

Test.

1. View a shared space listing. Confirm: operating hours, capacity, guest policy, noise restrictions, any charges, and any safety requirements are visible.
2. Begin a booking for a space with rules. Confirm: all rules are displayed before the reservation is confirmed.
3. Change a rule for a shared space. Confirm: residents are notified through the primary interface before the rule takes effect.
4. Schedule a planned closure. Confirm: the closure is communicated at least 48 hours in advance with reason and expected reopening.
5. View a space with safety requirements. Confirm: safety information is published in the space listing.