[_DeadFred_]

I think this is part of the reason people don't want to live in big city condo buildings with co-ops or communal fees/maintenance. Even if you own your place you don't really own it and these other entity that care nothing about, your bill situation, etc you can impact your housing situation.

If I have a place in the burbs I only have to worry about the soulless local government.

[yellowapple]

The whole point of a housing co-op is that you do have an ownership stake in what would otherwise be a landlord and/or property manager - meaning that you, and your fellow residents, can compel that other entity to care entirely about your bill situation and so on.

The more common reason people often don't want to live in big city condo buildings is simply because they offer less space than single-family homes. There's a balance to be struck between space, affordability, and proximity to work/amenities, and while everyone prioritizes those three factors differently, a lot of people end up finding that balance to lie in the suburbs.

> If I have a place in the burbs I only have to worry about the soulless local government.

Unless/until there's an HOA, in which case you're in the exact same predicament, at best.