FAQ

Our most commonly asked questions.

• What is Cobu? And what does it do?

  Cobu is a multifamily community building platform. For residents, our product combats loneliness and isolation by providing a way to make connections with neighbors through virtual chats, interest groups, in-person gatherings, and more. For apartment owners and operators, we solve for resident retention, online reputation, data insights, and time savings for on-site teams.

• Who should use Cobu?

  Cobu is the solution for apartment buildings who want to grow a sense of community among residents. If you’re a property owner of a Class A building with 200+ units and are looking for a community building solution, Cobu is for you. If you’re a resident hoping to make connections with your neighbors, Cobu is for you, too!

• Why is it called "Cobu"?

  “Cobu” is a combination of the words “community building”, which is what we do best. The science of community building is at the heart of everything we do.

• What are the app's features?

  Visit our Product page to get an in-depth look at all the features that Cobu has to offer!

• How is Cobu different from other Property Management tools and apps?

  Property management software allows residents certain capabilities like paying rent, submitting maintenance requests, or contacting property managers. However, these interactions are transactional and don’t focus on building community or resident engagement.

   

  Cobu is focused on meaningful interactions that build genuine resident-to-resident connections. With our app, residents are able to:

  • Gain a sense of membership within the community

  • Share connections with neighbors via mutual interests and in-person gatherings

  • Fulfill needs as simple as neighbors responding to each other’s questions, help with running an errand, or finding items in marketplace

  • Influence their community by actively participating in discussion boards, creating interest groups, keeping a pulse on the community, and more

• Are my residents going to experience app fatigue?

  Apps, portals, programs, oh my! We get it. There are a lot of technology products out there, and you don’t want to ask your residents to add another program to their plate. But Cobu is the multifamily industry’s only app specifically designed to build community.

  Want the facts? Our average app adoption rate is 60%. Of those residents, 53% are engaged, meaning they’re actively using the app and connecting with their neighbors. No matter how many programs a building already has, residents have been excited to download and engage with neighbors on Cobu.

• What are interest groups? Are these different from Facebook Groups?

  While Facebook groups are a great way to connect with others via the social media platform, Cobu groups are exclusive to your apartment community on the Cobu app.

   

  Cobu automatically enrolls all residents who use the app in a building-wide group for larger group discussions. Cobu also features optional interest groups such as a pet group, running group, foodie group, and more! These groups are created by residents so they can connect with neighbors who share similar hobbies and interests, contributing to a stronger community.

  
  One final, key difference is that Facebook isn’t monitored like Cobu. Cobu users agree to a Community Pledge, and our platform is designed with multiple layers of moderation to ensure a positive, safe environment.

• Is there an app for the Property Management team?

  Property management teams get access to the Cobu app and a dedicated PM dashboard. The dashboard gives on-site teams the ability to:

  • Market and manage events

  • Promote exclusive resident discounts and perks

  • View all resident interactions via the Chat, Groups & Gatherings tabs

  • Post notices and respond directly to resident inquiries

• What happens if residents post negative comments?

  We take our Cobu Community Pledge seriously. 100% of in-app comments are scanned by a team of human virtual community managers and an AI-driven toxicity filter. Both layers are designed to identify and respond to negative comments in a way that keeps your community safe and respectful.

• Does Cobu integrate with ActiveBuilding, Entrara, Modern Message, and other property management software?

  We can provide unique links to open the Cobu app from any property management app or portal. Conversely, we can also add links from the Cobu app to any property management app or portal. Mutual links often increase adoption and engagement. Cobu also supports data integration with Entrata.

• Is the Virtual Community Manager a bot?

  No! Our virtual community managers are a team of real people who help your on-site teams moderate your Cobu community, and can support property managers in developing unique solutions to boost resident engagement both on the Cobu app and IRL.

• If I sign up now, do I have to pay now?

  Customers are able to execute contracts and specify go-live date, so you only pay for Cobu when you start using it.