Realist Property Rights, From the Rec Room to Mars

My apartment building is tumbling towards a legitimacy crisis. Recriminations are flying, coalitions forming, battle lines being drawn. The question is: who rules the rec room?

I live in a new building with extensive common areas. Pool tables, TVs, conference rooms, an outdoor theater, etc. A few months after everyone moved in, our manager sent us an email: from now on, we can reserve these areas for parties. Great! Also, you have to pay.

This caused some grumbling. It’s a common area! Didn’t we already pay for this?