Condo committees 101: Everything you need to know

Condominium board members are an important part of the property management team, and play a vital role in the success of the community. If you serve as a condominium corporation board member, it is inevitable that you will run into conflicts with other board members at some point. Understanding how to avoid damaging conflict, work effectively with other board members and gain consensus on solutions to your community's issues will benefit everyone in your community.

At one time or another, every condominium corporation has to spend money on replacing equipment or making major repairs. Whether that means replacing a roof, installing a new ventilation system or any other big-ticket project, they are a necessity. But how should your condo corporation pay for them?

If your community is managed by a property management company, you probably have an after-hours number you can call for urgent issues. But what if you simply want to take care of day-to-day condo corporation business? “People don’t operate in normal business hours anymore,” says Rolando Hernandez, national customer care director at FirstService Residential. “Residents and board members need to be able to take care of condo business how and when it’s convenient for them.”

If you're like many board members, one of your most challenging jobs is running your condominium corporation board meetings. Keeping everyone on task and addressing board member disagreements is not always easy. So what can you do to manage your meetings more effectively?

When your community considers a new manager, having the right experts on your management team can make for a smooth transition.

Do the unit owners in your community understand how the condo maintenance and repair responsibilities are divided between themselves and the corporation? Creating a responsibility matrix will ensure everyone from residents to board members understand who is responsible for what.

No two condominium boards across Toronto or, for that matter, across Ontario are alike. They have varying requirements, goals, and concerns, and they are made up of people with different needs as well. So when your condo board decides to create a committee, you shouldn't expect it to be just like every other committee either.

To maintain your building, your Board members must employ and manage several different vendors. These vendors help with the upkeep of your condo building and preserving the building’s property value as a whole. Read tips on how to best manage your vendors.

As we adjust to a drop in temperature and the changing colors of fall outside, we must remember to prepare our building and/or community as well. The arrival of fall means winter is right around the corner and it is time to begin thinking about upcoming landscaping, décor and lighting changes.

Five seconds. Science tells us that’s how long it takes to form an initial judgement about a person or thing. First impressions are even faster – they happen in an instant. Given this limited time to make a positive impact, the need for a great front desk team is clearer than ever.