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Holiday Decorations Dos and Don’ts: HOA Rules For Holiday Decorations
How to establish decorating policies without being a grinch. Keep spirits bright this season for the whole community! -
Municipal Duties Move to ‘Burbs as HOAs Must Step In
John Friedrichsen, Senior Vice President & CFO of FirstService Residential parent company FirstService Corporation, is quoted in USA Today about how HOAs benefit from the value-added services provided by leading professional management companies. -
Planning an Award-Winning National Night Out Event
National Night Out is an annual event that promotes partnerships between communities, residents and local law enforcement. Celebrations can range from individual block parties to a large community festival. Either way, it’s a great opportunity to create connections between neighbors and focus on working together to make your community a safer, better place to live. This national celebration has become an annual tradition in many communities far and wide and we want to help you put together the best National Night Out event your association has seen yet. -
HOA Lighting Rules: How Your HOA Can Prevent a Holiday Light Trespass Issue
Holiday lights can brighten the community, but they also have a down side. Learn tips to minimize issues in your HOA with sensible policies. -
Set Holiday Décor Standards Without Being a Scrooge
It's easy to get enthusiastic about holiday decorating. How do you keep your residents from going overboard without being a scrooge? Read on for simple tips to keep holidays in your community merry! -
5 Ways to Create Sensible Condo Policies
Every condominium corporation needs rules and policies. But if your condo board doesn’t carefully think them through or doesn’t implement them properly, they can backfire. Rules that go too far or enforcement that is inconsistent or lax can lead to animosity among residents and can chip away at your condo’s sense of community. How can your board implement rules and policies that won’t cause these types of problems? -
Condominium Management Basics – 10 Helpful Hints
As a board member of a condominium corporation you have an important role that should not be taken lightly. Remember, in addition to the responsibility you have to the members of your community from a business point of view, these people are also your neighbours and friends. -
Creating a Condo Flooring Policy to Address Noise Issues
When people live in close quarters, it is inevitable that they will hear sounds from neighbouring condos from time to time. Noise between units can be minimized in many ways. One of the most effective tools for a condominium board to implement is a flooring policy that guides owners when they want to replace their floor coverings. Choosing the right products makes a big difference when it comes to the transfer of noise between condominium units. -
Cyber Security Part Two: Board Member Tips for Keeping Your Condo Association Safe
In part one of this two-part series, we discussed the importance of cyber security to your condo association and the steps that residents can take to protect themselves and their association. In this article, we look at your board’s responsibility in preventing cyber attacks. -
Drowning in Paperwork? Six Guidelines for Getting it Organized
We all know that “organizing paperwork” is not at the top of most people’s list of things-to-do. Most likely we also know that it suddenly achieves high importance when we have to ask ourselves “now where did I see/put that?” When speaking of the documents of a condominium corporation, it is imperative that these be accessible and up-to-date when they are needed. These six guidelines will help you get it organized. -
Eleven Tips to Improve the Security of your Home
Don’t make it easy for criminals to get into your home. These 11 common sense tips will help homeowners improve the security of their property and make it safer for their families. -
Four ways to set decoration policies for your condominium corporation without being a grinch
Lights, candles and wreaths, oh my! The most decorated season of the year is arriving, with celebrations from many cultures and faiths coinciding in the next few months. For condo communities, the desire to deck the halls can clash with the rules of the corporation. Follow these tips to maintain a festive community without décor running amok. -
How to Communicate so Condo Residents Listen
Are residents in your condominium corporation always aware of upcoming events, construction projects and board meetings? Do they understand their responsibilities and the policies they need to comply with? -
Keeping Your Condo Board Committees on Track
Community committees allow residents to become involved in the activities of their condominium. They can also help reduce the work load for the volunteer board. In order to function properly though, committees do need structure and board guidance. These eight tips will help to ensure your committees make positive contributions to the community and are aligned with board goals. -
Nine Things to Know About Conflicts of Interest
The term “conflict of interest” is often used when discussing board member activities, but it is one that is not always understood. Having a clear definition of what is and what is not a conflict of interest is critical to a board as it carries out its duties on behalf of the rest of the owners. -
Renting Your Condominium
When renting your condominium, both owner and tenant have responsibilities under the Condominium Property Act of Alberta (CPA). These are in addition to rights and responsibilities for landlords and tenants covered in the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA). -
7 Financial Must-Do’s for Condo Corporation Success
There are so many things to enjoy about living in a condominium community. Among them are the sense of community, the great amenities and the high standards. However, if your condo corporation’s finances aren’t stable, none of it is possible. -
Seven Tips for Preparing an Effective Annual Budget
Proper condominium management depends upon the annual budget for both short- and long-term financial planning. It’s important to follow some guidelines to ensure the success of the community and protect the investment of the owners. -
Smart Financial Planning
Safeguarding a condominium corporation’s operating and reserve funds is one of the main fiduciary duties of all board members, not just the treasurer. This means that boards must protect the financial interests of the corporation and its members by making sure all funds are properly managed, invested and protected. -
The Condo Residents’ (Unofficial) Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
Life in a multi-family community is much more pleasant when residents and leaders each understand their individual rights and responsibilities. As in all aspects of life, respect for each other and adherence to the rules are key components to successful community relations. -
The Nuts and Bolts of Running a Great Condo Board Meeting
Love them or hate them, if you are a condominium board member you know that board meetings are essential to the successful operation of the community. But not all meetings are as effective as they should be. With some planning and guidelines in place this can be improved in short order. -
What Your Condo Corporation Needs to Know About the Legalization of Recreational Cannabis
The Canadian Senate passed Bill C-45 , known as the ‘Cannabis Act’, in June 2018 which legalized the recreational use of cannabis across Canada. The first G-7 country to do so! When Bill C-45 goes into effect on October 17 th , Canadians will be able to purchase, consume and grow up to four cannabis plants, as well as make cannabis-containing products at home. -
HOA Policy: 7 Steps for Easy, Effective (and Respectful) Rule Enforcement
Learn why effective HOA policy starts with a strong communication plan. -
Setting Pet Policies for Your Community: What You Need to Know
Learn how to approach pet policies to ensure that they are respectful, safe and compliant with the law.