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  • An Ounce of Prevention

    Like changing the oil in your car, regular maintenance on a building helps keeps everything working properly and safely. For stratas, some tasks are not optional, they are mandatory.
  • Building Security Tips for the Holiday Season

    Security risks increase exponentially during the holiday seasons for high-rise buildings. Many residents travel for the holidays, move to warmer weather during the winter months, or have an influx of guests and family members in and out. These factors make it easy for intruders to make it into the building, especially if there are no procedures in place to track the many people and deliveries in and out of the building.
  • Calm in a Crisis - Emergency Preparedness Plan

    A strata management company never wants to find itself in the midst of an emergency, but it can happen anytime and anywhere. Whether you face an outbreak of illness, earthquake, or a flood, the impact of any devastating event can be minimized if your council has prepared for it. No doubt, your council meetings are already chock full of agenda items, but it’s important to make emergency preparedness planning a priority.
  • The Importance of Homeowners Insurance

    Up to 60 percent of strata home owners in the Greater Vancouver Regional District lack insurance. A good policy will protect your biggest asset and help you keep your head above water.
  • Customer Care: 7 Ways Your Management Company Should “Answer the Call"

    If your community is managed by a strata 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 strata business? “People don’t operate in normal business hours anymore,” says Rolando Hernandez, national customer care director at FirstService Residential. “Residents and council members need to be able to take care of strata business how and when it’s convenient for them.”
  • Effective Communication During Social Distancing

    We will all need a measure of patience as we navigate changes related to the pandemic. Communications may move at a pace that’s different than we’re used to. As always, the best policy is to assume positive intentions from others, listen carefully and respond professionally.
  • Four ways to set decoration policies for your strata 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.
  • Getting Your Strata’s Spring Cleaning Started

    As strata managers begin their inspection, they note the necessary repairs for winter damage as they make their rounds through the community.
  • How to Communicate: What Your Strata Council Should Know and Do

    You want your strata to be successful. All council members do. You know that means watching the finances carefully and maintaining the property. But do you think about effective strata council communication as an ingredient in your recipe for success? It is!
  • How to Protect Your Strata From Cyberattacks

    If you think hackers have little interest in your strata corporation’s data, think again. As a small business, your strata may actually be at greater risk of a cyberattack than ever before.
  • Keeping Your Budget Healthy in the Age of COVID-19

    2020 events are continuing to affect corporation budgets. Increased expenses, late corporation dues and other issues are impacting a lot of communities. Has it affected your budget?
  • 11 Qualities that Make a Great Strata Management Company

    While every strata corporation has its own unique needs, and every strata management company has a unique way of serving them, there are a handful of qualities that any great company should have. And if they don’t, steer clear.
  • Smart Financial Planning

    Safeguarding a strata corporation’s operating and reserve funds is one of the main fiduciary duties of all board members, not just the treasurer. This means strata councils must protect the financial interests of the strata corporation and its members.
  • Stop! Before Raising Assessment Fees, Check Out these Cost Containment Strategies

    Your strata council is working on next year’s budget. You know how important the budget is, what it means to the future of your strata. You know that your fiduciary responsibility is the most important commitment you make to your fellow homeowners. And you’ve planned , and figured, and followed all the budgeting steps , but you’re still staring at the one thing NO strata council wants to do: an increase in strata fees. Before finalizing that increase, take a long, hard look at cost containment strategies that can save your strata money and help optimize your operating budget.
  • Things to Consider When Creating Your Strata’s Budget

    As a homeowner, you want to live in a place that accentuates your style – from a beautiful sense of arrival or exquisitely decorated building lobby, complete with freshly pruned trees and lush landscaping – but unless your strata council has strategically planned out your strata’s budget, you can forget all of that.
  • The Essential Five People On Your Strata Council

    It takes a lot to build a great community. You need committed residents, a dedicated strata council, and a clear understanding of everybody's roles and responsibilities.
  • Tips For Generating Community Engagement In Your Strata

    What makes a community a great place to live? A lot goes into it, but it’s no secret that often depends on community engagement.
  • Tis the Season…Will Your Holiday Packages Arrive Safely and on Time?

    It’s that wonderful time of year! Many of us are shopping online to get that perfect gift for our loved ones. And, for those doing last-minute shopping, we don’t want to have to worry that something will go wrong with our deliveries.
  • 5 Ways to Establish Strata Policies That Make Sense

    Strata corporations need to have policies in place to function well. However, if you create new rules without adequately considering all their potential effects, or if you don't enforce them properly, things can go awry. Follow these tips when creating strata policies to avoid creating problems within the community.
  • What Goes Into Strata Fees?

    Condo living has its perks: amazing urban locations close to public transportation, being part of a community without having to do yard work or home maintenance, enjoying amenities like fitness centres, party lounges and pools at your doorstep. Just don’t forget that those perks come at a price – a monthly strata fee. What are strata fees and how are they determined?
  • What Should you Expect from a Strata Manager

    Not all strata managers have what they need to give you great service. Learn what it takes to be a great strata manager.
  • What Your Strata 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-C45 goes into effect on October 17 th , Canadians will be able to purchase, consume and grow cannabis as well as make cannabis-containing products at home, such as food and drinks.
  • Beware of These Five Budget Busters

    As a board member, one of your principal responsibilities is stewardship of the association’s finances. A lot of that boils down to one thing: the annual budget. Unfortunately, for many board members, “annual budget” is just another term for “big headache.” It doesn’t have to be that way. By staying aware of common budgeting pitfalls, you can make the creation of your annual budget less of a hassle – and ensure an entire year of minimal money woes while you’re at it.
Showing 25 - 48 of 728