Condo Living

July 7, 2022 Published by Eastern Ontario Chapter

Getting Familiar with Your Condo Manager’s Roles & Responsibilities

From the Volume 32 issue of the CCI Eastern Ontario Condo Contact Magazine

Condo living can be quite different than owning a single-family home or renting an apartment. Some of the key differences are that you are now part of a condominium community with a shared interest, and you will often have a Condo Manager overseeing certain aspects of your home.

Why would you need a Condo Manager to oversee certain aspects of your home, you may ask? To help understand this better, let’s dive into what a condo manager does and some of their key roles and responsibilities in the management of your condo community.

Whether you are new or seasoned to condo living, below is a list of questions that may help to better understand your Condo Manager’s roles and responsibilities, as well as key differences from owning or renting a home.

What does a Condo Manager do?

A Condo Manager is responsible for the day-today management of the property and acts in the best interests of the condo corporation. The roles and responsibilities of the condo manager will vary depending on the type of condominium corporation; however, your manager is typically responsible for items such as:

• Ensuring the condo fees are collected.
• Preparing a draft annual budget for your corporation which would be approved by your Board of Directors and distributed to owners.
• Approving invoices incurred by the corporation and ensuring payment is issued.
• Reviewing the financial position of the corporation.
• Organizing repairs and maintenance of the common elements.
• Arranging contractors such as, landscaping, snow removal, cleaning, mechanical maintenance, etc.
• Issuing notices to the ownership, as required.
• Providing the Board of Directors with advice and information to allow them to make informed decisions for the corporation.

Key Differences: Unlike a residential property manager in a rental apartment building, the Condo Manager is generally not responsible for arranging repairs and maintenance inside the units. As an example, if a breaker in your electrical panel has failed or a fuse needs to be changed, this is generally not part of the common areas of the property and would therefore be the responsibility of the Owner of the unit to complete the required repairs.

How Does Your Condo Manager Makes Certain Decisions?

Your Condo Manager is licensed by the Condominium Authority of Ontario. With strict licensing and regulatory requirements in place, your Condo Manager is both highly trained and knowledgeable to work within the Act and supporting regulations of the Condominium Act, 1998 and the Corporation’s governing documents. In addition, your manager works alongside your Board of Directors, who make the informed decisions regarding your corporation.

Key Differences: An owner of a singlefamily home makes decisions for their property. A condominium corporation has an elected Board of Directors to make decisions on behalf of the corporation’s owners. The Condo Manager is responsible to take direction from the Board of Directors.

How does my Condo Manager determine what is and isn’t allowed?

Every Corporation has their own set of governing documents which includes the Declaration, Bylaws, Rules & Regulations, and any policies that may be in place for your corporation. Getting familiar with your governing documents will help you understand important aspects of your condo community, such as, what rules are in place for your corporation; the boundaries of your unit; and who is responsible for certain repairs and maintenance items within your unit, etc. Your Condo Manager has a duty to ensure that these governing documents are being followed by all owners and residents. Your Condo Manager reviews any concerns or requests with your Board of Directors. If you have questions regarding something within the governing documents, you can always reach out to your manager or Board of Directors for additional clarification.

Key Differences: Unlike a rental building or a single-family home, a condominium corporation has additional rules and regulations that must be followed. It is highly recommended to residents in a condominium community to obtain copies and read through these documents. Whether purchasing or renting a unit in the corporation, a resident and/or guest is responsible to follow these rules and regulations.

Getting familiar with your Condo Manager’s roles and responsibilities means you can sit back and enjoy your condo, knowing your home and your investment are in great hands!

iCondo Property
Management and PMA
Realty Consulting Team