Maintenance and Repairs

December 19, 2023 Published by British Columbia Chapter - By Meghan Siems

Creating a Building Maintenance Schedule

From CCI BC Strata Connection Magazine, Volume 01, Fall 2023

Building maintenance plans and calendars are essential tools to assist Strata Councils in identifying the needs of their buildings and ensuring those needs are being met in a timely and consistent manner. An effective calendar should outline routine cleaning, checks for preventive maintenance, and review health and safety equipment. It should present a snapshot of everything that will occur during the year on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual and annual basis, and may include projections for the next 3-5 years.

Schedule Appropriately

A calendar should assist in addressing the needs of the building in relation to the location and climate, as each building has different needs. Seasonal maintenance items should also be identified to assist with planning. For example, many strata corporations like to have their windows cleaned in the Spring so they can enjoy the clear glass during the summer, and then again in the fall, so they can protect the glass against the winter weather elements and minimize the amount of debris build-up anticipated for the Spring. Landscaping needs have different seasonal requirements as well, for example, it’s valuable to know when the best time of the year is to do tree and shrub trimming or planting to make sure that everything on the property has a chance to thrive. 

Properly Allocate Finances

Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, it is helpful for the Strata Manager to work with the Strata Council when creating the Annual Operating Budget to ensure enough funds are allocated towards the annual upcoming services for the year. For example, if a renewal Depreciation Report is due, the Building Maintenance Calendar will trigger the date, and the Strata Manager will know to procure quotes prior to the Annual General Meeting. This will give the Strata Council the chance to recommend the funds be approved during their Annual General Meeting. Knowing the timing of when components of the building are due for upkeep is certain to optimize the lifespan of a Strata Corporation’s capital assets and ensure efficient use of strata expenses. Having a basic knowledge of when to complete annual maintenance tasks is critical when planning out the year to make the most of the annual operating budget, and not reacting with the need to access emergency expenditures from Contingency Reserve Funds. Making sure to be proactive as opposed to reactive will save the strata funds on things like ant treatments, or emergency boiler replacements for example.

Anticipate Changes to Contracts

A building maintenance calendar should also include all building components or systems, the vendor, the terms of the contract, the contract renewal date, and the frequency of visits per year. It is prudent to also include contract renewal terms in the annual maintenance calendar. If a Strata Council is unhappy with a current vendor working on their building, for example, mechanical preventative maintenance or garbage renewal services, they can review when the contract is up for renewal. They may notice that the contract requires 60 days’ notice to terminate and that they may have automatic renewal terms that they want to avoid. By including all of the pertinent contract information, the Strata Manager and Strata Council ensure that they don’t miss their opportunity to terminate the contract and hire someone new.

Sample Building Maintenance Calendar

An effective Building Maintenance Calendar is an essential tool for budgeting, forecasting, and planning. Here is a sample building maintenance calendar to help you set up your own calendar for your Strata. As suggested, all components, systems, inspections and programs are listed along with the vendor, contract terms, renewal date, frequency, and notes. The month in which the service is due is marked with an “x” so both the Strata Manager and the Strata Council can keep on top of when maintenance items need to be scheduled.

Click to view our Sample Building Maintenance Calendar

Meghan Siems
Senior Strata Manager, Associate Broker, FirstService Residential

Meghan has been working in the Property Management industry for 8 years and services Strata Corporation as a Senior Strata Manager and Associate Broker at FirstService Residential. Her experience includes not-for-profit housing, a new development in Strata Corporations, a new development in purpose-built rental, and rental property management.