1. Ensure the strata’s common areas are in good shape.
The common areas of your condo building are everyone’s responsibility. And if they look shabby or are in disrepair, it brings down the quality of life for all residents. So at your strata board meeting, remember to check if regular common area maintenance is being done.
That includes touching up paint, cleaning up messes, keeping the elevators in working order and anything else that applies to lobbies, hallways, staircases and other shared spaces. If your strata keeps indoor plants, these should also be a part of your routine maintenance schedule.
Especially large or complex shared amenities, like swimming pools, sports facilities, gyms and the like may require specific plans to tackle their unique requirements. Consider setting up a dedicated maintenance schedule for them apart from other common areas.
2. Remember to hire professionals for boilers, HVAC and other systems.
Keeping your strata condo building’s heating and cooling systems in working order is one of those things you don’t think about until they stop working. To prevent that from happening, take the time at strata meetings to check on their maintenance status.
Chances are these systems are far too complex for the average resident to understand. Don’t be hesitant to recommend hiring a professional for their upkeep. While this may require slightly more money in the short term, it will save you major costs and headaches in the long term.
3. Always keep an eye out for water damage.
It rains a lot in Vancouver. This is not shocking news, but it does mean keeping vigilant about water damage and leaks. Encourage your strata board to be proactive rather than reactive about water ingress.
If you live in a flood-prone area, your strata condo board may want to consider installing electronic warning systems that can alert residents to water ingress in basements, crawl spaces and other often-unseen areas.
4. Don’t forget sidewalks, parking lots and other outdoor areas.
If your strata building has a parking lot or garage, sidewalks and other outdoor areas, these will require special attention. You’ll have to hire dedicated professionals to handle them every so often – whether that’s filling potholes, repainting lines or other regular maintenance.
Again, if your building has special amenities like pools or basketball courts, these may require unique maintenance for their walkways and play surfaces, so be sure to bring that up at meetings as necessary. In particular, remember to get them checked at the start of outdoor recreation season in spring and at the end of the season in fall.
5. Ensure the board is keeping proper records.
Keeping records of everything you’re doing as a strata board is not just good practice, it’s required by law in BC. No matter what your strata board is doing, make sure to include it in the minutes at every meeting.
This helps the strata board keep track of everything, helps residents know what’s going on and it helps buyers and sellers of condos in the building communicate with their agents and interested parties looking to move into the building.
While strata board meetings are never the most exciting thing to happen in your day, ensuring they cover some essential items and that proper records are being kept will prevent bigger headaches down the line.
