A lot has changed for condominium managers in the last generation. In addition to a new set of laws and regulatory agencies, managers now have dozens of new technologies and tools at their disposal. If you could go back in time and explain to a manager in the 1990s what amazing time-saving devices would be available to them in the future, most of them would probably imagine spending their days relaxing while their tasks were reduced to the click of a few buttons. 

As a new condominium manager, there are a few realities of the job one should know. This is not your typical 9-to-5 job. The job bears great responsibility. We not only manage bricks and mortar or building systems, but we also manage communities, manage people and, most importantly, we must be able to manage expectations on both ends of the aisle. Your residents’ lives depend on us, on our ability to manage, to be thorough with our work and to pay a lot of attention to detail. Compassion and dedication should always be at the forefront of our activity. Now let’s dive into the subject.

As a condominium manager, what are the biggest challenges and opportunities you or the industry will face in 2020?

It has been common practice in the condominium industry for a condominium corporation to chargeback these legal costs to the non-compliant owner; however, a recent case of the Superior Court of Justice has some in the Ontario condo industry taking the position that these chargebacks are no longer permissible, absent a court order.