December 2024
Too many condo boards don’t want to hear from residents or communicate with them EXCEPT when it comes time for elections. Then they complain about lack of interest among owners.
Owners get frustrated by condo directors and boards that fail to be transparent and lack of communication. When people believe they are ignored or not told the truth, they lose faith in their institutions. We see this in politics and, increasingly, in condominium governance.
Some of the major (for residents) and minor (for management) concerns that occur with regularity in high-rise communities:
- My unit is too hot … or too cold
- I don’t have hot water
- I smell garbage or cooking
- Why is there garbage in the stairwell or hallway
- Can someone deal with mail left on the mailroom floor
- I keep smelling cigarettes in my unit
- That loose sewer grate wakes me up at night
When a problem arises, dozens of messages about the same concern can be sent by those affected to the management office with others reporting problems to the security/concierge desk. Most complainants are unaware that others have similar concerns. Poor communication by management isolates residents and makes it harder for them to put pressure on management to address problems.
When condo boards and management fail to be responsive to owners, they are increasingly turning to the Condominium Authority Tribunal (CAT) in the hope of achieving better results. This forces management to expend time and resources justifying their actions before the Tribunal rather than focusing on resolving what can be ongoing concerns affecting many residents.
Management and a condo board that is proactive in their communications would send out a notice to all residents when a problem is initially identified explaining what is being done and timing. This assures residents they are watching over and taking care of things. Responding to individual resident concerns takes more time and gives the impression that those making decisions have no idea what is going on.
Once that initial notice has been sent, residents anticipate receiving notice that the problem is resolved or the plan and timing to achieve resolution. Finally, residents look around to see if the problem has been resolved. When not resolved, it doesn’t take long for the board and management to develop an earned reputation for being ineffective or incompetent.
Resolving problems and effective communication is a better approach to ignoring or failing to address concerns.
