A good property management company is key to a well-managed BC strata corporation.

A strata corporation has the power to enter into a contract with a property management company for the purpose of strata management. Council decides which property management company to contract with. Often, in new developments, a new council will inherit a property management company hired by the developer. The property management company may even have longstanding business ties with the developer. In such cases, new councils are well advised to terminate the contract with the developer nominated property management company and hire one chosen by council and with no conflicted loyalties.

Property management companies are agents of the strata corporation and its council. They act in the name of the strata corporation. Therefore, it is very important for council to be aware of what obligations the property management company is accepting on behalf of the strata corporation.

We had a situation where an owner was in breach of the bylaws but our property management company wrote an emailed excusing the wrongful conduct. Is council bound by the property manager’s email? If so, for how long?

Probably yes and likely until such a time as council writes the owner in breach and reasserts its position that it will enforce the bylaws. Such situations are highly fact dependent. For more information, ask a Vancouver strata lawyer.

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We have a property management company that we are not happy with. The previous council signed a one-sided contract saying that the strata could not terminate the property management company on less than 6 months notice. We want them out now. What do we do?

Section 39 of the Strata Property Act permits a strata to terminate a property management company on two months notice regardless of the contract as long as proper procedures are followed: for more information, ask a Vancouver strata lawyer.

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