Strata Managers are an essential part of the Strata Property Management system. This is a professional field of real estate management and involves day-to-day management and maintenance of a collectively owned commercial property, which includes multiple units and common spaces. The term Strata covers any number of properties owned by one strata corporation. These include shared apartments and houses, townhouses, rowhouses, condominiums, blocks, etc.
The purpose of Strata Managers or property managers is to maintain harmony and continuity in the properties to benefit all the owners. Their primary duty is to keep the property’s common areas such as hallways, elevators, parking lots, gardens, and landscaped areas. They also have to ensure that there are no safety hazards in the property’s common areas, especially those around swimming pools. They also have to ensure that there are no electrical faults in the property and that the plumbing system is working correctly and is free from any leaks.
The maintenance of buildings and properties is the responsibility of the strata managers. On the other hand, it is their job to advertise the amenities provided in the commercial properties and make sure that these are kept in good condition. Commercial real estate agents call the strata managers for any complaints or problems regarding the amenities in a commercial building. It is not unusual for the strata managers to be on call for emergency situations like complaints about the noise level in a gym or noisy tenants in a row house. Since these agents work on behalf of the owners of the property, the strata manager is responsible for making sure that he addresses the complaints promptly.
In most commercial properties, the common areas are made to inter-connect in such a way that the residents have easy access to everything they need. However, in some properties, the common areas are constructed separately, without any common utilities. When this occurs, the management has to make sure that the common areas are connected to an underground sewer, water main, and electricity supply to avoid the inconvenience of having to drill holes and put pipes in the ground.
The cost of operating and maintaining a strata manager’s office are usually paid by the tenants of the property. Since the office requires electricity, water, and a phone line, it usually comes with an additional fee. This fee is calculated based on the number of rooms and the size of the office, and it is passed on to the tenant each month. Any changes to the service, however, are paid for by the landlord.
As part of the maintenance of the office, the manager must ensure that all the necessary paperwork is submitted and that all the maintenance and compliance requirements are met. These include inspecting the buildings and ensuring that heating and ventilation systems are functioning properly. He must also check that there is no damage or destruction of items that are covered under the policy. One of the most important responsibilities of the strata property manager is to make sure that all the required documentation is updated at the end of every year. Failure to keep this documentation up to date can result in fines or even removal from the premises. Without this documentation, the council can issue a fine for not meeting the regulations.
It is the responsibility of the managers to ensure that the by-laws of the association are complied with. This includes any changes to these by-laws, which will need to be approved by a majority vote of the members. In the case of special or existing by-laws, the manager will generally consult with the members before making any changes. Many special and existing by-laws only need to be altered once; however, others will need to be altered regularly. In addition to these regular changes, the by-laws can also be amended, modified, altered, extended or revoked.
If the manager or Strata Property Management Corporation is not involved in the management or the maintenance of the properties, they are not obligated to undertake any work on the properties, including repair of damages or upgrading any equipment or systems. The fact that the Strata Property Management Corporation does not have an obligation to undertake work does not mean that they should not do so. The main reason for this is that it costs money to hire professional contractors to carry out any repairs or to upgrade any equipment. The Strata Property Management Corporation may engage the services of an engineer or architect to carry out any work on the Strata Property or to give advice to the board about the condition of the property. Where a property manager is involved, the costs of repairing any damage caused by neglect will not be their responsibility and will have to be borne by the owner.