Condominium management services are those in which and individual or brokerage is exercising the power, or performing the duties of, a condominium corporation on behalf of that corporation. These duties commonly include:
For more information on condominium management services and duties of a condo corporation, see the Condominium Property Act.
Condo boards can choose to self-manage the condominium, or they can hire a licensed condominium manager to manage the property on their behalf.
Whether you’re on a condo board and looking to hire a new condo manager or are a new condo owner trying to make sense of all the players, it’s important to understand the relationship between your condo board and condo manager.
If you’re on a condo board that’s looking for a condo manager to work with, it can be overwhelming even to know where to start your research. It’s important to find a condo manager suits the unique needs of your condo. But how?
Talk to friends and family members who live in condos. Who manages their condo? What has their experience been like with their condo manager?
Almost all condo managers have an online presence. You can usually find the websites of condo managers by completing a simple web search. It may also bring up reviews posted by other condo boards and unit owners. Spending a bit of time online can help you narrow down the options to ones that will work best for your condo.
Under the Real Estate Act, both condominium management companies (brokerages) and individuals paid to perform condominium manager duties, must hold a licence with RECA to practice condominium management services.
The requirement for condo managers to hold a licence in Alberta came into effect on December 1, 2021.
Licensed individuals and brokerages meet the education and experience requirements to provide condo management services in accordance with current legislation, put in place to protect the public from unethical or fraudulent practices.
You can check to see if your condo manager is licensed using the Find a Licensee tool.
RECA posts disciplinary decisions on its website. You can search for specific condo managers and brokerages on the Disciplinary Decisions and Appeals page.
Please note: condo managers have only required a licence through RECA since December 1, 2021. RECA will not have been involved in any decisions related to condominium management before this date. However, a lot of condo managers also offer property management services, which is a profession that has been licensed with RECA for some time.
After you’ve narrowed your options for potential condominium managers, setting up interviews can help you land on the right manager for your condo. Use the interviews to find out about the condo managers’ experience, background, and areas of specialization. You should also use the interview to determine whether you and your fellow board members can work well with the condo manager.
Ask them:
You will also want to share information about your condominium with the condominium manager so they can accurately answer your questions. Be prepared to share details on:
