If you have a competent strata manager, many of your problems are solved because the day to day minutiae of maintaining and managing a building will be carried out effectively. But when you are looking for a strata specialist, there are certain characteristics to look for which will help you select an effective and efficient individual.
You need to select a strata manager that is professional as they will be managing the administration of your building. They will be interacting with a large number of people whether it is government organisations, tenants, insurance agents, contractors etc. And all of these interactions have to be maintained professionally.
They should have a good idea of the tasks that are theirs to oversee.
You can find out more here about the responsibilities of a strata manager. They will need to take care of many financial matters such as collecting rent, maintaining the assets, maintaining insurance for the assets, collecting levies and banking them etc. Check for what the professional body in your country’s strata sector is and choose a strata specialist that is a certified member of it.
There should be sufficient experience for the manager that gives them background when it comes to day to day challenges of the strata. They should have rounded knowledge about the different types of property and there should be specific experience related to the type of strata you own. There are certain legislations that you are required to uphold pertaining to the state and the strata manager should have a good idea of local regulations and any updates to the legislation. The manager has to be proactive when it comes to the responsibilities about the strata. They should be responsive to maintenance and repair requests, any disputed in the building and accounting matters. There should be a clear channel specified for communication that allows the owners and the tenants to get in touch with the strata manager. It can be frustrating for the tenants to deal with a strata manager that doesn’t carry out repairs when needed or doesn’t respond quickly. This can negatively impact the integrity of the building along with the security of the tenants.
Transparency of the management is very important as the strata manager is in charge of managing the finances of the property. You should have a good idea of how money is spent around the property and the manager should keep the owners apprised of all financial transactions that take place. There should be a common portal or mode of communication that is used to convey all this information so that all the owners have an understanding of what goes on in the building. And communication is a key aspect of keeping everyone in the loop. When there is poor communication, tenants will feel neglected and owners will not have a good idea of the maintenance, administration or finances of the building. There has to be professional communication between all parties involved and the manager should have the ability to respond to the needs of the tenants and ensure that their voice is heard.
