Strata Council members take on many responsibilities when they agree to serve on the Council for their Multi-Family development. Perhaps the most important of those responsibilities are to ensure proper and effective maintenance of the building or buildings and to ensure appropriate funds are reserved for the replacement or refurbishment of major components of the building.
Now a product specifically designed to meet the needs of Multi-Family projects with or without home warranty coverage is available in British Columbia. The key aspects of the Maintenance Operations Program (MOP) are: the Maintenance Manual, the Commissioning Meeting and the Annual Reviews.
The Maintenance Manual is the foundation of the Maintenance Operations Program; it defines and schedules the specific maintenance requirements for your condominium. The Maintenance Manual includes:
- Renewals and Reserve Funds Study assists the owner’s representative to set and administer accurate contingency budgets for anticipated costs of maintenance and replacement of building components. This study lays out the estimated costs of the various building envelope components of your home for 25 years. The Strata Property Act recommends a depreciation report to determine the annual contribution to the contingency reserve fund.
- Envelope Materials Information pertaining to the long-term maintenance, cleaning and repair of all areas / components of the building envelope specific to your building. This information will describe the materials installed during remediation and the existing exterior materials.
- Warranty Documents from product manufacturers, installers and your home warranty provider.
Contacts List include detailed information of the building professionals, consultants, and sub-contractors who participated in the construction of your building. - Scheduling Information regarding all reviews including: strata owners, maintenance operations program, and building envelope professionals.
- Annual Review Section where reviews are filed in hard copy for easy reference.
The Maintenance Manual is a valuable source of information for strata owners and becomes a living document as it is updated by the owner’s representative and Maintenance Operations Program throughout the years.
The Commissioning Meeting is where Maintenance Operations personnel present your maintenance manual and the MOP to your strata. At this meeting the value of the Program will be explained and any questions will be answered face-to-face. Maintenance Operations personnel will outline:
- Which Components Comprise your Building Envelope
- How to Use the Reserve and Renewals Funds Study
- How Annual Reviews will be Scheduled
- Who to Contact in the Event of a Deficiency
- When to Contact your Warranty Provider
The Annual Reviews allow the Owners to ensure that items requiring maintenance are identified. The reviews include:
- An Inital Review will be conducted by a building envelope professional. This engineer will assess the current condition of all components of the building envelope and common property. Photographs will be taken of all relevant components and will be used to develop the Maintenance Operations Program manual.
- Annual Reviews of the building envelope and exterior components are conducted by Maintenance Operations personnel. These reviews occur on the anniversary date of the commencement of the program.
- Maintenance Reports identify issues requiring maintenance or replacement. The reports include photos as well as a list of recommendations for the Strata to take in addressing items that have been identified. These reports are forwarded to the owner’s representative for inclusion into the Maintenance Manual.
- MOP Reviews in hand, strata corporations have a clear idea of their maintenance needs and are able to co-ordinate repairs with the contractor or sub trades to correct any warrantable deficiencies.
Annual reviews will provide early knowledge of a construction or design deficiency or defect before it grows into a costly repair. A documented history of the maintenance, provided by these independent reviews, will enhance your security and provide an added benefit to prospective buyers.
The Program provides many benefits to both the owners and the Builder of a project. The MOP is a “built-in transferable asset” which is attached to the property for the term of the Program and can be transferred to future owners with the sale of the home.
Your project specific maintenance program lasts from the program commencement to the fifth anniversary inspection and follow-up. Your strata will be given the opportunity to continue with the Program for another 5 years.
