Most councils stay with an underperforming management company far longer than they should — partly out of inertia, partly because switching feels daunting. But certain patterns are clear signals that it is time to consider a change. Here are the warning signs worth taking seriously.
This is the most common and most telling sign. If your manager routinely takes days to respond to council, leaves owner inquiries unanswered, or you feel you are chasing them for basic information, the relationship is not working. Good management is built on responsiveness. When that erodes, everything else suffers — decisions stall, owners grow frustrated, and the council ends up doing work it is paying someone else to handle.
The test: When your council emails the manager with a straightforward question, do you get a useful reply within a reasonable time? If the honest answer is "rarely," that is a real problem.
Your council should receive regular, clear financial statements that let you understand the building's position at a glance. Warning signs include statements that arrive late or not at all, figures that do not reconcile, unexplained expenses, or a manager who cannot clearly answer questions about the books. Since financial management is the core service, problems here are especially serious.
Constant turnover means you are perpetually re-explaining your building's history and quirks to someone new. Each handover loses institutional knowledge, and frequent changes often signal deeper problems inside the company. A stable, consistent manager who knows your building is genuinely valuable.
Maintenance requests that get forgotten. Deadlines that get missed. Contractors who were supposed to be scheduled but never showed. Notices that go out late or with errors. Occasional slips happen to everyone, but a pattern of dropped balls means the company is stretched too thin or poorly organised — and your building pays the price.
When something goes wrong after hours — a flood, a heating failure, a security issue — you need to reach someone who acts. If your management company is slow or unreachable in genuine emergencies, that is not a minor inconvenience; it is a risk to the building and to owners. This alone can justify a switch.
Fee increases are normal over time. But if your costs keep climbing while service quality stays flat or declines, the value equation has broken. Be especially wary of mounting "extra" charges for things you assumed were included — a sign the relationship is being nickel-and-dimed.
Your management company should be your source of expertise on the Strata Property Act and proper procedure. If they give advice that turns out to be wrong, mishandle a general meeting, or seem unsure about compliance matters, you are not getting one of the main things you are paying for — and the strata could be exposed to real consequences.
Recognising the signs is the first step. A few things to consider before acting:
Switching is more straightforward than most councils expect — the notice period in your contract and a majority vote at a general meeting are the main requirements. The hardest part is usually finding a better company that has availability, which is exactly where a good directory helps.
Filter Metro Vancouver strata management companies by building size, municipality, and current availability — and find a better fit for your building.
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