You’re not happy. The entrance light to your unit is on the blink and the swimming pool pump doesn’t seem to be working properly. Now what? Relax … your trusted Building Manager is probably on the case already and will have the problem solved before you know it. But what exactly does a Building Manager do?
They Maintain Common Assets
The Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 classifies a Building Manager as a ‘service contractor’, and a Building Manager’s role in general is to carry out the Body Corporate’s duties in terms of the management of the property involved.
Your Building Manager may be a resident (and/or have letting agency rights) and their main responsibility is to upkeep the maintenance of your building’s common area ‘assets’– from the signage, gardens and exterior lighting, to shared facilities and equipment like the pool, gym, lifts, air conditioning and security systems.
They Action Insurance Claims
Building Managers, should be familiar with the Body Corporate’s insurance policies, which may include the Building and Common Area Contents, Public Liability, Building Catastrophes, and things like injury compensation, machinery breakdowns and incident claims. One of a Building Manager’s responsibilities is to manage claims on behalf of the Body Corporate and ensure the matters are dealt with effectively and efficiently.
They Monitor By-Laws
Most Building Managers also have the duty of policing Body Corporate By-Laws. This can include:
- Consulting Queensland’s Residential Tenancy Act to confirm tenant breaches if they are contracted to do so.
- Advising owners/occupiers of any breaches and requesting they remedy the breach.
- Instigating a written request for the owner/occupier to rectify the breach (which should also be sent to the Body Corporate Committee Secretary) if the breach continues.
- Bringing the matter to the attention of the Body Corporate Committee via the Body Corporate Manager if the matter is still not resolved
They Keep Records
Building Managers should also keep detailed and up-to-date records in terms of things that the Body Corporate may need to be aware of. These can include:
- A diary – of maintenance issues, discussions, and incidents of concern, including By-Law breaches, equipment failures, injuries etc.;
- A contractor register – of regular contractors and their routine maintenance activities;
- An asset register – of all Body Corporate assets which details their state of repair, date of purchase etc.;
- Keys – a list of all key holders and details of the type and number of keys held.
They Liaise With The Body Corporate
The Body Corporate Committee ensures the Body Corporate operates smoothly and makes the appropriate decisions in order to ensure this. They will regularly meet to address issues and in most cases, the role of a Building Manager is to also attend these meetings. The Building Manager will also normally be required to table a written report, which could include:
- A summary of the activities and/or issues that have occurred since the last meeting;
- Requests for any work required and quotes provided that need approval from the Body Corporate;
- Advice of completion of any works requested by the Building Manager since the last meeting.
In terms of day-to-day liaising with the Body Corporate Committee, a ‘nominated person’ will usually be appointed who will deal directly with the Building Manager.
They Ensure a Safe Environment
One of the main benefits of having a resident building manager is that they are on-site to take care of issues as they arise, which means things are normally dealt with quickly. So quickly in fact, that you probably won’t even know there was a problem in the first place!
Building managers can also enforce access restrictions, including of (unwanted) after-hours guests and tradespeople. This means as an owner/occupier, you can focus on loving where you’re living without having to worry about the safety of your property or those that live there.
Have a question about your Building Manager’s responsibilities or like to find out more about our Body Corporate Management services? Get in touch!
6 replies on “What are the Responsibilities of a Building Manager?”
Our non-resident Building Management Company rarely has a staff presence on-site, and whilst there is no reference to this in the “Building Manager’s Agreement”, which was probably written by a Building Manager and possibly the current one, I am enquiring where I can find a Legal Expectation of this Responsibility please? Note that it is in relation to a Residential Complex of more than sixty Units.
Hi Don,
All terms will be within the agreement with the building manager. If there is no number of hours stated then there may be no requirement for them to be there for a specific amount of time. There may though be other clauses that require them to be onsite. For example, is there a frequency around how often they need to inspect the building? Read the agreement carefully and consider all its applications. In the best-case scenario, you would work with the building manager to get an agreement on how the site can be managed. If that doesn’t work, it may be necessary to get legal advice to help steer you through the management.
[…] Building Managers and Bodies Corporate also understand the value of maintaining common areas including across a range of ‘assets’, including gardens, signage, lighting and shared facilities like the gym, pool, lifts, security systems and air conditioning. […]
Hello
I’m desperate to find out the best way to get our Building Manager to perform their duties. So many areas left neglected: lighting, pest control, cleaning, garden maintenance, pool maintenance, cracks in tiles etc. Are we able to request a copy of the Caretaking Agreement from the Body Corporate? Would that detail the Manager’s responsibilities?
Can an owner directly raise defects and foreseeable risks of injury with the Building Manager, such as unlit areas that are directly shown as part of the fire evacuation plan?
Thank you. Any help would be appreciated.
Hi Linda,
This sounds like something you should speak to your strata manager or executive committee about. Owners should be able to access documents such as contracts and the contract may include a list of duties. Safety concerns should be raised immediately with all relevant parties. If you are unhappy with the state of your building or the conduct of the building manager then you will need to raise these issues through meetings – committee and general – to see if others agree and then take collective action. Hope that helps.
What is considered excessive hot water temperature and air conditioning temperature in the hallways?