Question: When reporting required maintenance, what is the minimum communication standard an owner can expect from a Strata Manager?
What is the expectation of return communication from a Strata Manager when reporting common property issues such as a remote electronic gate not working properly? I sometimes don’t even get an acknowledgment of receipt of the email and often do not receive any indication of who they are contacting and when they expect someone onsite. This had led to major delays, as the strata manager has not let the owner know that the contractor they contacted has not been able to turn up.
Surely it is professional to let all owners know when a problem is reported and when the fix is expected to take place. We don’t even get to know if it is fixed or not. What is the minimum requirement an owner can expect from a Strata Manager regarding communication?
Answer: The Strata Manager may have to obtain approval from council members to action maintenance, and this can take time depending on the individual availabilities of those council members.
Issues such as the electronic gate not working should be treated as a priority issue by the Strata Manager, and it would be expected that when reporting such an issue, return confirmation of action taken would be received that day. That being said, it is also important for owners to understand that if they deem any common property maintenance issue as urgent, their email is flagged accordingly. It is also recommended that customers call the Strata Manager to alert them to the issue.
In some circumstances, the Strata Manager then has to obtain approval from council members to action maintenance, and this can take time depending on the individual availabilities of those council members. We strive to action all urgent maintenance items as quickly as possible, however, this is not always achievable as we do require the express authority of the Council of the Strata Company prior to actioning any works. It is not always reasonable or practical to notify all owners after we receive a report of common property maintenance and its time frame for being repaired. It is really up to the Council as to whether or not all owners/residents would need to be notified, and that would likely depend on the nature of the repairs, the associated time frame, and their specific instructions.
We encourage communication with the owner who reported the matter. Also, when a contractor is assigned with an urgent work request, we call them to ensure they can attend as quickly as possible. The contractor is asked to directly contact the owner who reported the matter to arrange a mutually convenient time to attend the site and rectify this issue.
ESM Strata Team ESM Strata E: esm.support@esmstrata.com.au P: 08 9362 1166