STRATA MANAGEMENT LICENSING GETS FAILING GRADE

For Release February 4, 2013


     BC strata owners think it is time for the provincial government to review BC’s strata management licensing and discipline requirements.   In a recent survey almost 90% of owners surveyed support such a review.


     The provincial government introduced strata management licensing 7 years ago and assigned administrative responsibility to the Real Estate Council of BC.   In response to complaints from strata owners about weak licensing and discipline standards the Vancouver Island Strata Owners Association recently conducted a survey of strata owners across the province.


Strata owner concerns revealed in the survey include:


  • Strata managers receiving commissions from suppliers of services to a strata corporation may not be acting in the best interests of owners.
  • Complaints to the Real Estate Council about strata manager misconduct do not appear to be taken seriously when coming from an individual rather than a strata council.
  • Disciplinary penalties for strata managers found guilty of professional misconduct are thought to be low in relation to harm done by the misconduct.
  • Strata manager complicity in contraventions of the Strata Property Act should be subject to discipline.
  • Real Estate Council lacks independence from the real estate industry, has no representation from strata owners and has only token representation from strata managers themselves.


    •      “Mandatory licensing of strata managers was an important step taken in 2006”, said Sandy Wagner, VISOA President. “However, we still need effective consequences for strata managers who abuse owners’ trust and property rights”, she said. “VISOA will continue to advocate for improved accountability for strata managers and those who license them”, she added.


         There are more than 530,000 strata properties in the province. Over 60% of them are in strata corporations that use licensed strata managers. The remainder are self-managed.


    To read the Strata Management Survey results:

    Vancouver Area

    Vancouver Island

    BC Interior

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