B.C. facing a critical shortage of strata property managers, industry says
Global News
More than 1.5 million people are estimated to live in B.C.'s 30,000 strata properties, but those in the industry say it's becoming increasingly difficult to find managers for them.
British Columbia is facing an acute shortage of property managers as a growing number of people make their homes in strata properties.
More than 1.5 million people are estimated to live in B.C.’s 30,000 strata properties.
But finding people to manage those properties is getting increasingly difficult, according B.C.’s Condominium Home Owners Association (CHOA).
“We could easily use 200 or 300 managers in the industry tomorrow and it probably wouldn’t fill the gaps,” CHOA executive director Tony Gioventu told Global News.
“It is getting dire, and it’s not just B.C., it’s across the country.”
In British Columbia, strata property managers must be licensed, a process that involves passing an exam and a criminal record check.
But the process doesn’t end there. Because the job is so complex, licensees still need another six months to a year of training and supervision before they’re prepared to manage on their own, according to those inside the industry.
Along with the basics of building operations and maintenance, mangers must also be familiar with a stack of regulations and legislation, including the B.C. Strata Act, the Residential Tenancy Act, the B.C. Human Rights Code, strata bylaws and B.C.’s civil resolution tribunal.