Common Questions About a Body Corporate Management Company

When a property is jointly owned by several persons, such as tenants in a condominium complex or shared office complex, they are referred to as the body corporate. A body corporate management company, or body corporate manager, is hired by this group of persons to handle certain administrative tasks on their behalf. This keeps the members of that body corporate from having to spend time paying invoices, hiring and overseeing maintenance workers, and the like. Note a few common questions you might have about a body corporate management company or manager, so you know if hiring one is the right choice for your property.

Do body corporate managers handle inconsiderate neighbours?

A body corporate manager handles administrative tasks, but has very limited authority as to the owners or occupants themselves. Such a manager may be able to draft a warning letter to certain tenants about their behaviour, deliver the letter, and make record of complaints, but they cannot sign such a letter, as they have no authority to tell occupants of a building how to conduct themselves.

Note, too, that tenants in a building have certain legal rights themselves, and if they feel that the body corporate is harassing them or being prejudicial in addressing them, they may respond with legal action. The body corporate are the ones who have legal responsibility for how rules in the property are enforced, not the body corporate manager, which is also why they do not actually sign such warning letters themselves.

Do body corporate managers handle cleaning, repairs and other such tasks themselves?

Rarely will a body corporate manager handle actual maintenance tasks themselves; their job is to hire an outside company to perform these tasks, ensure those jobs are done properly, and then handle billing and invoices from those companies. One reason for this is that many repairs to a property need to be done to local building codes, or to ensure the safety of residents and tenants, and a body corporate manager may not be qualified to handle such tasks properly. Even cleaning of common areas needs to be done in a professional manner, as dirty floors can cause slip and fall accidents, and blocked fire exits can mean fines from the city and putting tenants at risk. Even if you're trying to reduce the cost of hiring outside vendors and service providers, don't assume you can ask the body corporate manager to handle such tasks, as this is not their area of expertise and these jobs should always be left to professionals.

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