Top 5 Mistakes Condo Boards Make
(From a Condominium Management Expert)
Practical Guidance for Smarter Governance in Sarnia, Ontario
Condo board members make big decisions that can drastically impact building finances, owner satisfaction, and long-term property value. Yet many boards, even experienced ones, fall into patterns that when you have the experience that we do, show themselves…clearly.
Here are the top 5 mistakes we see board members make, and how to avoid them with smarter management strategies:
1. Forcing Condo Fees Too Low
The Mistake: Keeping fees artificially low to avoid pushback.
The Problem: Starves the reserve fund, delays repairs, and risks special assessments.
The Fix:
Base increases on projected costs, not emotions.
Educate owners: proper funding protects their investment.
Review your budget yearly with a professional manager.
Example: One condo raised fees 16% to catch up on repairs. We helped them stabilize increases to just 3% per year after that—matching inflation while staying fully funded.
Check out some more information about this here.
Underfunding now costs you more later.
2. Following the Reserve Fund Plan Too Rigidly
The Mistake: Treating your reserve plan like law.
The Problem: Forces unnecessary spending, ignores market changes.
The Fix:
Reassess major projects annually.
Adjust spending to align with cash flow.
Make changes with input from your manager and engineer.
Example: A roof replacement scheduled for 2025 was pushed to 2026, improving cash flow. Balcony repairs were moved up to lock in a lower quote.
3. Not Investing Surplus Cash
The Mistake: Leaving large balances in low-interest accounts.
The Problem: Missed revenue and slower fund growth.
The Fix:
Build an investment plan aligned with your reserve schedule.
Use multiple investment partners to find the best rates.
4. Overspending on General Repairs
The Mistake: Approving every repair or vendor callout without strategy.
The Problem: Bleeds your operating budget silently.
The Fix:
Set a monthly “spending jar” per your budget.
Track expenses by category.
Prioritize repairs: not everything needs to happen now.
5. Being Too Harsh With Owners
The Mistake: Enforcing rules with no empathy.
The Problem: Creates resentment, mistrust, and communication breakdowns.
The Fix:
Lead with understanding, then enforce.
Be respectful in tone.
Use a step-by-step enforcement approach.
Rules matter—but so do people.
Mistakes are easy to make, especially without the right guidance. But each one has a simple fix that saves massive amounts of your time, money, and stress for you as a board member.
The best boards don’t do it alone. Need some support managing your condo in Sarnia or other areas of South Western Ontario?
Reach out for a free consultation today with a local Sarnia Expert Condo Manager and see how we can help your condo get out from under the dreaded underfunding, make sure your reserve fund is taken care of, and rebuild trust with the unit owners so everyone’s happy.
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