Zoominar tackles building facilities management

Does your apartment block need a building manager?  Do you have one but don’t know what he or she does?  Do you even know what a building manager is and how are they different from a strata manager?

Let’s start with the last question:  A building manager is more properly described as a building facilities manager and they look after the fabric of your apartment block – and all the moving parts within.

The strata manager is more concerned with the by-laws and finances of the block.

Having said that, there are areas of overlap but your building manager isn’t going to issue levies bills or notices to comply, and your strata manager isn’t likely to slip into overalls and start greasing squeaky garage doors (although they might hire someone else to do that).

Right now in NSW, you don’t have to hire a building manager but if you do they can be on contracts lasting up to 10 years (strata managers max out at three years per contract).

In Queensland, you could have a caretaker manager whether you want one or not and they can be locked in for 25 years.  Yes. You’re right, 25 year contracts are insane.

In Victoria the lines between Owners Corporation (strata) managers and facilities managers are blurred, to say the least, but they too are limited to three years per contract. Victorian strata schemes of more than 100 residential lots must have a strata manager unless they decide by special resolution not to do so.

In an effort to untangle all this confusion, specifically in NSW, next month the Owners Corporation Network is hosting a free one-hour webinar in which experts will tackle the most common questions about building managers in strata, including:

• How big does my building need to be to justify paying a building manager?
• Can I use a building management system before we think about employing a building manager?
• What skills should I look for in a building manager?
• Can a building manager work effectively remotely?
• How do I ensure quality building management records?
• What agreement should I use to engage a building manager?

And there will be much more. The free Zoom webinar is on Thursday, February 16, from 1-2pm  and speakers will include John Hutchinson from Strata Answers, Ben Mees from Building Management Australia and Robert Malyon from, Malyon Facilities Management.

If you’re interested and you have an hour to spare, you can register HERE.