Condo who is responsible for maintenance

After determining whether the insurance policy covers the damage, another consideration is determining who is responsible for paying the insurance deductible, if any. Section of the Act states that the condo corporation is responsible for paying the insurance deductible after damage has occurred.

If so, the deductible amount is to be included as part of the common expense fees. However, there can be instances where an individual owner may be responsible for paying the lesser of the entire deductible or the cost of the repair.

According to section of the Condo Act , this would be possible if:. A condo corporation may also have an insurance deductible by-law which expands the circumstances under which the deductible amounts may be added to the common expenses of the individual owner. Most commonly, insurance deductible by-laws will expand the circumstances to include the units of other owners and the common elements of the condo corporation.

Reveal Sidebar. If any repairs or maintenance needs to be conducted, owners need to be aware of the following. Adding all these expenses as well as reserve fund contributions, the board then divides the total by the number of unit owners in the association.

Some associations divide the amount equally, while others rely on a percentage breakdown of shares. Your governing documents should state the calculation procedure clearly in writing. Condo associations do have the power to increase the maintenance fees that owners must pay. State laws and your governing documents might have a say on how much a COA board can raise the fees. Climbing inflation and wage rates, for one, can have a direct impact on the price of vendor services. Utility costs and rising insurance premiums can also influence condo fees.

As a condo owner, you might feel alarmed and even aggrieved due to the higher fees. But, you must keep in mind that the association is only doing its job of maintaining the condo building. An increase in projected expenses will naturally lead to an increase in fees. Plus, it is not like the COA is profiting from your fees and neither is the board receiving a salary for fulfilling their duties. Board positions are, after all, filled by volunteer members.

If you feel that the increase is unjustified or unreasonable, you can bring up the issue at the next meeting or talk directly to your COA board. In a word, yes. Condo maintenance fees do cover insurance, but it is usually only for the association. Some policies may cover hazards typically covered by homeowners insurance. Such policies, though, are usually not as comprehensive as homeowners insurance, so individual owners should still purchase their own.

Does condo insurance cover water leaks? Most condo insurance policies do cover water damage as a result of burst pipes, ice dams, and even rain. It may also cover damages inside the unit resulting from water leaking from common areas. Standard condo insurance may not cover flooding, though, if the water came from the ground up.

You will usually need to purchase a separate flood insurance policy for this type of water damage. You might feel discouraged from paying your condo fees because of how expensive they can be. And, part of following those rules is diligently paying your dues. If an owner refuses to pay their maintenance fees, then the COA board will need to recoup that loss from a different source.

Often, that means imposing special assessments. Additionally, you must keep in mind that the association relies on member dues for maintenance and repairs. When members fail to pay their fees, the COA cannot perform its job. For some of us, that home will be a condominium. One of the perks of owning a condominium is knowing that a portion of the upkeep will be taken care of by the Homeowners Association, or HOA. A homeowners association HOA is an organization in a planned community that establishes guidelines for properties and their residents.

If you purchase property within an HOA's jurisdiction, you automatically become a member, which also requires you to pay dues known as HOA fees. These fees vary from association to association and are collected to pay for the upkeep of common areas in the community like pools, parking lots, streets and parks — even landscaping and building exteriors. Each homeowners association should have a board of representatives elected by members of the association.

HOA dues are typically paid monthly. Special assessments may be levied for one-time projects in the community. Remember, homeowners associations are designed to maintain the look and feel of a community. So, in communities with stand-alone homes, they may have standards for home maintenance and guidelines for exterior design and landscaping. Generally speaking, responsibility is dependent on where the maintenance or repair is located.