5 Condominium Holiday Best Practices for a Very Merry Season

The holiday season is one of the most exciting times of the year, as residents gather with friends and family, decorate their homes, and prepare for upcoming celebrations. Similarly, this season is also important for condominium corporation board members, as it marks a time to reflect on the successes of the year and reinvigorate your community with positive, forward-focused energy.

At Wilson Blanchard, we have a long history of helping condominium boards keep the magic of the holidays in the air by ensuring their community is calm and bright. Read on to learn the five best practices for a very merry season in your community.

Remind Homeowners of the Rules in Advance

Before homeowners start hanging lights, hosting parties, and decorating their yards, revisit your governing documents and remind residents about any new or established holiday-related rules. Share decorating guidelines, parking restrictions, and crowd information in a notice, newsletter, and on the community website to help prevent violations.

Don’t forget to include reminders for:

• Outdoor decorations, including lights, inflatables, and signs
• Facility crowd limitations
• Street and overnight parking restrictions
• Decency rules that pertain to offensive or inappropriate decorations
• Daytime and nighttime noise restrictions
• Timing of when to put up and take down decorations

Winterize the Community

While the holidays are a season to celebrate and gather, this might be the most important time of year to ensure community grounds and facilities are well-maintained and functional. Deteriorated, inoperable, or neglected components, parts, and roadways can create safety hazards and dangerous conditions for residents. Keep your community looking and performing its best all season long by addressing the areas most vulnerable to winter weather, like:

• Storm drains and gutters. Make sure water and melted snow have a controlled flow out of gutters and away from structures.
• Trees and branches. Trim trees and branches before the first snowfall and work with an arborist to check the health of your trees.
• Roofs. Call on a professional to complete a roof inspection and discuss concerns about possible ice dams or leaks.
• Pipes. Disconnect hoses and weatherproof outdoor pipes and faucets, waterproofing and insulating what’s exposed.
• Heating systems. Have a professional technician test all furnaces, boilers, and heating units, and check for safety issues.
• Fireplaces and chimneys. Get fireplaces and chimneys cleaned and inspected by a professional chimney sweep.
• Windows and doors. Guarantee the seal around windows and doors isn’t cracked or failing.
• Roads and walkways. Finalize a plan for handling professional snow and ice removal and stock up on supplies, like shovels and salt, as a backup.

Decorate While Keeping Safety in Mind

Get everyone into the holiday spirit by decorating community-shared facilities. This is a great time to lead by example and ensure your condominium follows the same decoration guidelines set for residents. For added peace of mind, stick to your condominium corporation budget and be sensitive to the type of decorations you select and how long they’re on display. Some decorating tips to consider:

• Check the lights. Untangle stringed lights and inspect them carefully, looking for any frayed spots in the cord before testing. If they need to be replaced, consider switching to LED lights. They’re brighter, more energy efficient, last longer, and reduce the risk of blown fuses.
• Be cautious with real Christmas trees. To prevent fire, keep live Christmas trees set up indoors at least three feet from heat sources, such as radiators, candles, fireplaces, or space heaters. Also, make sure to water them regularly.
• Use the right equipment. Ensure the correct fasteners and holders are used to hang lights from rooftops. Rubber and heavy-duty plastic fasteners can grip the roofline without causing damage like nails would for the same job.
• Hire a professional. Consider efficiency, safety, and security first. A professional can avoid overloading the electrical system or other mishaps by setting up large trees, installing holiday lights, and managing additional large-scale decorations. 

Create New Year’s Resolutions for Your Condominium

At the end of the year, your board has likely learned from the experiences of the past months. Resolve to set your community up for success in the new year and beyond by completing some necessary to-dos. Here are five New Year’s resolutions to consider:

1.     Develop a management plan.

This plan should include the management team’s tasks and goals for the new year. A typical management plan includes rules enforcement, property maintenance, finances, and more.

2.     Create a condominium calendar.

A condominium calendar offers a road map for the board to control operations and manage deadlines. Highlight meetings, critical events and activities, holidays, and compliance and renewal dates.

3.     Ensure your community is prepared for any emergency.

Unfortunately, most communities don’t have an emergency plan for residents. Take the time to create a unique emergency management plan to keep everyone safe when disaster strikes.

4.     Revisit your governing documents.

Confirm that the rules and restrictions in your governing documents continue to be relevant. Work with residents to review existing rules, identify areas that may need adjustment, and examine processes to amend regulations that don’t hold value for your condominium.

Spread Holiday Cheer

One of the greatest benefits of living in a managed condominium corporation is a real sense of community. Help bring people together and build lasting bonds by hosting an event or competition that everyone can participate in. Whether you create a holiday committee or the board manages this responsibility themselves, some easy ideas include:

• Cookie swap. Invite attendees to bring a few dozen of their favorite holiday treats to a party. Everyone who attends gets to mix and match their own treat bag to bring home, allowing residents to share their family favorites and sample others.
• Festive contest. Offer a festive competition for all ages, such as a best- decorated house contest that adults will enjoy and a gingerbread house or cookie decoration contest for the kids. Be sure to announce the winners at a holiday party or in a community newsletter, and remember to thank everyone who participated!
• Donation drive. Consider hosting a canned food drive, a toy drive, or an activity where volunteers assemble backpacks or emergency kits for a local shelter or other organization. You can also work with a trusted nonprofit to turn your holiday event into a fundraiser. Associa Cares Canada is a nonprofit organization created to assist families and communities in crisis as a result of natural and man-made disasters.
• To learn more about Associa Cares Canada, visit associacares.ca.