The council plays a prominent role in managing a condominium. And the responsibilities of the president of a condo syndicate council—appointed or elected from among the members of the council—are multiple: in effect, this key person in the condominium has the complex task of ensuring that the syndicate functions properly and works in the interests of the condominium.
1. They ensure compliance with the declaration of co-ownership
The guardian of enforcing the declaration of co-ownership, the president of the condo syndicate council is required to intervene with the co-owners and tenants who do not comply with it: this is one of the responsibilities of the president of the condo syndicate council. They can also make changes to the declaration—if this proves necessary—by working on new regulations. In this task, they have the option of being assisted by the syndicate secretary and—more generally—all members of the council.
The president of the condo syndicate council then presents these new regulations at the annual general meeting in order to submit them for the approval of the co-owners.
2. They coordinate the actions of the council and report on its management
Among the responsibilities of the president of a condo syndicate council is also the task of chairing the general meetings of co-owners as well as the council meetings.
At the general meetings of co-owners, they provide an annual report where:
- They report on the financial, building, and administrative management of the administrators over the past year;
- They describe the activities carried out;
- They explain the broad outlines that the council plans to follow for the coming year or even several years.
3. They ensure good communication within and outside the condominium
Another responsibility of the president of a condo syndicate council is to ensure good communication inside and outside the condominium
- They speak regularly with the various members of the council in order to stay informed about the actions taken and monitor their progress.
- They periodically organize meetings to take stock with all the administrators. Generally, they are the one who sets the agenda for the council meetings after collecting from the different members the points that they want to raise. For example, these can be questions relating to administrative and financial management, building maintenance, or human resources management.
- They maintain communication with the co-owners throughout the year through notes and individual discussions with them when necessary.
- They represent the council and the condominium more generally with external bodies.
Finally, if the provisions of the building by-laws stipulate it, the president of the condo syndicate council is also responsible for deciding: in effect, when there is a tie during a council vote, their vote is decisive.