Living in a condo or strata building means sharing more than just walls with your neighbours—you’re sharing a community. Yet many residents describe their buildings as feeling like sterile office environments where people avoid eye contact in elevators rather than engage with one another.
When residents feel included and connected, they take greater pride in their building, treat common property better, and resolve conflicts before they escalate to formal complaints.
“It’s your house. You live there,” explains Jacqueline Jeffrey, a retired strata manager and real estate consultant. “Just like when I grew up in a small subdivision on a street where you knew your neighbours and everybody got to say hi, a condo should be no different. You want to live with your neighbours and be happy living there.”
Let’s dive into how you can make that happen for your condo or strata community.
Video Version: Cultivating Positive Condo & Strata Communities
Understanding the Challenges
Creating community warmth in multi-unit housing comes with unique obstacles that single-family neighbourhoods don’t face. These challenges stem from the diversity that characterizes most condo buildings and what Jeffrey calls “the three Ps.”
Diverse Values and Cultural Barriers
Modern condo buildings bring together residents from vastly different backgrounds. Jeffrey recalls managing a 300-unit, 28-story building that housed young families alongside elderly retirees, longtime Vancouver residents next to recent immigrants from Iran who spoke little English, and everything in between.
“That’s a lot going on in one place,” Jeffrey notes. While this diversity can enrich communities, it can also create cultural misunderstandings and communication barriers that complicate neighbour relations.
The Three Ps: Pets, Parking, and People
Even without cultural differences, three issues consistently generate conflict in condo communities:
- Pets: Different comfort levels with animals and varying interpretations of pet rules.
- Parking: Limited spaces leading to disputes over assigned spots and visitor parking.
- People: The mix of owners, renters, and investors who may have different levels of investment in community building.
These seemingly small issues can quickly escalate without proper communication channels and community foundations in place.
Building Positive Foundations Through Open Communication
The cornerstone of any thriving condo community is residents’ ability to communicate openly with their neighbours, strata council, and property manager through appropriate channels.
“If people feel like they can talk to their neighbours, they can talk to their strata council, they can talk to their manager, all through the proper channels, it takes a lot of stress off,” Jeffrey explains.
Consider a simple scenario: strong cooking odors drifting between units. Rather than immediately filing a complaint, a resident who feels comfortable approaching their neighbour can simply knock on their door and say, “Hey, that fish you cooked for dinner last night and reheated this morning kind of seeped into my unit. I just wanted to let you know it’s a problem.”
This direct approach prevents the issue from festering while council members are busy with monthly meetings and numerous other building concerns. Jeffrey estimates that neighbourly conversations resolve about 99% of minor conflicts.
The key is creating an environment where residents feel safe and comfortable having these conversations, which requires intentional community building from the start.
Recommended Resource: What Roles & Responsibilities Exist on Strata Councils?
Fair and Consistent Governance
When direct communication doesn’t resolve issues, fair governance becomes crucial. Strata councils must apply bylaws and rules evenly across all residents, regardless of whether they’re renters, owners, or council members themselves.
Jeffrey learned this lesson firsthand when she attempted balcony gardening on the 22nd floor of her building. “I thought I was going to be a gardener on my balcony,” she recalls. “I overwatered those plants — they all died, but my neighbour had like a waterfall of water and dirt coming down.”
After flooding her downstairs neighbour’s patio multiple times, Jeffrey received a bylaw violation letter with a $200 fine. However, because she was a council member didn’t exempt her from consequences. “When I was on council, I broke a bylaw once. It was applied evenly,” she emphasizes.
The story had a positive ending. Jeffrey spoke directly with her affected neighbour, who explained the problem, and she immediately stopped overwatering. She then responded to the strata management company, explaining she hadn’t realized the impact and had resolved the issue with her neighbour. The fine was ultimately waived.
This example demonstrates how fair governance doesn’t have to be punitive when combined with good communication and genuine attempts to resolve underlying problems.
Seeking Compliance, Not Punishment
Effective councils focus on achieving compliance rather than punishment. This might mean starting with a general letter or email about rule violations before moving to fines, especially in smaller buildings where personalized communication is feasible.
“You don’t have to be a real stickler for the rules. You do have to follow the rules,” Jeffrey notes. “But maybe when somebody breaks a rule, just chatting with them first and getting to the root of it is what some councils, especially in smaller stratas where they have the ability to do that, can do.”
Inclusion and Representation for Tenants
Many condo buildings have significant tenant populations, particularly in downtown areas. These residents often feel excluded from community decisions and information, which can create a two-tiered system that undermines community cohesion.
Jeffrey worked with buildings in downtown Vancouver where tenants comprised 40% or more of residents. “A lot of the time tenants feel like they’re not included in anything. They don’t know what’s going on,” she explains.
While tenants typically cannot serve on strata councils without special provisions, buildings can take extra steps to include them:
- Ensuring tenants receive copies of important building documents (though owners should provide these, many don’t).
- Having building managers give tenants welcome packages when owners fail to do so.
- Making meeting minutes available to tenants who want to stay informed about upcoming building events like fire inspections or window washing.
“If you just take that extra step, that tenant now feels like they’re part of the community,” Jeffrey explains. “If they feel welcomed in, they know where the garbage room is, they know where the parking spaces are, they’re less likely to cause trouble if you know who they are.”
This inclusion pays dividends in building harmony and reduces the likelihood of conflicts arising from confusion or feeling disconnected from the community.
Community Events and the Power of Potlucks
One of the most effective ways to build community connections is through regular social events, with potlucks leading Jeffrey’s list of recommendations.
“I’m a big fan of events in stratas for making a positive community culture,” she says. “I’m also a big fan of potlucks because I enjoy eating other people’s food.”
Beyond the obvious social benefits, community gatherings serve practical safety purposes. “You get to meet your neighbours. So if there’s ever an emergency, you know that Iris lives alone with her cat and she might need some assistance getting down the stairs, or you know she has a cat, so we should probably get the cat out of the unit.”
Jeffrey recalls managing buildings on ski resorts that organized group skiing days, and a 55-plus building that created “the pub”—a shared space with a pool table and bar where residents held weekly happy hours. This social routine served as an informal wellness check system for elderly residents without nearby family.
“They would say, ‘Oh, you know, Ed wasn’t here, maybe we should go check on him,'” Jeffrey explains, highlighting how social events can address isolation and create genuine care networks within buildings.
Making Amenity Spaces Accessible
Many buildings boast impressive amenity spaces that sit largely unused due to complex booking procedures and restrictive rules. While some regulations are necessary, Jeffrey suggests finding ways to make these spaces more accessible for regular community use.
“You could think of a different way where you could have that space that was usable for a potluck, for like a weekly game night, for anything that gets people together,” she recommends. “It’s just going to make more people come together and get to know their neighbours and take pride in their building.”
Onboarding Packages and Welcoming New Residents
First impressions matter enormously in building positive community culture. While most strata management companies send basic packages containing bylaws and forms, buildings that go further create stronger foundations for community engagement.
Jeffrey worked with a large North Vancouver building that developed comprehensive onboarding beyond the standard management company package. Their materials included:
- Highlighted versions of the most commonly broken bylaws (rather than expecting residents to read entire bylaw packages).
- Renovation requirements and procedures for the older building where updates were frequent.
- Detailed garbage and recycling procedures, since improper disposal was a persistent problem.
- Emergency contact information.
- Lists of regularly used trades and service providers.
The building took onboarding a step further by having their caretaker personally walk new residents through the building, showing them their parking spot, explaining the garbage room systems, and pointing out amenities and how to book them.
“It took the garbage room from this awful thing that the caretaker probably revisited two or three or four times a day to—the garbage room is still a garbage room, but it was pretty nice inside,” Jeffrey notes, demonstrating how proper education can solve ongoing management headaches.
Volunteer Opportunities and Landscaping Involvement
Giving residents ways to contribute positively to their building creates investment and ownership that extends beyond financial considerations. Landscaping offers particularly accessible volunteer opportunities since most residents have opinions about their building’s appearance.
“Everybody in a building complains about the landscaping,” Jeffrey observes. “Everyone’s got a creative suggestion. You know, maybe we need more flowers at the front door or maybe we need flowers that are going to bring bees to the yard.”
Rather than seeing these suggestions as complaints, councils can channel resident interest into productive involvement. This might mean appointing interested residents as liaisons between the council and landscaping contractors, or creating committees to plan and oversee improvement projects.
This approach reduces council workload while giving residents meaningful ways to improve their community. It also ensures projects reflect resident preferences rather than being imposed from above.
Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies
Despite best efforts at community building, conflicts will arise. The key is having structured approaches that de-escalate rather than inflame situations.
Conversation Before Consequences
Jeffrey strongly advocates encouraging residents to speak with each other directly before involving formal bylaw enforcement. “When you get that bylaw letter, you immediately become defensive and pretty angry,” she explains. “Nobody gets the letter and goes, ‘Oh yeah, I totally had that party that was way too loud. 100% deserve this.'”
Direct conversation allows for context and understanding. A parent might not realize their children’s courtyard play is disrupting neighbours, or a resident might be unaware that their footsteps carry significantly in their unit. These situations often resolve quickly with friendly communication.
However, Jeffrey acknowledges this approach has limitations. Some conflicts aren’t safe to handle directly, buildings may be too large for personal approaches, or residents might be difficult to reach or uncooperative.
Fair Application of Bylaws
When direct communication fails, councils must apply bylaws consistently and fairly. This includes:
- Following proper procedures outlined in the Strata Property Act.
- Providing opportunities for residents to respond to violations.
- Considering requests for hearings before issuing fines.
- Listening carefully to explanations and context.
“Hearings aren’t necessarily a bad thing,” Jeffrey notes. “Sometimes it is really good to have that conversation with the person that violated the bylaw because that can stop it from escalating even further.”
The goal remains achieving compliance and harmony rather than punishment for its own sake.
Role of Property Managers in Community Building
Property managers play crucial supporting roles in community building, though their involvement differs from that of councils and residents.
“The strata manager has seen it all,” Jeffrey explains. “They are a great resource for their experience. They’ve probably gone through hundreds of noise complaints.”
Managers provide valuable services including:
- Guidance based on experience: Helping councils understand whether situations constitute bylaw violations and suggesting effective responses
- Regulatory expertise: Ensuring councils follow proper procedures under the Strata Property Act
- Impartial perspective: Offering objective viewpoints since they don’t live in the building and aren’t emotionally invested in disputes
“Your strata manager is impartial,” Jeffrey emphasizes. “They don’t live in the building.
Their job is to make sure that the strata council is following the rules, the building is well-maintained, and the money is where the money is supposed to be.”
This impartiality makes managers valuable mediators and advisors, though they cannot and should not make bylaw enforcement decisions, which remain council responsibilities.
Real-Life Success Stories
Transparent Council Approach
Jeffrey recalls managing a large North Vancouver building where one recently retired resident had become intensely critical of council operations, sending dozens of emails between monthly meetings about minor issues like elevator cleanliness.
Rather than dismissing her concerns, the council president invited her to attend a council meeting (not an AGM). “He invited her to a council meeting. They had a council hearing with her ahead of time and said, ‘You’re welcome to stay to the meeting.'”
During the meeting, the resident observed the complexity of council operations — reviewing dozens of quotes, handling genuine bylaw infractions, and managing the numerous details of running a large building. She gained understanding of the council’s workload and priorities.
“After that, she had a real understanding of what the council did, and we never heard from her again,” Jeffrey reports. The transparency transformed a persistent critic into someone who understood and respected council operations, even though she chose not to volunteer herself.
Welcome Packages Case Study from Downtown Vancouver
A large downtown Vancouver tower with approximately 40% tenant occupancy created an exemplary onboarding system that went far beyond standard management company packages.
The council developed comprehensive welcome materials covering:
- Common bylaw violations specific to their building.
- Detailed renovation procedures for the older building.
- Garbage room operations, including specialized features like garbage chutes.
- Area information and local amenities.
Their 24/7 concierge staff walked every new resident through the building, showing parking stalls, garbage areas, gym facilities, and amenity booking procedures. This personal touch ensured both owners and tenants felt equally welcomed.
“For a downtown building, there were very few issues in that building because part of the onboarding process was the concierge or council member put a face to the name,” Jeffrey explains. “So they knew that Ed lived in unit 2201 with his dog and his wife.”
This personal connection benefited both residents, who felt truly part of the community, and council members, who could address issues with actual people rather than anonymous unit numbers.
Recommended Resource: Handling Disputes & the Role of the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT)
Cautionary Tale: When Councils Take Hard Stands Without Listening
Not all community building efforts succeed. Jeffrey witnessed one building’s rapid transformation from positive to negative environment when council members became inflexible and stopped listening to residents.
The problems began when a resident wanted to install an electric vehicle charging station—before EVs became mainstream. “The council said, ‘Nobody’s ever going to buy an electric car. We don’t need to put plugs in.’ So one guy had bought an electric car and he wanted to put a plug in, and they just refused, without even listening to him. Just no, flat out no.”
When Airbnb hosting became an issue, the council again took an uncompromising stance, going beyond reasonable enforcement to what residents felt was intrusive investigation, including searching the internet for rental listings.
“It turned into a really negative community. People didn’t enjoy living there. There was a lot of sales during that time,” Jeffrey recalls. “The owners lost trust in the council because they felt like they were only focused on these two issues and putting roadblocks up.”
The situation deteriorated to the point where numerous observers attended council meetings, making both council members and the property manager uncomfortable and creating an environment nobody wanted to participate in.
“It probably all could have been avoided by just having some conversations at the beginning,” Jeffrey reflects, emphasizing how early dialogue and flexibility could have prevented the complete breakdown in community relations.
Event Ideas and Building Community Momentum
Creating regular opportunities for residents to connect doesn’t require elaborate planning or significant budgets. Simple, recurring events often work best for building sustained community connections.
Effective community events include:
- Potluck dinners: Low-cost, inclusive, and accommodating various dietary preferences.
- Game nights: Accessible to residents who prefer not to share food
- Seasonal celebrations: Holiday parties, summer barbecues, or cultural celebrations.
- Activity-based gatherings: Book clubs, fitness groups, or hobby-sharing sessions
- Family-friendly events: Activities that include children and create intergenerational connections.
- Educational workshops: Topics like gardening, home maintenance, or local area information.
The key is consistency rather than complexity. Regular monthly or seasonal events create anticipation and routine that residents can plan around and look forward to.
It’s important to note that organizing these events falls to engaged residents or volunteer committees, not property managers. “This is not the responsibility of your strata manager,” Jeffrey emphasizes. “This is for your council or for engaged committee owner members within your community to try and create some excitement, some events, and some camaraderie among your neighbours.”
Creating Your Community Culture Action Plan
Building positive community culture requires intentional effort from multiple stakeholders, but the investment pays dividends in resident satisfaction, property values, and daily quality of life.
Start with these foundational steps:
For New Communities: Establish welcome procedures and communication norms from day one. Create comprehensive onboarding materials and ensure every resident receives personal orientation to building systems and community expectations.
For Existing Communities: Assess current communication patterns and identify barriers.
Whether cultivating community bonds in a new development or revitalizing connections in an established neighbourhood, effective communication and proactive engagement are key to success.