When a condominium manager stops responding, the impact reaches far beyond an unanswered email. Maintenance requests can stall, directors lose confidence, and owners begin to feel that nobody is in control. The key is to respond calmly, document the issue, and escalate in a way that protects the corporation.
First, separate urgent issues from routine requests
Life-safety concerns, active leaks, security incidents, and other emergencies need immediate attention. Use the emergency contact process in your management agreement and document every attempt to reach the manager or after-hours service.
For routine matters, give the manager a reasonable opportunity to respond. A request for a contractor update may take time; a complete lack of acknowledgement over several business days is a different concern.
Keep a clear record
Maintain a simple communication log with the date, request, person contacted, response received, and next step. Save emails and note phone calls. This is not about building a case against someone; it is about giving the board an accurate picture of whether a pattern exists.
Specific records are far more useful than general statements such as “they never call back.” They also make it easier for a senior manager to understand the problem and act on it.
Use the agreed communication channel
Check whether your management company has a designated board email, service portal, or escalation contact. Sending the same request through multiple personal channels can create confusion and make follow-up harder.
Where possible, have the board's designated liaison communicate on behalf of the directors. This keeps instructions consistent and avoids putting the manager in the middle of conflicting requests.
Ask for a response deadline
If a request has gone unanswered, send a concise follow-up that identifies the original request, explains the impact, and asks for an update by a reasonable date. Keep the tone factual and professional.
For example: “The board requested an update on the elevator repair quote on August 20. Please confirm the status and next steps by August 27.” Clear requests are easier to action and easier to escalate if necessary.
Escalate within the management company
If the assigned manager does not respond, contact their supervisor or the company's principal using the escalation process in your agreement. Share the communication log and explain what outcome the board needs.
A reputable management company should take persistent communication concerns seriously. Sometimes the issue is workload, coverage during an absence, or an unclear expectation that can be corrected quickly.
Discuss the issue at a board meeting
When the concern is ongoing, put it on the agenda for a properly called board meeting. Review the facts, decide what service standard the board expects, and record any direction in the minutes.
This ensures the response is a board decision rather than an individual director's frustration. It also creates a clear record if the corporation later needs to review the management relationship.
Review the management agreement
Your agreement may set expectations for reporting, meeting attendance, emergency coverage, and response times. If the company is not meeting those obligations, raise the issue formally and ask for a corrective plan.
If communication failures continue despite escalation, the board may need legal advice about its options, including whether to issue notice or begin a search for a new management company.
The bottom line
Unanswered messages should not become the normal way your condominium corporation operates. A documented, board-led escalation process gives your manager a fair opportunity to improve while protecting the corporation if the problem continues.
MVP Condos provides responsive, transparent support for Ontario condominium boards. Request a free proposal to discuss the service standards your corporation needs.