What capital replacements or major repairs can be funded from the replacement reserve?
The Standardized List of Replacement Items lists items you can pay for using replacement reserve funds, including:

Appliances: dishwashers, dryers, fridges, wall ovens, stoves, washers
Flooring: carpets, linoleum/vinyl (suites and common areas)
Heating: furnace, boiler, electric heat, hot water tanks, water/oil pumps
Interior Structure: air conditioning, countertops
Painting: exterior painting, exterior trim painting, interior painting (suites and common areas)
Paving: driveways
Roofing: roof replacement
Window Coverings: blinds, drapes, awnings
Exterior Structure: balcony coverings, deck and deck coverings, fencing, playground equipment, security gate
Other: fresh water pump, sewage/pressure/relay

See the Replacement Reserve Funds chapter of the Financial Management Guide for more information. For non-standard items, please contact your NPPM.

Are there any advantages for societies or co-operatives in hiring a building manager/caretaker on a contract basis?
If you choose to use a single contractor as a full-time caretaker, Canada Revenue Agency may deem the position to be an employee. Please visit the CRA website or call 1-800-959-2221 to get a copy of the pamphlet RC4110 Employee or Self-Employed? which lists the criteria for determining whether someone is working as an employee or contractor.

Housing providers that manage small developments with no need for a full-time caretaker may benefit from hiring someone on a contract basis to perform specific tasks such as grounds work or cleaning common areas. Less supervision is required than with an employee. Organizations that manage larger or multiple developments may need one or more full-time caretakers, hired as employees.

If you hire a contractor rather than an employee, the Real Estate Act requires any contractor acting as an agent—collecting rent, showing suites and signing agreements, for example—to be licensed by the Superintendent of Real Estate.

You may be interested to learn more about the Skills Plus program. Skills Plus is a property maintenance skills training program offered to all provincially-funded, non-profit housing providers. The goal of this training is to enable your staff to handle minor repairs instead of retaining outside contractors. This increased capacity will improve service to your tenants, and ultimately lower building maintenance costs. Learn more.

Does the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA) help its members develop maintenance operating systems? What about the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC)?
The BCNPHA has a Policy and Procedures Manual for non-profit housing providers, and offers a property management workshop. Contact BCNPHA at 604-291-2600 or 1-800-494-8859, or by email at admin@bcnpha.bc.ca .

The CHF BC offers a maintenance and property management workshop. Contact CHF BC at 604-879-5111 or 1-866-879-5111, or by email at info@chf.bc.ca for information.

What is the Facility Condition Index?
Learn more about the Facility Condition Index here: http://www.bchousing.org/Partners/Maintenance_Repair/Planning

If you have a question that is not listed here, please check the Ongoing Maintenance section or contact your NPPM directly.