Who Handles Daily Operations for a Condo Syndicate in Quebec?
What a board can hand off to a professional manager, what has to stay with the board, and where the line actually sits under Quebec law.
The short answer: day-to-day administration is usually delegated by the board of directors to a professional manager, but decision-making authority itself never leaves the board and the general meeting of co-owners. Under article 1085 of the Civil Code of Québec, a syndicate's board can hand off all or part of the syndicate's current administration to a manager — often a property management company — while keeping final say over anything the law or the declaration reserves to the board or the assembly. This guide breaks down exactly where that line sits, what daily operations actually cover in practice, and how Simpson Groupe fits into it for syndicates across Greater Montreal.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. A syndicate's declaration of co-ownership and by-laws can affect how authority is divided in a specific building, check your own documents or ask a lawyer with a specific question.
In this article
What "Day-to-Day Administration" Means Under the Civil Code
A Quebec syndicate of co-ownership is run through two bodies: the general meeting of co-owners, which handles the big decisions like electing directors and approving the budget, and the board of directors, which manages the syndicate's affairs between meetings. Article 1085 of the Civil Code of Québec lets co-owners go one step further and entrust a manager with all or part of the syndicate's current administration. That manager doesn't become a third decision-making body, its role sits under the board's authority, carrying out the work the board directs rather than making the calls itself.
What Can Be Delegated to a Manager — and What Can't
In practice, a manager typically takes on guiding the board through its own tasks, gathering information to support board decisions, handling communication with suppliers, co-owners, and tenants, bookkeeping and accounting, coordinating building maintenance, and organizing, sometimes running, the co-owners' general meeting. How far that goes depends on the building: smaller syndicates often limit a manager to a few well-defined tasks, while larger ones lean on a manager for most of the day-to-day load. What can't move, under any arrangement, are the powers the law or the declaration of co-ownership specifically reserves to the board or the general meeting, a manager cannot substitute itself for the syndicate on those decisions, no matter how broad its mandate reads.
Most common mistake we see
Boards that hand off day-to-day administration without a signed management contract, or without ever checking the manager's insurance and financial practices. There's currently no licensing requirement for condo managers in Quebec, which means verifying competence and coverage is the syndicate's own job, not something to assume is handled.
What Daily Operations Actually Cover, Task by Task
Stripped of the marketing language, day-to-day condo administration usually breaks into four areas. Administration covers preparing, convening, and running the annual general meeting and its minutes, maintaining the syndicate's registers — contingency fund, maintenance logbook, by-laws, co-owners' list, building services — and enforcing the building's regulations with written notices as needed. Finance covers implementing the budget the board approved, preparing financial statements and bank reconciliations, breaking down expenses according to each co-owner's share, and keeping the board regularly informed of the syndicate's financial health. Business management covers negotiating and signing contracts in the syndicate's name, soliciting bids for common expenses like cleaning, elevator maintenance, snow removal, and landscaping, and coordinating the professionals who do the actual work. And emergency response covers being reachable when something goes wrong, assessing the situation, and following up once it's resolved.
The Standard a Manager Is Held To
The Civil Code doesn't leave a manager's conduct undefined. Whoever takes on the role is expected to act with prudence and diligence, with honesty and loyalty toward the syndicate's interest, and to avoid conflicts of interest, the same core standard directors themselves are held to. A manager also shouldn't mix the syndicate's funds with their own or with another client's, which is exactly why checking a prospective manager's financial practices before signing matters as much as checking their references.
How Simpson Groupe Handles Daily Operations for Condo Syndicates
Simpson Groupe has acted as that professional manager for condominium syndicates across Greater Montreal for more than 20 years, currently overseeing more than $200 million in syndicate assets as an RGCQ member. On the administration side, that means preparing and running the AGM and its bilingual minutes, keeping every required register current, and enforcing the building's by-laws. On the finance side, it means implementing the board's approved budget, producing financial statements and reconciliations, and giving the board regular visibility into where things stand. On the business management side, it means soliciting and presenting contractor bids for the board's decision, coordinating the professionals who do the work, and inspecting common areas on a monthly basis. And 24/7 emergency support means the board isn't the one fielding a call about a burst pipe at 2 a.m. The board keeps every decision that's legally theirs to make, we handle the execution underneath it.
Warning Signs Your Syndicate's Day-to-Day Management Isn't Working
A few patterns suggest a syndicate's current arrangement, self-managed or otherwise, isn't holding up: board members are personally fielding maintenance calls and contractor coordination on top of their day jobs, financial reporting to the board has gone quiet or come in late more than once, there's no signed contract spelling out what a manager is actually responsible for, or nobody's checked in a while whether the person managing the building's money is properly insured. None of this points to bad intentions, it usually just means the volume of day-to-day work has outgrown what a volunteer board or an informal arrangement can carry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who handles day-to-day operations for a condo syndicate in Quebec?
The board of directors can delegate all or part of the syndicate's current administration to a professional manager under article 1085 of the Civil Code of Québec. The manager carries out the day-to-day work, but decision-making authority stays with the board and the general meeting of co-owners.
Can a condo board delegate its decision-making authority to a manager?
No. A manager can take on tasks like accounting, maintenance coordination, communications, and organizing meetings, but cannot be given powers the law or the declaration of co-ownership reserves to the board or the general meeting.
What's the difference between a condo board of directors and a property manager?
The board is elected by co-owners and holds legal decision-making authority — the board's own legal responsibilities are set out under the Civil Code. A property manager is a service provider the board hires to execute day-to-day administration under the board's oversight.
Does a condo manager need a professional licence in Quebec?
No formal licensing requirement currently exists, which makes it the syndicate's own responsibility to verify a manager's competence, insurance, and financial practices before signing a contract — see our guide to choosing a condo management company for what to check.
Does Simpson Groupe act as the syndicate's manager, or does the board still make decisions?
Simpson Groupe handles the day-to-day administration, finances, and maintenance coordination as the syndicate's manager, while the board keeps full decision-making authority over its building — call 514-223-2028 to discuss your syndicate.
Need Someone to Run the Day-to-Day?
Simpson Groupe manages the administration, finances, and maintenance coordination for condo syndicates across Greater Montreal, so your board can focus on decisions instead of execution. Request a Free Quote Or call 514-223-2028 — or see our full range of services
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