Best practices for improving condo board communications (2025)
No one ever complains about too much communication, but everyone complains about too little. Is it possible to get it right? Absolutely!
Here are nine best practices for improving condo board communications. Condos and homeowner associations will find these tips useful for improving communications with owners and their property managers.
Since I first wrote this in 2016, technology has advanced, and expectations have shifted. In 2025, boards have more options than ever—from instant text alerts to video updates—to help owners feel informed and connected.
The lack of communication
Forty-nine percent of condo owners complained about the lack of communication from their boards (Condo Information Centre), data from 4,500 owners.
Every director on the board of a condo, HOA, cooperative or community association faces the same challenges. Expectations put on directors are very high and usually unrealistic. Everyone thinks directors are superheroes and will do everything. Directors are unpaid volunteers, so directors and owners must be reasonable when setting expectations.
This does not excuse any board from doing a poor job, but everyone must understand that there is always more that could be done. The goal is optimization, not maximization. There will always be more that could be done, but the question is: Is the additional communication worth the extra cost, time, and effort?
So, how can this task be accomplished? Here are five simple ways to introduce a culture of transparency and clear communication in your condo.
Embrace a philosophy of transparency
Directors serving on the best condo boards prioritize improving condo board communications and have internalized the philosophy that good governance includes communicating effectively. These boards know that openness and transparency come from good communication practices.
Make it a standard operating procedure to provide owners with all the condo’s records. The only exceptions are personal information about an owner, some contracts, and possibly details about legal issues.
First Step: Set Expectations
Before even thinking about improving condo board communications, it is helpful to review the existing tools before considering any new ones—the incremental benefit from each additional piece of communication declines. Thus, the goal is to optimize and not to maximize communications.
Some free tools are time-consuming but challenging to use, while others come with a cost and are very easy to use. The best solution is the one that fits within a budget and is doable. Deciding on a Cadillac solution on a bare-bones budget is not sustainable.
1. Use digital technology
Going digital is the only way. Yes, I’m slightly biased towards technology, but using technology saves time and money. No one has time to sift through boxes of paper files to find a report. Paper records are not safe from hurricanes, tornadoes, fires or floods. Digital backups ensure that records survive. Digital technology is essential for improving condo board communications.
Today, digital tools aren’t just about storage—they’re about speed and access. Boards can use platforms that combine document storage, meeting tools, and instant messaging, giving directors and owners one place to find everything. Many of these tools also integrate AI-powered summaries, making meeting minutes and action items easier to share quickly and consistently.
2. Publish a condo newsletter
A newsletter connects owners with their boards. Anyone can write for a newsletter. It is an excellent way to keep in touch with owners. Newsletters do not need to be masterpieces, lengthy tomes or produced with the latest and most fabulous design tools. It must get done and sent on a regular schedule.
An excellent newsletter is one that gets finished. If it remains a draft, no one knows if it is worthy or not. Just get it done and into the inboxes of owners.
If you are interested in using email marketing software, here is a link to an industry review of tools. Review of Email Marketing Tools
I’ve seen excellent newsletters released only once a quarter or even only once or twice a year. Newsletters can be time-consuming to prepare, so organize a newsletter committee of owners who volunteer to write them instead of trying to do all the work themselves.
If going 100% digital is impossible, then send what can be sent by email and print the rest. Printing and mailing are time-consuming, so it’s best to outsource them to a service.
3. Digital Notice Boards
Digital notice or message boards in a central location are a fantastic way to post news and last-minute reminders, such as upcoming maintenance issues or the annual meeting (or AGM). High-rise condos often find it easier to locate a central area, whereas townhouse complexes typically have a common space where owners and tenants can access up-to-date information (usually near the mailboxes). It makes old-fashioned cork bulletin boards go the way of the dinosaur unless there are no good options for a digital solution. Learn about Digi Notice
4. SMS and push notifications
For urgent issues, boards are increasingly using text message alerts or mobile app push notifications to reach owners right away. Think water shut-offs, elevator breakdowns, or snow removal updates. Quick, direct messages cut through the noise and make sure nobody misses critical information.
5. Free Document Storage
Many software vendors offer document storage, including popular tools like Google Docs and Dropbox. But here’s the catch: storing documents is easy—finding them later is the hard part. New board members need an easy-to-learn system for locating the right document at the right time.
Not all document storage solutions are created equal—especially when it comes to setting up a system that works for a board of directors.
If your organizing structure is confusing, it won’t be helpful for long.
That’s where BoardSpace comes in—a better alternative to both Google Docs and Dropbox, purpose-built for board management.
6. Websites
Websites can be an effective communication, too, and act as the “front door” of your community for both residents and prospective buyers.
The takeaway? Maintaining a website is time-consuming and likely more work than most volunteers are willing to commit. Boards need to be realistic. If no one is committed to keeping it updated, it can quickly go stale—and a stale website communicates the wrong message.
7. Cloud-based Software
The best solution is to use a cloud-based board management software like BoardSpace to upload and organize documents. Directors, owners, & property managers log in and find information right before them.
8. Private community groups
Some communities now maintain private Facebook or Nextdoor groups where residents can ask questions, share tips, or post updates. These groups shouldn’t replace official communication channels, but they can strengthen community spirit and create informal spaces for neighbours to connect.
Boards should set clear rules if they sponsor such groups, making it clear what’s official communication and what’s just conversation.
9. Virtual and Hybrid Meetings
Another big shift since 2020 has been the rise of virtual and hybrid meetings. Many boards now use Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet for board and annual general meetings. This makes it far easier for owners to attend since they can join from their living room, cottage, or even while travelling. For some condos, attendance at AGMs has increased because logging in is more convenient than showing up in person.
While boards don’t usually share video recordings or transcripts afterward, the technology makes it possible to capture owner questions more effectively during the meeting. Those questions, along with written answers, can then be circulated to all owners afterward—not just those who attended live. This creates a stronger record of communication and ensures everyone receives the same information.
Hybrid meetings (with both in-person and virtual attendance) are becoming the norm in larger communities, balancing accessibility with the benefits of face-to-face discussion.
Conclusion
Implementing these best practices for improving condo board communications can promote a culture of transparency and openness that supports a great community.
Implementing these best practices—and updating them for today’s digital world—creates a culture of transparency, openness, and trust. Whether it’s video updates, text alerts, private community groups, or hybrid meeting recordings, the goal is the same: keeping owners informed without overwhelming directors or managers.
Strong communication isn’t about doing everything; it’s about doing the right things consistently.
Editor’s Note: This post was substantially updated in August 2025 to include new tools and strategies.
Editor: Pat Crosscombe
Founder & CEO BoardSpace
Pat writes extensively about best practices in board governance and management for condo and nonprofit boards of directors.
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Wow! That was worth a read. Thank you much for sharing!
Your remarks about condo boards are right on***** I live in a condo that has the worst management in the USA. I am a retired RE Broker and all my complaints to state agencies are a waste of time.
Can a property management company restrict vendors from communicating with board members?
Hi Judith,
What kind of information are the vendors trying to get from the board? Is the vendor bidding for a contract? Or is a vendor trying to get the attention of the board in order for their product or service to be considered? Or is the vendor trying to circumvent the management company and provide other information.
I doubt if the management company could actually prevent vendors from communicating with board members. Vendors could be directed to communicate with a specific property manager, but if the vendor chose to ignore that guidance I’m not sure how it could be stopped. I find it a bit odd that vendors would have the email addresses of the board members since most don’t make this information public.
I would suggest that a conversation with the board could be in order. Does the board understand what a bidding process is? Is the board trying to micromanage its property managers? I don’t think it is a problem if a vendor contacts board members with sales information about their products or services. If a vendor is trying to influence a bidding process currently underway, then this would be completely innappropriate.
In general, my advice would be for board members to leave any contact with vendors to the management company. This is usually the responsibility of the management company and the board should leave this job to management. Could it be that the board doesn’t trust its management company and that is why they are trying to micromanage and go directly to the vendor.
Without the specifics of the situation, I’ve only been able to provide general guidance.
Pat
Our condo is now resorting to gag order threats instead of communicating clearly
It is an increasingly toxic environment on top of special assessment now routine not just rare.
Bev,
It is very unfortunate that your condo has moved in the direction you note. It is critical that good communication be restored. Full transparency is the best way forward for condo boards. Is there a trusted neutral person who could mediate?
What is the age of the building? Has maintenance been deferred and now special assessments are being used to catch up?
Pat
There are serial special assessments and one is knowingly being deferred to try to improve available funding
Our board is imo hyper reactive due to the abnormal pressures and the reality of costs now surfacing as they are elsewhere in condoland
The one excellent remedy I have found that is a safe venue to ask questions is not the board but the contact is ask us portal offered by the condominium association of Ontario which has specific areas of information and an open portal
They are using pimply from many sources now to update directors training as well as buyer awareness
It is very detailed in the material provided and patient. I would suggest avoiding the board especially one that is hyper reactive and using this source
Boards tend to be defensive and have far too much on their plates as condoland evolves
What makes it worse is that policy drafters federally and provincially are not likely attended to the unigue legal features of condo ownership or the automatic liens process
It takes alot of energy on the part of an owner not to rise to the incendiary bait from a hyper reactive board
Which is why I suggest the CAo portal as a better way to get background and general information
Property title security is not as robust as it is for say a dwelling format such as a single home non condo format
Some boards also aren’t aware they have a duty to oversee management
The move to update director training as of this Mov speaks volumes to perhaps gaps as condoland continues to evolve
Hi Bev,
Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I agree that the CAO portal has lots of good resources for condo directors.
Pat
When is the condo authority of Ontario going to insist that its Act be amended so that it can cull. Cost pressure data from board directors as well as the green house gas emissions condo mgts are increasingly mandated to gather ?
I ask because the automatic liens behind all condo to ow er billing’s would suggest that the cao and peers do this routinely noting that for federal and provincial programs condos are frequently passed over for remits especially mid and high rise. Noting that condos are a legal arrangement not an architectural structure one remedy would be for the cao and peers to ensure policy drafters become better informed. Just fingers crossed wagging at boards or pitting owners against boards seems to be more of a way to deflect issues that the cao needs to address itself. The Canadian institute of actuaries has quote in Livabl” on the need for government (any government to create a form to gather this data which board directors and condo mgt have available
In its very first survey ?2023 )and how long have condos existed the cao noted that the quidelines that many boards had been using eg the cpi was not really reflecting the real costs and funding required those shallow reserve funds
Finger wagging at condo boards not giving the best benchmarks to anchor real contributions does not reflect the real ongoing costs of owning this type of asset just buries it. So maybe the capo and others across Canada need to speak up not just developers and provide the data regarding the real cost pressures condo owners face instead of facilitating a blame game ? Given the set up with the automatic liens I find it odd that the cao and peers aren’t doing the above and alerting government(s) the data is available via the boards and condo mgt.