Who is responsible for cleaning them? First, look up the strata plans
Tony Gioventu
Province
Dear Condo Smarts:
I live on the 12th floor of a high-rise building. Recently, I noticed a water stain on my hallway ceiling. I believe the stain is due to condensation created by a plugged dryer vent.
At the same time, I noticed it was taking an extra long time for my clothes to dry. Could you advise whose responsibility it is to ensure the dryer vents are cleaned on an annual basis?
The dryer vents in our building were cleaned in late 2006 but not done in 2007 as the roof anchors had to be replaced.
— BR, New Westminster
Dear BR:
Who’s responsible for dryer vents? Who’s responsible for windows? These are the two most common questions we field every day and share a common answer.
As no two strata plans and bylaws are identical, the answer cannot be general. The boundaries of strata lots are between units defined by the walls, ceilings, floors, common hallways or outside walls, as shown on your registered strata plan.
The boundaries divide what is part of the strata lot and what is common property. So the first step for anyone is to look at the strata plan.
Next, look at the Strata Act and the Strata Bylaws.
According to the Act, common property is the part of the land and buildings shown on a strata plan that is not part of a strata lot.
Commong property includes: pipes and ducts located within a floor, wall or ceiling that forms a common boundary between two or more strata lots, between the strata lot and common property or between a strata lot and another parcel of land.
In most highrise and apartment-style buildings, ducting in the floors is common property.
The windows border the outside and the exterior and are also generally common property. The Act & Regulations do not permit bylaws that make owners responsible for common property.
That means the strata corporation must maintain and repair the dryer vents (ducts) and windows.
Many strata corporations routinely clean their ducts once a year, but it is not uncommon during the course of construction that a vent may have collapsed or was plugged with constructions materials; the exterior screens may be plugged or your dryer is simply not powerful enough to exhaust the air over a long distance.
Residents must use lint traps and clean them every time, otherwise the ducts will compact much quicker, and the long-term damage to interior finishes may be significant. If your unit is experiencing difficulties, then so are other units.
If the ducts are plugged, there is an excessive amount of moisture pumping into your building. The results will be mould and long-term damages. Tony Gioventu is executive director of the Condominium Home Owners Association. Contact CHOA at 604-584-2462 or toll-free at 1-877-353-2462 or e-mail [email protected]