Deferred Maintenance and Your Reserve Account: What Every Board Should Know

Every condo association manages two different pots of money: the operating budget, which covers day-to-day maintenance, and the reserve fund, which covers major repairs and replacements down the road. Understanding the difference matters — because deferred maintenance affects both.

What is deferred maintenance? Deferred maintenance is simply work that’s been delayed — a roof repair pushed back a season, a paving project put off another year, a system that’s “fine for now.” On its own, one delay isn’t a crisis. But when several add up, small issues can turn into larger, reserve-level expenses.

Why it matters for your reserve account Reserve studies are built on assumptions: that certain repairs and replacements happen on a predictable schedule. When maintenance falls behind that schedule, the numbers in the reserve study no longer match reality. Costs can shift higher, timelines compress, and boards can find themselves facing a special assessment they didn’t see coming.

The good news: it’s fixable Deferred maintenance isn’t a sign of failure — it’s common. The key is understanding where things stand before deciding what to do next. A property walkthrough is often the simplest first step, giving your board a clear, plain-language picture to compare against your reserve study.

Getting back on track Catching up doesn’t have to mean fixing everything at once. A phased plan, prioritized by urgency, lets associations close the gap at a realistic pace.

If your board isn’t sure where your property stands, that’s a good place to start.

Common Ground Maintenance helps condo associations understand property conditions and build realistic plans to catch up on deferred work.