M.V. from Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
Hello Mr. Condo – first of all – thank you for this service! My question is: In CT does a condo owner need to hire Connecticut licensed and insured vendors/contractors to do extensive work in their Unit. I believe they do, but the Management Company isn’t sure. Thank you.
Mister Condo replies:
M.V., thank you for the kind words. Hiring a licensed and insured vendor is common practice in condominium associations all across the country. Having licensed and insured contractors reduces liability to the association in the event that the contractor does work that damages the association in any way. It is not 100% foolproof but it does help protect the association as well as the homeowner who is ultimately responsible for damage caused by a contractor they hired. Of course, the requirement to hire a licensed and insured contractor is only as strong as the inspection of that license and insurance by the association. Most associations require homeowners to submit the name, license, and certificate of insurance for the contractor before any work begins. Sadly, that task is often left to an “honor” system where only the unit owner knows for sure if they have hired a licensed and insured contractor. The management company should be familiar enough with the requirements of the association (via their governing documents) to determine if license and insurance are required. It is certainly a best practice and one your association should adopt of it isn’t already in their documents. All the best!