When Ontario introduced its Energy & Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) regulation it was a wakeup call to many property management companies and condo boards given that energy waste in condos is such a critical issue. Essentially, it enabled condos to better track energy waste and use and get better at identifying efficiencies. Multi-unit residential…

Condo boards and property management companies in Toronto all want a better community for their residents, without infringing on their rights and privacy. Communities in condos are diverse, providing homes to a wide variety of residents. This mix of people can offer a positive living experience. However, diversity often makes it difficult for board members…

Now that Ontario has entered Stage 3 reopening, it will be interesting to see how well we all manage. It has been hard for businesses and individuals to adjust to the changes the pandemic forced upon us. However, the change we did, and it seemed to work. Although it took much longer than expected, COVID-19…

Communication is key when living in a condo community. Board members and residents must use effective communication. However, when communities are diverse, language barriers are a common occurrence. Language barriers include more than a person’s language of origin. Barriers span from unfamiliar and complex terminology to linguistics and physical barriers to state of mind. To…

One of the most important aspects of a condo board’s responsibilities is managing financials. This can be a challenge if condo boards don’t have a financial expert on the team. However, all boards have a budget prepared each year, usually by a condo management company. Condo management experts provide invaluable input when it comes to…

In April 2020, Ontario Regulation 107/20 was amended to accommodate changes during the Covid-19 pandemic. This affects condo property management and includes guidelines on virtual condo meetings and voting. To help you to adapt to this new approach, here are 10 tips to run effective virtual meetings if you’re a condo adjusting to the new…

As a condo owner who’s been affected by the COVID-19 crisis, you might be looking to reduce your monthly expenses. In fact, with the shutdown of condominium amenities, many owners might feel they have a right when it comes to deferring Common Expense Fees (CEFs). Unfortunately, there aren’t any existing statutory provisions to guide condo…

Although the coronavirus seems to be spreading at a slower pace in Canada, it is important to remember it is still early days here. Therefore, condo managers and boards should have some policies in place to help reduce the spread. Condo residents might feel they are at higher risk due to living in closer quarters,…

When the infamous video of a young woman throwing a chair off an Airbnb balcony emerged last year, many Torontonians were up in arms over the dangers these short-term tenants present to the city. More recently, a triple murder and shooting sent shockwaves through the Lakeshore and Bathurst area condo community. While crime and partying…

With the initial news that the deadly coronavirus was spreading in China, many Toronto residents couldn’t help but recall the SARS epidemic of 2003. However, after 438 probable and suspect SARS cases and 44 deaths in Canada from SARS, we have learned a lot about the spread of such viruses and are better equipped to…