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…

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…

Special assessments are a condo owner’s worst nightmare. The assessment presents an extra charge on top of monthly maintenance fees. Owners do not have approval over a special assessment. From an owner’s standpoint, an assessment is never a good thing. Most owners trust their monthly fees include a reserve fund to pay for unexpected projects…

Condo maintenance became a lot more challenging with the arrival of COVID-19. The City of Toronto calls for heavier duty cleansers and cleaning schedules. In addition, property management companies in Toronto and beyond have the responsibility to protect the most vulnerable residents in their condos. Here is a list of the residents most at risk…

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…

The current situation and the social distancing rules makes it difficult for condominium boards and corporations to remain effective. Many condos have introduced telecommunication practices. However, this can present challenges when it comes to Annual General Meetings (AGMs), reaching quorum and voting situations. As a result, many condos are introducing an electronic means bylaw to…

As the coronavirus crisis continues, your condo corporation could come toe to toe with owners who feel that their common expense fees (CEFs) should be lowered or deferred. In fact, since their amenities have been cut off, owners might feel they no longer have to pay their CEFs at all. Unfortunately, this is not an…

As Ontario remains in almost full shutdown mode, condo management services have been deemed an essential service by the provincial government. While this is good news for your tenants, it can pose some challenges for your team. Your role has not changed, yet it might be more difficult for you to perform some of your…