Tribunal should settle disputes like condo fee arguments or common room repairs
TORONTO — NDP Housing critic and MPP for University–Rosedale Jessica Bell has introduced a motion for the Ford government to expand jurisdiction of the province's Condominium Authority Tribunal (CAT) so condo residents have somewhere to turn with concerns like condo fees or building maintenance.
"Ontario's 1.3 million condo residents deserve to live in safe, well-maintained homes," said Bell. "The failure of successive Liberal and Conservative governments to properly regulate Ontario's condo sector means residents have nowhere to go but court with problems like unfair condo rules, poor maintenance of common spaces, or conflicts of interest with condo board governance.
"No resident should have to spend thousands of dollars taking a developer to court just to get an issue like a common room repaired. This bill gives them another place to turn.”
Bell discussed her bill at a virtual press conference Monday morning. She was joined by downtown Toronto condo owner Rani Poor, who has spent years mired in a court battle over flooding damage to her unit with her building's property manager and board of directors.
In 2020, Ontario's Auditor General released a damning report of the province's condo sector, calling for legal and regulatory changes including expanding the reach of the CAT.
Bell's motion would authorize the CAT to adjudicate common complaints related to condo board governance, fees, repairs in common areas, short-term rentals, and reserve funds.
"The jurisdiction of the Condo Tribunal must be expanded so condo residents have a fast, affordable and fair way to have their concerns heard and addressed, without spending thousands of dollars and years of their life stuck in court," Bell said.