A group of condo owners took their fight for legislative change to Queen’s Park this week to demand reforms they say would protect the 1.9 million people in Ontario who live in condos.
The owners say change cannot come fast enough when it comes to how condos are governed, despite Ontario government promises that consumer protections are on the way.
The owners want fairer condo elections, stronger accountability, greater transparency and better legal protections. They say condo boards run their own elections without independent oversight and “bad actors” can control large residential buildings for decades.
Bad condo governance can mean legal battles, misappropriated funds and neglected building maintenance, they say.
“Far too long has this government neglected and left condo owners and residents out of the loop. They favour the corporation. They favour the property manager. They favour the board,” Jad Boukayli, a Mississauga condo owner, said at a rally on the Ontario legislature front lawn Wednesday.
“We’ve had enough.”
Boukayli, who has lived in a Mississauga condo since 2008, said more regulation is needed. His condo maintenance fees are $1,255 a month, which includes utilities.
Jad Boukayli, a Mississauga condo board owner, says: ‘Far too long has this government neglected and left condo owners and residents out of the loop.’ (Keith Burgess/CBC)
Ghufran Siddiqui, owner of a Mississauga condo, said when he moved into his unit with his family five years ago, he had problems with elevator access, amenities and maintenance after a leak into his unit. He makes no accusations of wrongdoing, however.
Last year, he ran for a position on the board against two incumbents. He didn’t win and he asked for election and financial records. To get them, he had to go to the Condominium Authority Tribunal (CAT), which ordered certain records to be released. CAT is an online tribunal that helps condo owners and corporations resolve disputes.
The board appealed the ruling to the Divisional Court. More than one year later, Siddiqui has yet to receive “numerous” records, but says he did get a legal letter demanding legal fees.
“Going through this has caused extreme stress, anxiety and financial loss. I should be raising my kids and feel protected in my home, not be fighting mentally and financially exhausting legal battles,” Siddiqui said.
In a statement Thursday, the Ontario government said changes are coming.
“Condo owners deserve absolute confidence that their investment is safe, their rights are protected, and their voices are heard,” said Giulia Paikin, press secretary for Stephen Crawford, minister of public and business service delivery and procurement.
“Our government is taking decisive action to strengthen protections and ensure condo boards and developers remain accountable to the people they serve. Under the Condominium Act, owners already have the right to call meetings and vote out board directors, but we are taking those protections even further.”
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New rules about owners’ meetings will take effect Dec. 31. On July 1, 2027, CAT’s jurisdiction will be expanded so that it can resolve disputes about how meetings are called and award up to $50,000 in damages to impacted owners.
Owners said they want the government to:
Ontario is ‘taking decisive action to strengthen protections and ensure condo boards and developers remain accountable to the people they serve,’ a spokesperson for Minister Stephen Crawford says. (Yan Theoret/CBC)
Aleks Dhefto, spokesperson for the Condominium Authority of Ontario, went to the rally to talk to condo owners about their concerns. He said consumer protection is a big concern for the province.
Dhefto said he has some advice for condo owners: “If there’s an issue and folks are behind you, run for the board, get involved, understand the financials, make sure you read everything that you’re condo sends you and be that agent of change if you can be.”
Condo lawyer Shawn Pulver said he thinks the “rogue boards” are the exception rather than the rule.
“All boards are supposed to be acting reasonably and trying to listen to their owners and make sure they’re making decisions that are in good faith and the best interests of the corporation,” Pulver said.
“Sometimes it’s the couple of bad apples that kind of represents the community. But I know there’s a lot of really good advocacy going on right now.”
Jessica Bell, NDP MPP for University-Rosedale, said: “The Ontario government has the power to ensure that our condo sector is properly regulated and that people can live in safe and well-maintained buildings, where disputes are quickly and easily and cheaply resolved.
“We need to get it right and bring in proper regulation.”
