CONDO COMMUNITIES GET BETTER PROTECTION WITH CMRAO
Ontario’s condo laws have been overhauled — good news for the province’s 1.6 million condo owners.
The changes, which stemmed from an 18-month review of Ontario’s condo laws, are intended to provide better protection for condo owners and residents. Prior to Nov 2017, the condo management sector was unregulated, and anyone could be a condo manager. Today, just like with other licensed professions in the province, condo managers are acknowledged as professionals and must be licensed to provide their services.
New rules mean better managers
Under the legislation and regulations that came into effect on Nov 1, 2017, the Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario (CMRAO) oversees all condo managers and management companies, and ensures that anyone providing condo management services is licensed (whether they operate as individuals or as part of a company), meets education and experience requirements, and complies with a code of ethics. To date, over 3,000 condo managers and condo management companies have been licensed in Ontario. Mandatory education includes instruction in legal, financial, building management, and administrative matters to ensure condo owners and residents reap the benefits of a competent management team. “We’re confident that the new licensing and education requirements will improve the integrity of the sector as a whole and will build confidence for those who choose condo living,” says Aubrey LeBlanc, Chair of the CMRAO’s Board of Directors. This regulatory body operates as a non-profit organization and, in addition to licensing, manages a complaints process and maintains an up-to-date online public registry where condo residents can verify that their condo manager is licensed. This new addition provides an extra layer of protection and assurance for condo buyers as well, especially those who are new to the property-owning experience. “As more and more people choose to live in condos, the regulation of the condo management sector is crucial,” says LeBlanc.