December 2014
Condo tenants are frustrated with condo owners (landlords) and management boards that demand deposits and refuse to deal with building issues.
The Federation of Metro Tenants Association (FMTA) is working to establish a group to deal with condo buildings. Condo tenants are being invited to join the Condo Tenants Association in an effort to seek the same rights as those in residential rental buildings.
Key deposits, rent increases to cover increasing maintenance fees, complaints against condo boards and additional fees are concerns. An inability to get things fixed and no legal right to request repairs from a condo board is another concern.
Many of these concerns are because of a legal grey zone. Condo owners are governed by the Condo Act which is designed to protect home owners. When a condo owner chooses to become a landlord, their tenants rely on the Residential Tenancies Act which is designed to protect renters. These regulations have never been reconciled to reflect both groups residing in the same building.
A Humber College Bachelor of Journalism student has prepared a news report about what she describes as a “loophole” in the Residential Tenancies Act. This “loophole” is just one of the grey areas between the two Acts which serve different purposes and which represent different parties. Click here to view the report.
There can be conflicts between renter’s rights and condo owner rights. Reconciling such conflicts is difficult when the interests of resident condo owners and renters are not consistent. Problems can arise when, for example, individuals purchasing a condo in what is perceived to be a quality building find that renters treat the property like a university residence and property values drop.
Click here for more information.
