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There's no shortage of information about Toronto condo boards and how they fit into a new condo owner's life. But considering how many condos in the city are owned by one person and rented by another, it's worth talking about what your condo board means to you as a tenant.
So, you've rented that brand-new, shiny, trendy condo. How does a condo board fit into your life?
So, what does a condo board do anyway?
A condo board is basically the tiny government of your condo building: for the residents, by the residents. Although some condo owners would love the comparison—and some will loathe it—condo corporations and co-ops have more than a few things in common, and one of them is that decisions on how to run the whole building are made by owners who have agreed to represent their and their neighbours' needs.
The kinds of decisions they're making range from how common areas are maintained to balancing the building's books, maintaining the building's status certificate, collecting condo fees, making sure contracts the building offers have an above-board tendering process, enforcing the agreed-upon building rules, and hiring and maintaining relationships with the staff and management company. A condo board's also a mediator sometimes, if staff, residents, or owners have an issue with each other. It's basically like running one small, vertical company, whose job is to maintain a great quality of life within its particular walls.
Sitting on a condo board is a volunteer gig; you don't require any special training or credentials for the job. And just like in a co-op, any decisions the board makes are paid for by every member of the building chipping in through their condo fees.
But who watches the condo watchmen?
Condo boards can't just do whatever they want; they're accountable to both the bylaws that the developer set for the building when it was occupied as well as, more importantly, the law. The Ontario Condominium Act sets down what a condo board can and can't do, and basic procedures for how to elect officers, what information must be communicated to owners, financial obligations and so forth.
Legal remedies against bad condo board decisions exist. They're messy, but they are there.
How long does a condo board spot last?
It depends on the bylaws of your condo corporation, but a term can legally last no longer than three years.
But that doesn't have anything to do with me, right?
It totally does. As a tenant who lives in the building, you are entitled to sit in on—and speak at—the meetings of your condo board. You live by the rules, so you get the input. If your landlord is willing and you're on very good terms, you may even be able to issue a proxy vote for them.
If it's a directors' meeting, you might have to write to your condo board to request permission to attend. Not even owners generally attend board of directors' meetings for their condo boards without an issue to raise, written permission, and a space on the agenda.
If you're really invested in the state of your condo community, some buildings do allow tenants—non-owners—to sit on their boards. It's much less common, and it'll probably be a harder sell on Condo Board Election Day, but the Condominium Act allows it. So if you're up to the commitment and the building bylaws allow it, go for it.
How do I find out who's on my condo board, if I have an issue?
If you have a concierge or other day in, day out rep at your property management company, asking them is a good first step. Otherwise, your landlord—or the documents that come through your mail slot from the building—should have contact information for the members of your condo board.
What if I have a problem with my condo board?
Your best bet is to consult with your landlord, and let them mediate. As an owner, they will likely have more experience with the personalities on your condo board, the history of how it operates, and what outcomes are possible than you have.
Disputes with condo boards can be tricky legal territory, even for owners. Condos have become the go-to choice for renters in Toronto, but they were designed for owners, so the law is still feeling its way through how the landlord-tenant-board relationship works. It's a good idea to preemptively look over the bylaws of your condo corporation during the renting process and make sure you can live with them before signing a lease. An ounce of prevention, when it comes to condo bylaws, is generally worth a pound of cure.