Facility Management
Gaps flagged in new CDM programs
After 2022, companies must use their own funds to reimburse embedded energy managers, but will be offered “an enhanced level of technical support and resources.” It's a move some see as more short-sighted.
Closing the condo manager skills gap
This pandemic has helped condo managers to identify relevant skill gaps in relation to being prepared for the unexpected.
Condo landscaping tips for curb appeal
Careful planning and high and low-design cost options will quickly transform any curb-appeal project into improved real estate value.
Creating a condo sustainability plan for 2021
A sustainability plan and budget should be made with the mindset of plan and prevent, instead of react and pivot.
Is remote condo management working?
Portfolio managers and supervising managers remain in the wilderness of the home office, strategizing, planning, and serving clients from the comfort of their home.
The ins and outs of hybrid meetings
In some respects, hybrid meetings may actually be more complex than an exclusively virtual meeting or an in-person meeting.
Inside one condo board’s COVID-19 response
In February, before the WHO declared a global pandemic, talk among the condo board at Palace Pier was of various news reports piling in.
Chargebacks and lessons learned in 2020
Condominiums need to be careful when they decide to chargeback costs to an owner and must ensure they have the legal right to do so before they start lien proceedings.
How a newly expanded CAT will impact condos
This expansion of the CAT’s jurisdiction into new issues should be noted by condominium corporation boards and managers alike.
Canada’s condo insurance crisis
Impacts of the hard insurance market are trickling into condominium corporations across Canada, challenging boards and managers in their wake.
A guide to finding the right roofing contractor
Low-slope roofing systems, on top of most residential towers, will typically require replacement following a service life of 20 to 30 years.
Why benchmarking small buildings still matters
While building codes and standards help regulate efficiency in new buildings, existing buildings have been operating with little oversight and, in fact, no insight at all into how energy and water was being used in our cities.
How is COVID-19 impacting reserve funds?
Many reserve fund projects have not been able to proceed this year. Even now as construction has “opened up,” contractors have backlogs that will allow them to complete only some of the previously planned projects.
Contractual clauses in a post-COVID-19 world
COVID-19 has also taught the importance of well-drafted comprehensive force majeure clauses and other standard contractual clauses, which should now be scrutinized more than ever.
Should condos consider pandemic rules?
As areas of Ontario have reopened in the midst of an ongoing outbreak, condos may be asking if a specific set of rules is helpful.
A condo tax refresher
Although condo corporations in Canada are non-profit, there are still tax implications and annual filings that are often overlooked.
A guide to rejuvenating suite doors
There are many budget-friendly upgrades that can help make big visual impacts like refurbishing suite doors in a condo community.