Read the following scenarios for owners or condo corporations, depending on your situation, and try the recommended steps to resolve your issue collaboratively before taking any further action.

Here’s what to do now that you’ve identified your issue and reviewed your legal obligations.

Ensure that you can clearly identify and describe the problem if you think there is an issue with your corporation’s governing documents.

All three of a condo corporation’s governing documents must be consistent with the Condo Act. In addition its by-laws must be reasonable and consistent with the corporation’s declaration and its rules must also be reasonable and consistent with both the corporation’s declaration and by-laws.

There are certain processes that must be followed to amend a condo corporation’s declaration or to make, amend or repeal the corporation’s by-laws and rules under the Condo Act. Those governing documents may not be enforceable if these processes are not followed.

Review information about governing documents.

Contact your condo manager or the condo corporation’s board of directors if:

• you think a provision in your condo corporation’s governing documents is unreasonable or inconsistent with another governing document or the Condo Act. They may initiate a process to change the corporation’s governing documents if they agree.
• you think your condo corporation didn’t follow the right process to change its governing documents.

Use the following templates for letters to owners, occupants or your condo corporation when trying to resolve an issue. Make sure you keep a copy of your letter with the date and time you sent it.

• You may wish to seek legal advice from a paralegal or lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario or the Law Society Referral Service.
• You may be able to file an application with the Condominium Authority Tribunal if you’ve tried all the steps above and the short-term rental related issue has continued and if your condo corporation’s governing documents have provisions about short-term rentals.

The Condo Act allows condo corporations to adopt rules to:

• promote the safety, security and welfare of condo owners and the property
• prevent interference with an owner’s right to use and enjoy their condo unit or common elements.

Condo corporations often have provisions to prevent infestations because the risk of them spreading between condo units is high when you live so close to your neighbours. These provisions are often in the corporation’s declaration, rules or by-laws.

Review your condo corporation’s governing documents to see if there are any infestation-related provisions or obligations. You can request a copy from your condo corporation using the mandatory Request for Records form.

Contact your municipality to learn about any existing infestation-related by-laws and ensure that you comply with them.

It is your responsibility to maintain your condo unit unless otherwise stated in your condo corporation’s governing documents so if your issue isn’t resolved after contacting your condo board or condo manager, you should:

• Contain and remove the infestation
• Remove or fix any sources and conditions in your unit that promotes the infestation, such as sealing any holes in the walls
• Repair any other damage to your unit caused by the infestation.

You may wish to consider hiring a professional infestation removal service with the expertise and tools to completely remove an infestation and safeguard your condo unit and building against future infestations.

You could be held liable if an infestation in your unit damages other units or common areas or if you have not complied with your condo corporation’s governing documents.

Responsibility for removal costs depends on if the problem is found in a single condo unit, multiple units or common elements.

Here’s what to do now that you’ve identified your issue and reviewed your legal obligations.

Another owner or occupant or the condo corporation may contact you if they believe that you are renting your unit on a short-term basis if there is a provision in the condo corporation’s governing documents about short-term rentals that you have not followed.

Respond to whomever contacted you to get more information or to see if you can resolve the issue. Use one of our letter templates, noting the date and time you sent it.

You may wish to ask your condo manager or board if you do not know why you’ve been contacted. You should also check your condo corporation’s governing documents to see if they contain any provisions dealing with short-term rentals.

You must comply with the Condo Act and your condo corporation’s governing documents and any provisions regarding short-term rentals.

You may wish to seek legal advice from a paralegal or lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario or the Law Society Referral Service.

You must comply with your condo corporation’s governing documents. Otherwise another owner or your condo corporation may take legal action against you. This may include filing a case against you with the Condominium Authority Tribunal.

Use the following templates for letters to your condo corporation, an owner or occupant when trying to resolve an issue. Make sure you keep a copy of your letter with the date and time you sent it.

You may be able to file an application with the Condominium Authority Tribunal if you’ve tried all the steps above and the short-term rental related issue has continued and if your condo corporation’s governing documents have provisions about short-term rentals.

Here’s what to do now that you’ve identified your issue and reviewed your legal obligations.

Keep a record of what you’ve been experiencing with as much detail as possible.

Notify your condo manager or board of directors of any short-term rental issue so they can investigate the problem and take appropriate action.

Use our First Letter to Condo Corporation template if you don’t feel comfortable speaking to them in person.

Retain a copy of your letter/email and note the date and time that you sent it.

The condo corporation should take steps to resolve the issue within a reasonable amount of time after you’ve contacted them. You can use our second letter template to send a follow-up letter or email if the issue hasn’t been resolved.

Again you should keep a copy of your letter or email and note the date and time you sent it.

Use the following templates for letters to your condo corporation when trying to resolve an issue. Make sure you keep a copy of your letter with the date and time you sent it.

You may be able to file an application with the Condominium Authority Tribunal if you’ve tried all the steps above and the short-term rental related issue has continued and if your condo corporation’s governing documents have provisions about short-term rentals.

Here’s what to do now that you’ve identified your issue and reviewed your legal obligations.

Keep a record of what you’ve been experiencing with as much detail as possible.

It may not be clear whether the short-term rental issue you have noticed is related to a specific condo unit and an owner, occupant, tenant or guest.

Check the condo corporation’s records of owners and mortgagees and leased units to determine who owns the unit and whether it’s rented.

Use the mandatory Request for Records form or contact your condo corporation directly.

Speak to the unit owner or occupant you suspect is causing the short-term rental issue because they might not know that they are causing an issue. Speaking to them about the issue may resolve it quickly.

Use one of our letter templates if you do not feel comfortable speaking to them in person or if you’ve spoken to them already and the issue has not been resolved. Copy the owner and condo corporation to notify them of the issue and give them an opportunity to address it. Keep a copy, noting the date and time.

Follow up with the responsible unit owner, occupant or your condo corporation with another letter if you’ve given them a reasonable opportunity to respond but the issue has not been resolved.

Use the following templates for letters to owners, occupants or your condo corporation when trying to resolve an issue. Make sure you keep a copy of your letter with the date and time you sent it.

You may be able to file an application with the Condominium Authority Tribunal if you’ve tried all the steps above and the short-term rental related issue has continued and if your condo corporation’s governing documents have provisions about short-term rentals.

You must try to resolve your issue through mediation or arbitration first before seeking compliance from the SCJ. This differs from other case types, which you can take to the SCJ directly if you prefer.

Check out our legal resources page for more information on affordable legal advice, free legal information, and legal expense insurance.

You may need to hire a lawyer experienced in condo law and file a lawsuit.

Here’s what to do now that you’ve identified your issue and reviewed your legal obligations.

Many condo managers and condo management companies appreciate having the opportunity to learn about service concerns and to take steps to address them such as rearranging duties or assignments and otherwise working with their condo client to improve the situation.

A condo corporation typically engages legal services if considering terminating the services of their condo manager or condo management company.

Speak to your condo manager. Speaking to them about the issue may resolve it quickly. You can find tips on how to have productive conversations about performance with condo managers in the CAO’s Best Practices Guide: Overseeing Condominium Managers.

If that does not work, remember that boards have the power to terminate a management provider’s contract. The guide provides best practices for this as well.

Follow up with if you’ve given them a reasonable opportunity to respond but the issue has not been resolved.

You may wish to contact the Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario about filing a complaint if you have explored all other options regarding an issue with your condo manager or condo management service provider.

Here’s what to do now that you’ve identified your issue.

Take a moment to review the information available on the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s website so you can understand if you need accommodation under the Human Rights Code.

You may also want to review information on our website regarding the Ontario Human Rights Code.

It is helpful to discuss the accommodation with the requestor before making a final decision. You may be able to work with the requestor to identify an accommodation that works for everyone.

Make sure to respond in writing and outline if:

• You are willing to grant the accommodation
• You need more information about the accommodation
• You want to discuss possible accommodations
• You are refusing to grant the accommodation.

You may wish to seek legal advice if you are unsure of how to respond

Here’s what to do now that you’ve identified your issue.

You can modify the governing documents by adding, removing or changing provisions, but you first need to identify which governing document you need to change. Provisions related to odour will most likely be included under the declaration or rules.

See our pages on governing documents to understand what aspect of condo life is governed by each and how changes can be made to each. Each document will have different requirements for meetings, quorum and voting.