Release date: June 1, 2020

The Government of Ontario recently announced the details of Phase 1 of the province’s re-opening strategy. As of May 19th, some services and businesses previously deemed to be “non-essential” were permitted to resume, subject to certain restrictions.  Of particular interest to condominiums, the following services and businesses (among others) were permitted to resume:

• All construction
• Street-facing retail
• “Individual Recreational Sports” (though swimming pools and high-contact sports continue to be prohibited)
• Household services such as nannies, housekeepers, cleaners, pool cleaning and general repairs
• General maintenance

Since the effective date of the announcement, some condominium corporations have already permitted the resumption of in-suite construction, household and repair services.  Others may have re-opened some amenities.  Other corporations have taken a slower approach to re-opening.

Although the provincial government has relaxed certain restrictions, each condominium corporation must consider which measures are appropriate for their own particular community.  The Covid-19 concerns in a townhome community, for example, will be different than those that arise in a multi-level building. 

Boards of Directors must reasonably balance the needs of individual unit owners and residents with the overall security of the condominium community as a whole (that is, with a view to ensuring the safety of not only residents, but also contractors, staff, and visitors to the condominium).  When balancing theses interests, condominium corporations may wish to consider the following:

• Recommendations made by public health authorities;
• The nature and character of the condominium (e.g. low rise, townhouse, etc.);
• The general vulnerability of the condominium population (i.e., more senior residents, residents with underlying health conditions, etc.);
• The density and physical size of the condominium;
• The existence and nature of any amenities;
• Any previous prohibitions or restrictions imposed by the board to limit the spread of the virus (e.g. a restriction on non-essential visitors); and
• The level of support/demand in the community for certain activities to resume.

We continue to wish each of our members health and safety as they navigate the phased-in re-opening of the province.

CCI is committed to providing regular ongoing updates regarding all legislation concerning condominiums, in order to keep our members abreast of changes they need to be aware of.