A Condo Year in Review – Our Top 10 Most Popular Posts of 2017
Last year has been quite the year for the condo industry. After many years of discussion and speculation, we finally saw the implementation of many of the amendments to the Condo Act and of a substantial portion of the newly adopted regulation. We also saw the launch of the new Condominium Authority, its new tribunal and of the Condo Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario. We are now on the last legs of mandatory registration of condo corporations and of the mandatory licensing of managers.
Naturally, these sweeping changes made for an exciting and incredibly busy year for us and for the Condo Adviser. This past year, we published 65 posts!
After a well deserve rest for our readers (and for us) we propose a countdown of our top 10 most popular posts in 2017. This would give you a good summary and overview of what took place thus far. A good place to start for the new year.
#10 – NEW Dates for the Implementation of the Condo Act (and the Condo Management Services Act)
In June 2017, the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services announced the dates by which most of the changes to the Condominium Act and the new Condominium Management Services Act would come into force. Eventually, the new Condominium Authority of Ontario became the designated provincial authority on September 1, 2017. Two months later, most changes to the Condo Act, including the implementation of the new tribunal and of mandatory licensing of managers under the Condo Management Services Act, came into effect on November 1, 2017.
#9 – New Disclosure Obligations for Condo Directors
As part of the sweeping changes to the Condo Act, the Province is not only imposing mandatory licensing on condo managers, but it is also imposing new training and new disclosure obligations on condo directors. In that post, we explored the new mandatory disclosure obligations for condo directors.
#8 & #6 – Condo Managers Licensing
In January 2017, we published a series of posts exploring the various condo management licences to be granted under the new Condominium Management Services Act. Our 8th most popular post dealt with the new licensing process. Our 6th most popular blog dealt with the nature and requirements of the General Licence.
#7 – Draft New Regulations Under the Condo Act Are Out for Consultation!
Last February, the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services unveiled a first draft of its proposed regulation to be adopted under the Condo Act. The Province sought comments from the public on the draft. At the time it was expected that some of the proposed regulation could come into force as early as July 1, 2017. Now we know that this date was pushed to November 1, 2017.
#5 & #3 – New Mandatory Training for Condo Directors
Since November 1, 2017, every director elected or appointed to a condo board must complete the new mandatory training for condo directors. Such training consists of free online modules, available on the CAO’s website. Eventually other organizations will be accredited to deliver such training.
Last April, we blogged about the draft regulations which detailed some of the new training obligations (our 3rd most popular post). Later, as new information was released, we blogged about the kind of training to be expected, who would be required to take it and the time frame to comply with this new training requirement (our 5th most popular post).
#4 – Is your Condo Ready for the Legalization of Marijuana?
The legalization of marijuana was a hot topic in 2017! In our 4th most popular post, we discussed what the eventual legalization of marijuana means for condo corporations and what they can do to prepare for this change. While there are rumours of delaying the legalization of marijuana, July 1st continues to remain the official date. Expect this to be another hot topic in 2018.
#2 – Major Changes to Condo Insurance and Repair Obligations
The obligations to insurer and repair units or common elements after damage, and the question of who is responsible to pay for what, have created headaches for many years. In our second most popular post, we discussed how the amendments to the Condo Act are expected to drastically change who is responsible for repairing and insuring condominium units.
#1 – The Forms Under the New Condo Act Are Out!
Finally, our most popular post of the year dealt with the release of the new forms to be used under the Condo Act. The majority of the amendments to the Condo Act and of the new regulation came into force on November 1, 2017. The same day the Minister of Government and Consumer Services also unveiled and released the new forms to be used under the Condo Act. The release of these forms certainly created a buzz in the industry. This series of new forms is supposed to simplify many processes and make it easier for condominium corporations and owners to comply with the new requirements of the Act. Time will tell…
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We hope you enjoyed this year in review and we look forward to more blogging in the new year.
Happy new year to all!