MVP Condos
Expert insights for condo boards and unit owners
58 articles
A new board often begins with a healthy sense of purpose. Here are five things every board should understand before undertaking major changes — from governance authority to management selection to the right role for professional advice.
More management-company choice can help Ontario condo boards, but it also makes due diligence, infrastructure, and experience more important.
When Ontario condominium authorities seem to conflict, the key question may not be whether something is permitted, but whose permission matters.
Late-summer wasp activity can be seasonal, but repeated traffic around one area may need professional attention. Learn what to report and when.
A management change is successful when owners experience continuity and the board has better control of information from day one. Here is what your transition checklist should include.
There is no single communication schedule that suits every condominium. What matters is that communication is predictable, useful, and proportional to the corporation's needs.
Condo directors are volunteers. When they are spending evenings tracking contractors, answering owner emails, and following up on routine maintenance, the corporation may have a capacity problem.
Financial reports should help a board make decisions. If they arrive late, are difficult to follow, or leave directors with more questions than answers, the board should ask for better support.
An open service request does not always mean nothing is happening. The real question is whether the board can see the status and next step. Here is how to get clarity.
Changing condo management companies can feel daunting, especially when records, banking, contracts, and active repairs are involved. With a structured process, a board can make the transition with minimal disruption.
Changing management is a significant decision, but boards should not wait until a serious failure forces their hand. Here are seven warning signs it may be time to evaluate your current provider.
When a condo manager is slow to respond, the problem is not simply an unanswered email. It can quickly become an operational risk. Here is what boards should do.
Ontario is overhauling the rules for owner-requisitioned meetings effective December 31, 2026. New prescribed forms, strict 20-day response deadlines, and expanded CAT jurisdiction mean Boards can't afford to wing it when a requisition arrives.
Important amendments to Ontario condominium governance are coming — AGM scrutiny, Tribunal awards increasing to $50,000, and new requisition procedures. Is your corporation ready?
Well-intentioned boards sometimes create the very bottlenecks they're trying to avoid. Here's how to recognize the pattern and govern with judgment, not just rules.
Every condo corporation should maintain a current PRA list. Here's what it is, why it matters, and how to build one that could save a life.
A cautionary tale about scope creep, good intentions, and why governance boundaries exist for a reason.
The fundamentals that separate high-performing condo corporations from the rest — from financial oversight to resident relations.
What every unit owner should understand about how their building is managed — and how to make the relationship work.
Seven essential responsibilities every property manager should master, from financial oversight to emergency preparedness.
How smart technology and community engagement strategies can transform day-to-day condo operations.
Using the words 'formal complaint' doesn't automatically make something one. Here's what a valid complaint actually looks like — and when to make one.
Every June, condo boards get the same question. The short answer: June is raccoon season. Here's what corporations can and can't do about it.
Most owners only see a small piece of what happens behind the scenes. Understanding how communication flows through your management team can improve service and reduce costs.
There's been talk about changes to the Condominium Act tied to Bill 72. Here's the reality: nothing has changed yet — and what might change explained in plain terms.
Governance vs. legal technicalities: why reasonableness always wins when it comes to parking enforcement in condo communities.
There's a certain rhythm to well-run condominium governance. The quality of your meetings determines the quality of the decisions that follow.
Fire safety isn't just a maintenance item — it's life safety with real legal consequences. Here's why pushing back on your manager isn't always an option.
We're more connected than ever — but are we losing touch with the neighbours just a few feet away? A reflection on community, isolation, and condo living.
Two new bins. Absolute chaos. A look at why change — even when it's just garbage — exposes how people handle disruption in condo communities.
Rules create the foundation of condo governance — but real-life situations don't always fit neatly into what's written. Here's where judgment comes in.
Seven practical truths from years of watching condo communities operate in the real world — from Scott Hundey's notebook.
Virtual meetings and electronic voting are now permanent in Ontario condo governance — but they come with important responsibilities boards can't ignore.
The legal standard is reasonableness — not perfection. A recent CAT decision reinforces what boards need to know about noise enforcement.
If you live in a condo, you're governed by four layers — not three. Here's why municipal by-law officers can't enforce your condo's pet rules.
You didn't just buy a home — you bought a share in a corporation. One question tells you everything about whether your investment is on solid ground.
Most accommodation issues don't escalate due to cost — they escalate because of tone. How boards communicate makes all the difference.
Reacting late to aging-in-place requests is expensive. Planning early is governance. Here's the operational reality boards need to understand.
A quiet shift is happening in townhouse condos across Ontario. Can someone safely age at home in a townhouse condo? Yes — but only if boards understand their role.
Every enforcement decision consumes corporate resources. Before escalating, boards should ask: are we protecting the corporation, or sacrificing our capabilities to prove a point?
Introducing OntarioData.ca — purpose-built for organizations that cannot afford compromise, with zero-knowledge architecture and Ontario data sovereignty.
A practical framework for effective condominium management — structure, judgment, and customer service as professional standards, not informal add-ons.
During the worst snow season in memory, one board chose appreciation over complaints — and the results surprised everyone. A lesson in perception and leadership.
If traditional low-cost management for small condos is becoming unsustainable, the next question isn't just why — it's what comes next.
For small condo corporations, finding affordable reliable management feels harder than ever. The honest answer is more nuanced than most people expect.
There's a big difference between not lying and being honest. Under Ontario's Condominium Act, directors are held to the higher standard.
Ontario law provides a democratic framework for removing directors — but it comes with strict procedures, legal thresholds, and governance realities you need to understand first.
A fictional condo case study on recorder practice, bylaws, and staying in your lane — because not everything annoying is illegal, and not everything illegal is the board's job.
Many boards stay in bad management relationships because they don't know how to leave. Here's exactly how the termination process works — step by step.
A practical, board-led guide to changing condominium management companies without disrupting owners, finances, or essential services.
Clear roles, better meeting habits, and practical communication routines can turn a strained board-manager relationship into a productive partnership.
A practical escalation plan for Ontario condo boards when emails go unanswered, maintenance requests stall, and communication breaks down.
Before ending a management relationship, Ontario condo boards need a clear process for documenting concerns, giving notice, and protecting a smooth transition.
A practical checklist for Ontario condo boards comparing management companies, from responsiveness and reporting to transition planning and local expertise.
Ontario condo boards can assess management fees by comparing service scope, staffing, transparency, and the real cost of work left undone.
Practical ways Ontario condo boards can prioritize work, share responsibilities, and get the right professional support before burnout takes over.
A practical guide for Ontario condo boards preparing an annual general meeting, from notice and quorum to voting, records, and follow-up.
Understand how reserve funds work, why reserve fund studies matter, and how Ontario condo boards can plan responsibly for major repairs and replacements.
