Condo life comes with its own set of rules, some of which you may loathe instantly, some you could think about abiding, and some you may construe awfully stupid and annoying. In my years in the condo industry, I have garnered a fair idea of which rules are common across buildings, which irk people the most, and which are downright absurd but exist anyway. If you are in the throes of looking for Toronto Condos for sale, let me drill you in the top rules that most condo owners disagree with but have to abide by anyway.
Closing the Outdoor Common Elements Seasonally.
While this makes sense, some people may find this unreasonable. I had a condo owner take up an issue on this action. According to him, one of the highlights of his day was to enjoy a fine Cuban Cigar on his rooftop terrace, reveling in the city lights and the horizon dotted by the skyscrapers, but the Condo association decided to bar the terrace for the winter season, depriving him of his enjoyment. He solicited legal opinions and wrote a lot of letters, even though he was probably the only one who wanted to be outside in such freezing temperatures. If one out of 300 residents, has a problem with a rule, it only goes to reinforce its appropriateness. Board of directors often have to close off the common elements due to insurance reasons.
Elements that don’t need much maintenance in summer and spring, suddenly become prone to damage in winters. As soon as winter knocks on the door, management has to contend with salting every inch of the communal areas and the rooftop terrace, in addition to mopping the stairs and hallways leading from and to the common top, since tipsy drinkers are unlikely to clean up after themselves. When you consider the high foot traffic and exorbitant insurance premiums associated with such an outdoor space in the midst of winters, almost all Toronto Condos for sale close off their terrace in such harsh weather.
Concierge Are Not Allowed to open door for residents.
This might seem odd to some. After all, imaging arriving at your building, your hands laden with shopping bags, your fingers about to snap apart, your shoulders aching madly. You smile at the concierge you see day in and day out, waiting for them to step in and open the door for you. Let me break your bubble. Imagine the concierge who knows well enough who you are, shaking their head in negative. Apologetically, of course. Well, they are not being rude. This is just how most Condo buildings work in Toronto. Regardless of the time of the day or how well the concierge knows you, Residents are required to use their key-FOB to glean access to their building. It’s a no-room-for-gray-area approach implemented by most board of directors of Condo Buildings to alleviate their concierges from having to decide who to open the door for, who to thwart, or putting unnecessary pressure on them to have to remember faces.
Pets cannot be walked in the Front Lobby
Yes, I have seen plenty of Condo Associations put this rule in action. Under no circumstances are residents allowed to walk their pets through the front lobby, but you can carry them. You can use the back lobby to walk your pets outside. So basically, the rule translates to no “paws” or “claws” on the floor! So, if you are insistent on going out the front lobby, you can do so with an 8-pound Maltese. If you have an 80 pound Rottweiler, better hit the gym!
No storage on terraces
For reasons I find hard to comprehend, some Toronto Condos for sale outlaw storage units on terraces. A friend bought a condo with a hefty storage shed – the type you see on display at the Home Depot’s parking lot, and the unit had been used for years by the previous owners. However, when my friend starting using the storage shed after moving in, the property manager issued a warning, exerting that storage units are strictly prohibited on any exclusive-use common elements, such as balconies and terraces. Upon failing to comply, he was fined! If you jumped at that, there’s worse; some buildings even dissuade users from storing anything, even a bicycle for the day, on these areas.
No Entering the Gym at the Pre-Defined Daily Cleaning Time
Condo buildings equipped with gyms, set out a daily cleaning time, where the gym is closed to residents. This makes sense considering that you want to use a clean Gym and the fixed time means that you won’t be unceremoniously chucked out the gym suddenly, since its cleaning time. On one hand, the owners appreciate the overall condition of the facility, someone suddenly discovers that the cleaning time is falling on a slot where they use the facility. Consider the hypocritical contradiction: Everybody wants the gym spick and span but not at the time when they want to use it. Afterall, if the janitor is working the sweat out of the Stairmaster, why can’t you be doing squats 200 ft. away, conveniently and quietly out of his way!
