The CMRAO offers a public registry to search for licensed condominium managers and condominium management business (also known as provider firms). You will be able to search by the name or licence number of the condominium manager or condominium management company.
If you are unable to find your condominium manager or management company on our public registry, please contact info@cmrao.ca.
Yes, both the individual and the management provider business are required to hold a licence with the CMRAO if they provide condominium management services, as defined by the CMSA, in Ontario. The CMSA defines condominium management services as the following services provided to or on behalf of a condominium corporation:
A limited licensee could provide the condominium management services to the corporation under the conditions of a Limited Licence. The limited licensee would have to be employed by a licensed condominium management provider firm, and they must be overseen by a general or a transitional general manager.
The supervising licensee (general or transitional general licensee) must be readily available to assist the limited licensee but they are not required to be present at the condominium site of that licensee.
Please visit here for more information on the conditions of a Limited Licence.
According to the Condominium Management Services Act, 2015, the licensee cannot be employed by more than one licensed condominium management provider unless the licensee has obtained the consent, in the form or manner approved by the registrar, of all condominium management providers who employ the licensee. If the licensee is providing services on behalf of two (2) condominium management provider firms, they are required to obtain written consent from both companies.
Condominium managers need a licence from the CMRAO to provide condominium management services. If you are interested in becoming a condo manager, learn more about the process here.
This will depend on the management agreement. The board of directors has the responsibility to hold owners’ meetings and annual general meetings (AGMs), but may delegate to management the task of scheduling meetings. The CMRAO does not have jurisdiction over the board of directors.
The condominium manager’s role is to advise the board on the requirements to hold AGMs and if requested, the manager would also help with preparing meeting materials, providing notice and scheduling the meeting. Each corporation has a unique relationship with their management, which is governed by the management agreement. For more information about the role of the manager at your corporation, you may wish to submit a Request for Records form to the corporation for the purposes of obtaining the agreement.
You are encouraged to contact the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) for any concerns about online AGMs, voting or requesting records: www.condoauthorityontario.ca
Under section 53 of the CMSA, condominium managers cannot solicit (i.e. petition for or try to directly obtain) proxy forms where the subject matter of the meeting includes any matter directly related to the licensee, or the removal or the election of one or more of the corporation’s directors. However, managers are permitted to facilitate the use of proxy forms, including by distributing, collecting or holding proxy forms. Managers can also solicit proxy forms if it is solely for the purpose of establishing quorum at the meeting.
Additional information is available in a guide entitled Use of Proxies and Proxy Forms
The corporation has the responsibility to maintain the common elements and the owners must maintain the unit. You are also encouraged to review your condominium corporation’s description, declaration and by-laws for more clarification on how your unit is defined and who is responsible for various repairs. Knowing the exact description of your unit, and the responsibility of repairs will help you better understand the legal responsibility to repair this damage. If you do not have these documents, you may want to request them from the corporation by completing the ‘Request for Records’ form found on the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) website.
All repairs, maintenance and construction projects are typically authorized by the board of directors. Condominium managers usually act on the direction of the board and do not typically make decisions pertaining to when repairs are conducted. Condominium managers can only execute the decision made by the board and the manager initiates action at the board’s direction.
All fees, such as common expenses fees and special assessment fees, are made, approved and finalized by the board of directors. The CMRAO does not have the authority to review the decisions of the board of directors.
For issues pertaining to an increase in your common element fees, special assessment fees or other charges, you may wish to check your condominium’s by-laws for any restrictions regarding condominium fee increases. You may also try to contact the board of directors or management to discuss and clarify the reason for the increase.
For more information on condominium fees and board-related matters, please visit the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) website. The CAO offers a variety of services and information to the condominium community within Ontario. These services include providing online information to members of the condominium community, training for condo directors regarding their rights and responsibilities, and access to dispute resolution services through the Condominium Authority Tribunal (CAT).
Owners are required to pay their common expense fees on time. When an owner defaults on their contributions to the common expenses, the corporation automatically has a lien against the unit for the amount owing, plus interest, plus reasonable legal costs and expenses related to collection of the unpaid amount.
The CMRAO only manages complaints against the condominium manager or condominium management company. A chargeback (and subsequent lien) is the responsibility of the board. If you believe a chargeback was implemented unfairly, you must reach out to the board directly to discuss your issue.
As of November 1, 2017, it is against the law to provide condominium management services without a licence. You can check if your condominium manager is licensed by searching CMRAO’s Public Registry. If you believe an unlicensed individual is providing condominium management services, you may report this to the CMRAO by contacting info@cmrao.ca.
You may wish to start by raising the matter with the corporation’s board of directors. The Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) also provides information as it relates to records requests. Please visit their website at www.condoauthorityontario.ca.