Condo units that were once empty during weekdays are now occupied around the clock. Kitchens have become offices, bedrooms double as boardrooms, and living spaces are now shared with colleagues, clients, and conference calls.
As a result, the expectations of “quiet enjoyment” have shifted. Residents who stay home all day experience activities that were once considered reasonable during daytime hours, like renovations, maintenance, or even routine noise. And with that shift comes a new question for condominium communities: how do we balance work-from-home realities with long-standing norms around noise?
Many residents now seek conditions conducive to a professionally productive space. But if they demand the same level of “quiet enjoyment” during the day as in the evening, what does that mean for a condo corporation’s ability to operate? These are the modern-day questions that arise as societal norms continue to evolve.
Noise disputes within a corporation are often associated with conduct occurring in the evening or overnight hours. Calls to concierge to report loud parties, amplified music, and other after-hours disturbances have long been the conventional noise complaints.
By contrast, condo communities have generally accepted daytime noise, particularly when it arises from permitted renovations, and routine maintenance, or repairs. These activities have traditionally been scheduled during standard nine-to-five working hours. Yet as more residents log in from home, noise once considered tolerable is increasingly experienced as a disruption, interfering with video calls, concentration, and other work-related demands. The result is a growing disconnect between traditional expectations of condo living and the realities of the work-from-home era.
Addressing noise complaints that were once uncommon
Under the Condominium Act, 1998, corporations are permitted to make rules aimed at preventing unreasonable interference with the use and enjoyment of units and the common elements. The Condominium Authority of Ontario also provides guidance on what constitutes unreasonable noise, noting that it depends on factors such as the source, intensity, frequency, duration, and whether the noise interferes with a resident’s right to use and enjoy their unit.
The difficulty lies in its practical application. While a unit owner who carries out renovations during permitted hours is complying with the condo corporation’s governing documents, that same activity may feel highly disruptive to a neighbour attempting to participate in virtual hearings, client calls, or focused desk work.
This evolution places boards and managers in a difficult position. They must enforce the governing documents consistently and reasonably, while ensuring that doing so does not create the unrealistic expectation that condominium living can resemble a silent office environment during business hours. At the same time, they cannot ignore that, for many residents, the home now serves multiple functions. The challenge lies in addressing legitimate concerns without treating every daytime disturbance as a breach of quiet enjoyment.
Many declarations, by-laws, and rules were drafted before the work-from-home era became commonplace and, as a result, may offer little direct guidance on daytime noise conflicts arising from home-based work. Consequently, boards are often left to rely on provisions that prohibit “unreasonable” noise or nuisance. While these standards are common, they leave significant room for interpretation and, in today’s modern living environment, can lead to inconsistent expectations.
For this reason, many condo corporations may wish to revisit their governing documents, renovation protocols, and resident communications. Eliminating ordinary daytime noise is neither realistic nor enforceable, but communication is just as important as regulation. That means reducing avoidable conflict where possible. The goal is not to recreate a professional office environment, but to clearly communicate expectations. Providing advance notice for disruptive work, setting clear contractor expectations, and outlining complaint processes can help align resident expectations with what condominium living can reasonably accommodate.
The balance is that residents undertaking noisy work should be encouraged to act with courtesy, while neighbours should be reminded that shared living inevitably involves some level of ambient noise.
The rise in daytime noise complaints reflects more than simple frustration. It points to a fundamental shift in how people live and work. Homes are no longer spaces that sit empty during the day. They have become offices, meeting spaces, and shared work environments. Yet the legal framework governing noise in condo communities has not evolved at the same pace as these lived realities. As a result, boards and managers are often left to apply long-lasting standards to situations those standards were never designed to address.
In this setting, a rigid approach is unlikely to produce practical results. What is needed instead is a measured and adaptable response. The concept of quiet enjoyment may not be formally redefined anytime soon, but its day-to-day meaning is already shifting through lived experience. Communities that recognize this change, and respond with thoughtful rule-making, clear communication, and balanced enforcement, will be better positioned to manage these tensions while preserving the balance at the heart of communal living.
Dalia Yonadam is a senior associate at Levitt Di Lella Duggan & Chaplick LLP, working with the firm’s Condominium Law Practice Group. She has practiced condominium law since 2014 and has developed extensive experience in corporate governance, compliance, and dispute resolution within the condominium context.
