Operations

aging residential towers

Investing in Canada’s aging residential towers

Aging residential towers are in dire need of investment, something the pandemic has underscored given the scores of frontline workers who’ve been disproportionately affected.
rent growth

Tenant screening in the age of COVID

As COVID-19 continues to threaten Canadians, it is crucial that landlords have the right tenant screening systems in place to attract the ideal resident.
Multifamily energy performance

Multifamily energy performance typically vexing

Multifamily and industrial properties are routinely lumped together as favoured investment assets, but asset managers face divergent degrees of difficulty when they seek to mine value from energy performance.
parcel deliveries

Parcel deliveries create more woes for landlords

With many regions in the throes of a second lockdown and the holiday season well underway, landlords must have a sound policy on parcel deliveries.
energy retrofits

Feds to invest $2 billion in energy retrofits

A promised $2 billion investment in large-scale building retrofits will be central to the Canadian government’s job creation ambitions. Energy efficiency champions have plenty of ideas of how and where the funds could be best leveraged.
ventilation

Air ventilation in multi-residential buildings

Achieving a healthy indoor environment begins with proper air ventilation, especially as buildings become more airtight. Kevin Smith explains the various systems available today.
density

Building better density key to future development

Dev Mehta, Senior Associate at Quadrangle, explains how building better density leads to healthier, happier occupants.
converting hotel

Converting hotels into multifamily apartments

Given the uncertainty of the travel and tourism sector, could converting hotels into affordable apartments serve as an effective solution to the housing crisis?
COVID-19 outbreaks

The keys to reopening multi-res operations

As Ontario prepares to reopen the economy, what will the upcoming months look like for multi-res operations? Legal expert Joe Hoffer shares important tips to help landlords manage the risks as they navigate their way into "new normal".
surety association

Smart buildings harnessed for pandemic response

While climate change may have slipped somewhat from people’s consciousness and priorities right now, it’s noteworthy that the pandemic and climate crises are both problems of exponential growth against a limited capacity to cope.
energy demand load

Energy demand load shifts to residential base

The energy demand load has shifted in sync with much of Ontario’s workforce from commercial to home offices, prompting calls for suspension of time-of-use pricing during the current COVID-19 related upheaval
accessibility momentum

Accessibility tracks sustainability trajectory

Market pressure and industry competitiveness could propel accessible commercial real estate in the coming decade, much the way those complementary forces have already bolstered energy efficiency and low-carbon footprints.
energy management

AI-driven energy management platforms

The apartment rental landscape is changing. Utility costs are rising, creating the need for improved energy management.
Ontario benchmarking

Smaller buildings spared Ontario benchmarking

Owners of smaller commercial and multi-residential buildings in Ontario will still be welcome to voluntarily share energy and water consumption data, but a looming deadline for mandatory disclosure has been withdrawn.
environmental approvals

Friendlier CHP environmental approvals welcome

It's still unclear how the process of securing environmental approvals for combined heat and power systems will be streamlined, but the Ontario government's recent pledge has been greeted enthusiastically in the buildings sector.
outdoor air

IAQ standards dissect freshness of outdoor air

Guidance related to natural ventilation, particulate filtration and compartmentalization of multi-residential HVAC systems are prominent in the list of identified "significant changes" compared to the incumbent 2016 version of the standards.
toilet leaks

Don’t flush money down the toilet

It is estimated that 20 to 25 per cent of all toilets in North America are experiencing leaks at any given time, making toilet leaks the number one cause of water loss in multi-unit residential buildings.