The reclassification from an industry group within the financials sector formally occurs on September 1, and will also introduce a new term for real estate investment trusts (REITs), which will become known as Equity REITs.

Thermal metering, already widespread in Europe, is expected to gain traction in Canada as the technology becomes more accessible.

Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator was instructed to consult with local distribution companies to develop a pay-for-performance program that could be ready for launch in the fall of 2016.

A recent Ontario Human Rights Tribunal decision confirms housing provider obligations when harassment and discrimination occur in multi-res communities.

The newly adopted plan sets out a two-part strategy to ensure that new buildings are as energy-efficient as possible and, perhaps more contentiously, do not rely on natural gas for space heating and hot water supply.

When an emergency situation arises in a multi-residential setting, things can turn chaotic fast. To prevent this chaos, all residents, visitors and staff need to know what to do and how to react immediately. The most effective way to accomplish this is with customized, real-time mass notification systems.

Yet to be clarified language in Ontario's recently released Climate Change Action Plan hints that rental housing landlords could be uniquely prohibited among bulk fossil fuel purchasers from passing cap-and-trade related costs farther down the chain of consumers.

Commercial and multi-residential real estate owners will catch a significant share of the fallout from Ontario's pending cap-and-trade system, but a projected natural gas price increase in the range of $0.84 to $1.05 per gigajoule is lower than carbon tax rates in British Columbia or Alberta.

New inclusionary zoning legislation in Ontario could soon give municipalities the power to require that builders include affordable housing units in all new residential developments. If passed, the Promoting Affordable Housing Act, 2016, will be the first of its kind in Canada and could take effect in early 2017, if not sooner.

A recent survey conducted by FRPO sheds light on the public's ambivalent attitude toward the rental housing industry and the Ontario Government's policies shaping it

These situations are rarely straightforward for property owners/managers juggling legal obligations to protect privacy, accommodate disabilities and ensure the health and safety of all building residents.

As the rental industry grows and changes, so do residential tenancy laws. Joe Hoffer, Partner Cohen Highley LLP, highlights three specific areas of concern.

December has been seasonably mild, so winter safety tips may not be top of mind for condo managers. But now is a good time to prepare for coming weather.

FRPO’s Mike Chopowick offers landlords important dos and don’ts for screening refugees as prospective tenants, and highlights a few goodwill initiatives.

A spate of condo blazes in Alberta has reignited conversations about the perennial fire safety risk posed by cigarettes in multi-residential buildings.

Beyond the occupier's duty of care — a responsibility that property owners bear toward inhabitants, visitors and trespassers — landlords are also employers subject to health and safety regulations.

A proposed amendment to British Columbia’s Strata Property Act could make it easier for apartment developers to scoop up prime real estate in B.C.’s hottest neighbourhoods.