Regulations

structural safety

Collapsed high-rise spotlights structural safety

The recent collapse of a Florida residential building is an unimaginable tragedy that underscores the importance of structural safety and the consequences that could result from a failure.
Securities regulators scrutinize ESG investing

Securities regulators scrutinize ESG investing

Securities regulators wish to confirm that the representations registrants are making about the incorporation of ESG principles in their investment decision-making processes are consistent with their actual policies and procedures.
New flat rates for Ontario elevators licenses

New fee model for Ontario elevator licenses

The flat license rate will penalize mid-rise and high-rise owners with extra costs if an elevator passes the periodic inspection and does not require a follow-up. It will be a bargain if just one follow-up inspection is required.
short-term rental

Short-term rental in a volatile world     

One of many the industries impacted by COVID-19, the short-term rental market will likely see some recover in 2021, according to a new report from Beyond Pricing.
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.
Ontario endorses competitive mechanisms to trim the price-point of energy efficiency spending

Ontario to stretch energy efficiency spending

A new slate of conservation and demand management (CDM) programs allocates $456 million for commercial, institutional and industrial consumers over the four-year period from 2021-24.
More electricity price adjustments for Ontario

More electricity price adjustments for Ontario

For now, residential and small business customers enrolled for either time-of-use (TOU) rates or tiered pricing under the provincial regulated price plan will be charged the off-peak TOU rate of 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for all electricity consumption.
foreign buyers

Vacant dwellings yield revenue gains for B.C.

Resident British Columbians own about 30 per cent of the properties subject to the speculation and vacancy tax, but account for just 6.6 per cent of collected revenue.
Residential Tenancy Act

Evicting tenants during a pandemic

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the nation, the dispute over whether evicting tenants is ethical has reached fever pitch.
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.
multi-unit housing starts

A closer look at infill development

As affordable rental housing continues to be a pressing need in the GTA, some housing experts believe infill development is the solution we've been looking for.
hydro cost hit postponed with extended eligibility for Ontario Electricity Rebate

Rebate extension postpones hydro cost hit

The six-month extension comes with an improved rate since the discount on pre-tax electricity consumption and transmission/distribution costs will increase to 33.2 per cent on November 1.
licence

Ontario unveils more regulatory adjustments

A recycled title adorns the Ontario government's latest initiative to be framed as red tape reduction. Bill 213, the Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020, is an omnibus effort to amend more than two dozen statutes.
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.
Academic Assets

Student housing without the students

The lack of students to fill rental units near universities and colleges has Montreal student housing landlords looking for alternate solutions.
summer peak demand unexpected in electricity system models

COVID-19 confounds electricity system models

After scrambling to recalibrate their models in the early days of COVID-19-related shutdowns, analysts with Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator faced more uncharted territory when the hot weather arrived.
prompt payment bill 37

Ontario tables 2021 rent freeze legislation

With Ontario's Bill 204 now tabled, paralegal Paul Cappa sheds light on what the unprecedented rent freeze means for the province's smaller landlords.