BB Construction Inc

Why is Condominium / Apartment – Renovation a whole different market than House renovation?

There are many considerations when it comes to renovation in Toronto residential neighborhoods. Noise bylaws may not be strict or enforced the same way they would be in a condo building – typically, noise should only occur between 8-5 Monday to Friday. 

Moreover, there are rules around bringing in new supplies and ensuring hallways, elevators, and lobbies remain clean and damage-free upon completion; otherwise, fines could be issued. Additionally, elevator bookings, parking arrangements for trades/inspectors, and coordination of deliveries must all be aligned. Finally, most condos will not accept debris in their dumpsters so alternative arrangements for debris disposal need to be made.

Renovations are a popular way to update a tired or dated property, whether for your enjoyment or as a way to potentially add to a property’s resale value.

Condo renovation involves more entities and complex elements like licensed trades, insurance, and material specifications, while a renovation in-house involves half of this in most cases.

Condo renovation – Entity – Condo Board:

The first thing you should do before starting a condo renovation project is to contact the building property management and condo board to inquire about what is needed before any work, or plans for work, are done. They will likely provide you with the relevant forms, list of renovation rules, approvals required, and policies and restrictions regarding what can and cannot be done before any work starts. 

Licensed and insured Trades

House renovation can be done by a Handyman while for condos you need insured trades.

Even when you get approved and get the permit from the city, you might still get rejected by the condo board for doing major renovations

Additional entity – Neighbours/tenants

When it comes to sharing a wall, as well as the rules governing plumbing, electricity, common spaces, and so on, it’s necessary to keep your neighbors in mind for a variety of reasons.

If you are sharing a wall or two with a neighbor, then this will have an impact on your interior renovations. As we mentioned, speaking to the condo board before taking on a renovation is necessary to protect you from the rules opposed by not only the board itself but by other tenants. Your townhouse or condo may have areas within your interior that are unable to be renovated due to the potential for damage to your home as well as the surrounding homes or even common spaces.