www .gtaaonline .com

Transcription

VOL. 7 NO. 1
AUGUST 2008
GREATER TORONTO APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
At Phelps We Get
the Laundry Done
A National Leader in
Multi-Housing Laundry
■ Energy Efficiency
■ Increased Revenue
■ Vandalism Protection
■ Resident Satisfaction
■ Outstanding Service
Call today for information on
coin operated or card systems.
1-866-557-5599
www.phelpsapartmentlaundries.com
Superior in Quality and Excellence in Service
A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 V O L . 7 N O .1 B U I L D I N G B L O C K S 5
FEDERAL
9 CFAA WELCOMES GOV’T REPORT ON MORTGAGES
13 2008 CFAA CONFERENCE ADDRESSES CONCERNS
PROVINCIAL
CORPORATE PROFILE
Founded in 1998, the Greater Toronto Apartment Association
(GTAA) represents the interests of Toronto’s most active
and concerned firms working in the multifamily rental
housing industry today.
In a climate of rapidly changing issues such as realty taxes,
municipal fees, property and fire standards, inspections
and bylaws, the GTAA was established as a municipal
association to advocate for the rental housing industry and
to provide a source of vital information, representation and
leadership in the rental housing industry.
The GTAA now boasts more than 240 property management
companies that own and operate more than 160,000
apartment units. As well, there are over 150 supplier
members in all trade categories.
GTAA’s regular meetings with municipalities throughout
the GTA, including politicians and officials, provides a
voice the industry needs for early warning about new
policies, regulations and research reports. The GTAA also
engages in effective action campaigns in the media and
local communities.
MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS BENEFITS
GTAA is an active participant in the formation of municipal
policy and helping to shape legislation and regulations
that affect the industry. GTAA is “front and centre” on the
entire spectrum of housing-related issues.
GTAA will inform member firms how actions by the
respective municipal governments and other agencies
concerning the building code, affect the multifamily
industry’s costs and operations. GTAA will alert members
to important proposals to change the model codes, inform
members of code improvements favored by the industry,
and interpret the practical impact of major code decisions.
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ONT TO REQUIRE SPRINKLERS IN NEW APTS
2008 RENT INCREASE GUIDELINE ANNOUNCED
LANDLORDS TAKING HUMAN RIGHTS SERIOUSLY
COALITION TO PROMOTE HOUSING ALLOWANCE
OMB APPROVES NORTH YORK RENTAL CONVERSION
MUNICIPAL
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WASTE LEVY NOW A REALITY
VACANCY RATE DECREASES IN TORONTO
MRAB REPORT EXPECTED IN OCTOBER
GOT A GRIP ON YOUR WATER BILL?
TENANT DEFENSE TAKES ON SUB-METERING
TORONTO TAX RATIO STILL HIGHEST
GTAA
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
GTAA DONATES $2,500 TO RESIDENTS
THE ELECTRICITY TRAFFIC JAM
DIRECT PROPERTIES ANNUAL COOKOUT
SHEPPARD CENTRE EASY RIDERS RAISE MONEY
RESIDENT RETENTION - THE REAL COST
ENERGY EFFICIENCY WORKSHOP HELD
GOLF TOURNAMENT RAISES $40K FOR FOUNDATION
HEATING PLANT RENEWAL DO YOU NEED AN ENGINEER?
PMSO MAKES DONATION TO FOUNDATION
H & S HOSTS 2008 WHMIS TRAINING FOR GTAA
WE GOT BEAT!
ANNUAL LEASIDE TOWERS PARTY ATTRACTS + 800
TSSA CHANGES ELEVATOR RULES
GTAA FUN RUN
SOMETHING NEW UNDERFOOT...
UNWANTED PRESENTS
ITS BEEN A LONG HAUL, BUT HERE’S THE RESULTS!
ON THE COVER:
The Montebello - 21 Mayfair Avenue
BUILDING BLOCKS
VOL. 7 NO. 1 AUGUST 2008
PUBLISHER
RICHARD SOREN
Design Print Media
T. 416.465.6600
designprint@sympatico.ca
EDITOR
BRAD BUTT
President, GTAA
T. 416.385.3435 X36
bradb@gtaaonline.com
• Building Blocks is published six times per annum (February, April, June, August,
October and December) by Design Print Media on behalf of the Greater
Toronto Apartment Association (GTAA) and is distributed through controlled
circulation to the GTAA membership.
• Please contact the Publisher for advertising dates and rates.
• Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect
the views and opinions of the GTAA Board or management.
• GTAA accepts no liability for information contained herein.
w w w . g t a a o n l i n e . c o m
CONTENTS
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
MILLENNIUM MEMBERS
FEDERAL
CFAA WELCOMES THE GOVERNMENT’S
MOVES ON MORTGAGES
BRAD BUTT
Enjoy
it now!
ow that we are in the dog days of summer we certainly
hope everyone is enjoying a little down time. But
trust me – enjoy it now.
N
The rental housing industry is in for an onslaught this
fall – some good and some bad. But rest assured it is
going to be a very busy rest of the year.
Staff and politicians are still musing about what a future
“regulatory” strategy there will be for apartments?
Licensing or licensing light?
The new waste levy has started. How bad is it really
going to be? Not sure until the invoices roll out. And, it
may be changed again.
Is there some light on the horizon on housing allowances
to help our residents? Maybe, but with some people
calling it “landlord welfare” we’re still not there.
A major push is coming on the “greening” of apartment
buildings. How is going to work and who pays?
he Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations (CFAA)
welcomes the federal Government’s announcement of
modestly more restrictive mortgage lending rules for CMHC
insured high ratio mortgages.
T
financial setbacks that can occur when low-income people
overextend themselves in order to buy a house.
THE NEW MEASURES INCLUDE:
CFAA urges the Government to look at further measures to
reform the policies promoting homeownership, which often
hurts low-income families.
Reducing the maximum amortization period for new
government-backed mortgages to 35 years;
Requiring a minimum down payment of five per cent for
new government-backed mortgages;
Establishing a consistent minimum credit score
requirement; and
Introducing new loan documentation standards.
CFAA has been calling for such reforms to mortgage lending
practices for a number of years, well before the US sub-prime
crisis began.
The new rules will ensure the soundness of mortgage backed
securities. They will also help avoid the devastating personal
to promote housing quality and affordability for those
whose income and wealth place them in a poor position to
access the tax and other benefits of home ownership;
to implement an improved tax situation for rental housing
to provide benefits to renters analogous to those received
by homeowners, so that public policy exerts a more
neutral impact on the choice of tenure decision; and
to abandon programs that subsidize low-income
homeownership, which are reminiscent of the disastrous
Assisted Homeownership Program(AHOP) .
BACKGROUNDER POLICIES THAT FAVOUR HOME OWNERSHIP
Any gains made through house price appreciation may
be offset by the cost of buying and selling.
Longstanding policies and programs unfairly favour home
ownership over renting a home. Such policies and
programs include the following:
The possible benefit due to house price appreciation is
uncertain and highly variable. In many years and many
markets, house prices fall. This is particularly
devastating to those with low equity, or the need to sell.
tax-free status for capital gains on principal residences
lower property tax rates applied to owner occupied
homes in many cities
rebates on land transfer tax for first time buyers
Some Councillors are back flexing the anti-landlord
rhetoric on vacancy decontrol and rent control policies.
Can they impact public policy?
tax-free treatment of the imputed income from living in
an owned dwelling1
Toronto Public Health is getting aggressive on bed bugs
including determining they are a “significant health
hazard.” How do we deal with this problem?
the imputed income from living in an owned dwelling is
not considered in determining the eligibility and level of
payments under the Guaranteed Income Supplement
(GIS) program.
So sit back and enjoy the summer but be ready for
the “fall.”
CFAA advocates the adoption of policy measures
By contrast, since the 1970s the tax treatment of rental
housing has become steadily worse.
Homebuyers should be made aware of the disadvantages of
home ownership:
For owners paying a high percentage of their income in
mortgage payments, even a modest increase in interest
rates can be devastating.
Numerous American commentators have recently
expressed the view that American housing policy has gone
too far in promoting home ownership for all households.
In The Crisis in America’s Housing:
Confronting Myths and Promoting a Balanced Housing
Policy, the National Low Income Housing
COALITION SAYS:
Veteran housing counsellors said that providing low-income
homeownership was a very time- and money-intensive
endeavour that required significant subsidies to help a small
number of families. Homeownership cannot replace successful
continued on page 10
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT JOHN DICKIE, CFAA PRESIDENT AT 6 1 3 - 2 3 5 - 0 1 0 1
8 B U I L D I N G B L O C K S V O L . 7 N O .1 A U G U S T 2 0 0 8
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
continued from page 9
rental assistance programs such as housing vouchers [i.e.
housing allowances], and many low-income families are being
hurt by the pressure and rhetoric to become homeowners.
In Rethinking Rental Housing: Expanding the Ability of Rental
Housing to Serve as a Pathway to Economic and Social
Opportunity, William Apgar of the Joint Center for Housing
Studies of Harvard University, and former Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development, writes: There are
downsides to excessive focus on promoting homeownership.
Owning a home may prove unhelpful or even financially
disastrous. Many low-wealth and low-income families … hope
that homeownership in and of itself will help them achieve a
better life.
In fact, lower-income homeowners may become trapped in
declining neighbourhoods with little access to employment,
good quality schools or social services and equally limited
potential for price appreciation. In these situations, all too often
the dream of homeownership becomes the nightmare of a
financially devastating foreclosure.
GLORIA SALOMON
ell, it is the time of holidays, and relaxing around
the pool, however, not everyone thinks summer is
for taking it easy. Councillor Howard Moscoe is still
grinding away at a licensing scheme to be put forward
early in the fall. I just heard him on talk radio saying
that “in one form or another, licensing is going to be a reality”.
He says that people living in “deplorable” housing need
protection. Brad Butt responded that our industry is taxed
more than enough for the city to clean up bad buildings
without a huge bureaucracy that will be funded by
apartment building owners. The battle continues.
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Our first annual fun run/walk for the GTAA charitable
foundation was held in Sunnybrook Park and was
enjoyed by all participants even though the weather was
threatening. The clouds parted long enough for us to do
our thing and enjoy a lovely BBQ lunch to rejuvenate our
tired bodies.
Our 9th annual GTAA Golf Tournament was a resounding
success. A capacity crowd of golfers enjoyed a beautiful
day at the Country Club. The day was capped off with a
beautiful dinner with prizes given to our great achievers.
Thanks to everyone who participated and donated their
time and dollars to our foundation. We are happy to say
that all the net proceeds will be donated to the benefit of
housing related agencies that help those in needs in the
City of Toronto.
1 0 B U I L D I N G B L O C K S V O L . 7 N O .1 A U G U S T 2 0 0 8
FEDERAL
2008 CFAA CONFERENCE ADDRESSES
CROSS-CANADA CONCERNS
FAA’s June 13 Policy Conference in Saint John, New
Brunswick, addressed issues landlords face across
Canada, such as excessive property taxes and rent control.
CFAA directors filled in conference delegates on the latest
developments and concerns facing our various associations.
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The Greater Toronto Apartment Association supported
CFAA’s Policy Conference along with CMHC, the Federation
of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario and the Eastern Ontario
Landlord Organization. CFAA thanks GTAA for its support.
The Policy Conference also included presentations from two
noted Canadian academics.
PROPERTY TAXES
Professor Allan Maslove spoke about the discriminatory
taxation which applies to rental property in New Brunswick,
and in major cities in Ontario and elsewhere. Prof. Maslove
explained how the tax is actually paid by tenants of those
properties. He pointed out that tenants have a much lower
income than homeowners, so that the unfairness of the
higher tax rate on tenants is magnified.
Prof. Maslove’s PowerPoint presentation is available in the
Conference section of CFAA’s website, www.cfaa-fcapi.org,
and CFAA has a video recording of the presentation. Either
may be of use to associations fighting the property tax issue,
either as is or with adaptations.
PORTABLE HOUSING ALLOWANCES
Delegates also heard from Professor Marion Steele. First,
Prof. Steele explained how housing allowances work in
principle, and in the provinces that use them. In a second
presentation Prof. Steele provided information about the
costs and benefits of a potential housing allowance program
for Atlantic Canada and Canada as a whole. Those
presentations are also available on the CFAA website.
will better enable our Association to deal with our provincial
government in encouraging them to expand its housing allowance
program.”
Prof. Steele explained how core housing need could be
dramatically reduced by using portable housing allowances.
Prof. Steele recommends that Canadian governments adopt
portable housing allowances, or expand their use in those
Provinces which already use them.
See our website www.cfaa-fcapi.org for CFAA’s latest
statement on housing allowances, and for Prof. Steele’s
presentations. Since the Provinces influence housing policy,
CFAA looks forward to working in coordination with our
member associations to move Canada’s housing policies to a
greater use of portable housing allowance or rent
supplements.
In commenting on the Conference, Barry Remai from
Saskatchewan wrote, “Fuller understanding of housing
allowances and the various regimes in place across the country
Besides the policy sessions the CFAA Conference, allows
association leaders across Canada to meet one another and
exchange ideas.
A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 V O L . 7 N O .1 B U I L D I N G B L O C K S 1 3
PROVINCIAL
Enjoying a lobster dinner sponsored by CMHC, in the
foreground, from left to right: Scott Stacey (NBAOA), Avrom
Charach (CFAA Chair), Steve Manders (KRPOA), Brad Butt
(GTAA) and Gerry Webster (NBAOA).
CONFERENCE SPONSORS
Host Sponsor: My Ideal Home Network
Platinum Sponsors: Coinamatic Canada
and Yardi Systems
CFAA ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE
Gold Sponsor: RONA
At CFAA’s Association Conference on July 12, Martin Zegray
represented GTAA. CFAA delegates benefited from
discussions of
Dinner Sponsors: Hudson’s Bay Company and CMHC
Approaches to education for landlords
Silver Sponsors: TD Canada Trust – Multi-Unit
Residential Mortgages, Rent Check Credit Bureau
and Amana Air Conditioners
Landlords’ image problems and solutions
The material on those topics is available
CFAA’s Association Conference was made possible by the
generous support of our sponsors. We urge all landlords to
use the services of CFAA’s 2008 sponsors, namely:
GTAA IS ONE OF 17 MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN
FEDERATION OF APARTMENT ASSOCIATIONS, THE SOLE
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF
CANADA’S $37 BILLION RENTAL HOUSING INDUSTRY, WHICH
HOUSES ALMOST FOUR MILLION CANADIAN HOUSEHOLDS.
ONTARIO TO REQUIRE FIRE
SPRINKLERS IN NEW APARTMENTS
he Ontario government has approved changes to the
Ontario Building Code (OBC) that will require sprinkler
systems in new condominium and apartment buildings
higher than three storeys. The changes will come into effect
on April 1, 2010.
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At this stage there are no plans to force existing buildings to
retrofit in order to install fire sprinklers.
Building permit applications for multiple-unit residential
buildings higher than three storeys submitted on or after
that date must comply with the new fire sprinkler
requirements.
2009 RENT INCREASE
GUIDELINE ANNOUNCED
n late June the Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing
announced the rent increase guideline for 2009 at 1.8%
up only 0.4% from last year’s guideline of 1.4%.
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“This new calculation for the guideline is unrealistic,” reacted
Brad Butt, President, Greater Toronto Apartment
Association. “You can’t just take CPI and apply it to our
sector. The costs rise much higher than basic CPI.”
This guideline is the second lowest in rent control history
in Ontario at a time when costs for things such as energy
are rising much higher.
Residential fire deaths in Ontario have declined steadily since
the Building Code was introduced in 1975 and Ontario has
one of the lowest rates of residential fire deaths in Canada.
COMMERCIAL/OFFICE . RETAIL . INDUSTRIAL . MULTI-RES
FEDERAL
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
IN THE GTA SINCE 1987
JOEL SNITMAN
905-764-0869
800-895-5897
joel@rockwoodmanagement.com
www.rockwoodmanagement.com
PROVINCIAL
PROVINCIAL
LANDLORDS TAKING THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS
OBLIGATIONS SERIOUSLY
MIKE CHOPOWICK,
FEDERATION OF RENTAL-HOUSING
PROVIDERS OF ONTARIO
ollowing a consultation process last summer, the Ontario
Human Rights Commission recently released a report on
rental housing and human rights. The report’s purpose was
to issue broad recommendations that ensure protections
offered under the Human Rights Code are upheld.
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The Human Rights Code is quasi-constitutional and has
primacy over the Residential Tenancies Act, the Building
Code, or any other law in the province. It is critical that
landlords be proactive in ensuring their business practices
are not discriminatory in nature.
The good news is that Ontario’s landlords are already leaders
in human rights compliance. Rights complaints in the area
of housing are almost negligible, forming less than 4% (90
out of 2399) of total complaints to the Commission. More
landlords being proactive will help to reduce the incidence
of discrimination even more.
HUMAN RIGHTS AND FRPO’S CERTIFIED
RENTAL BUILDING PROGRAM
One of the Commission’s key recommendations was that
landlord industry associations “help member landlords proactively
comply with the Code through education, training and voluntary
certification programs”.
In keeping with this recommendation, our industry’s
commitment to reducing discrimination will be further
strengthened with FRPO’s Certified Rental Building Program.
This industry-led quality assurance program includes full
adherence to the Human Rights Code as one of the required
standards of practice that must be met before a rental building
receives the Certified Rental Building Program designation.
“The Commission recognizes that many landlords and
housing providers across Ontario take their human rights
obligations seriously and that a large percentage of
tenants are satisfactorily housed.”
Ontario Human Rights Commission, “Right At Home:
Report on the Consultation on Human Rights and Rental
Housing in Ontario”, July 8, 2008
AFFORDABILITY PROBLEMS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
A key focus of the report was the role of governments in
addressing housing affordability issues. As supported by
FRPO and other landlord associations, the Commission
recommended governments increase the availability of
portable housing allowances and rent banks to address the
needs of lower income households.
The Commission took no position on policy issues like rent
control or vacancy decontrol, but instead recommended that
the Ontario government assess the impacts of those policies.
During the consultation process FRPO recommended that
the Human Rights Commission advocate against price
regulation of rental housing due to the harmful impact of
rent control on housing supply. Having just completed
relatively recent discussions with the government that
resulted in the successful preservation of vacancy decontrolrecontrol, FRPO looks forward to any future meetings with
the government on this matter.
Other key issues, such as the ability of landlords to screen
prospective tenants, and the duty of landlords to accommodate
all persons protected by the Code, will require further
discussions with the Commission to ensure the significant
challenges faced by the landlords in complying with Coderelated requirements are recognized.
INCLUSIVE DESIGN AND ACCOMMODATION
The Commission also recommended that “governments
expand on measures to help landlords meet the requirements of
inclusive design and accommodation. Options that may be
considered include grants and other avenues of funding,
programs of education or changes to legislation, regulations or
policies.” It is unreasonable to force landlords to bear the
entire responsibility of fulfilling inclusive design and
accommodation up to the point of undue hardship. FRPO
has previously recommended that where it is determined
that appropriate accommodations (e.g. for a disabled person)
will require structural modifications, any costs should be
offset by public funding or government assistance. It was
encouraging to see the Commission support these options.
The bottom line is that there must be a balance among the
rights of all landlords and tenants. All tenants must be free
from interference with safe and reasonable enjoyment of
their homes while landlords and managers must have the
right to provide housing services using legitimate business
practices while receiving more recognition and support
related to the duty to accommodate.
Coalition to Promote
Provincial Housing
Allowance
SCREENING PROSPECTIVE TENANTS
Recommendations by the Human Rights Commission that
would prohibit housing providers from inquiring into or
considering the source of a tenant’s income or conducting
criminal background checks would infringe on a number of
legitimate business practices conducted by landlords related
to the tenant selection process. The current tenant selection
process allowed under the Code offers a fair and equitable
balance between the rights of tenants and the rights of
landlords to carry out legitimate business practices to avoid
economic loss. Including record of offences as a protected
ground under the Code would also impair a landlord’s ability
to reduce risk and provide safe accommodation to other
tenants.
coalition of like minded organizations concerned about
helping low income tenants pay their rent has come
together in an effort to develop a practical proposal to
present to the Provincial Government as part of its Poverty
Reduction Strategy.
A
The Daily Bread Food Bank, Ontario Non-Profit Housing
Association, Federation of Rental-housing Providers of
Ontario, the Atkinson and Metcalfe Foundations and the
Greater Toronto Apartment Association have been meeting
over the last several months and have retained housing
economists Marion Steele and Steve Pomeroy along with
John Stapleton to help write the coalition’s submission.
“I don’t see how the province could ignore a wsell researched, well
thought out set of recommendations from this coalition,” said Brad
Butt, President, Greater Toronto Apartment Association.
“Anti-poverty crusaders and housing professionals have come to
the table as equals – we can make this happen for low income
tenants across Ontario.”
After the final report is drafted it will be presented to the
Hon. Deb Matthews, Minister of Children and Youth Services
and Chair of the Cabinet’s Poverty Reduction Committee.
“I am very confident Minister Matthews will greet this report very
warmly,” concluded Mr. Butt.
PROVINCIAL
OMB APPROVES NORTH YORK
RENTAL CONVERSION
MARK OSTLER, NRU PUBLISHING WITH PERMISSION
n a decision issued June 17, board member Michael Somers
allowed an appeal by R & G Realty Management Inc.
against the city’s refusal to approve a proposed plan of
condominium to permit conversion of the 161-unit building
at 1465 Lawrence Avenue West from a rental apartment to a
condominium. R & G also appealed the city’s failure to approve
an official plan amendment to permit the conversion, but the
board found that an OPA was not necessary and dismissed the
appeal.
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The city took the position that the proposal would result in a
significant loss of rental units and runs contrary to existing
and former official plan policies. R & G took the position
that the city’s current vacancy rate for rental units is at a
healthy level and that the conversion is consistent with
existing and former official plan policies.
City planners Luigino Moretto and Angela Stea, and city
zoning examiner Richard McMann provided evidence
against the appeal.
Stea testified that the conversion would reduce the range of
both housing types and rental rates and negatively affect city
residents. Stea noted that over the last few years new-rental
construction has not occurred in significant numbers and
that older rental buildings, such as 1465 Lawrence Avenue
West, may be required to meet future housing needs.
Stea insisted that such a conversion would represent a
significant loss of rental housing and would create a bad
precedent. Stea testified that rental housing is recognized in
the North York Official Plan as an essential form of housing
and that the Metro Toronto Official Plan encourages
preserving and maintaining such units.
Over the past 10 years, new rental construction amounted to
5 per cent of the total new residential construction in
Toronto, Stea testified.
Housing economist Frank Clayton (Altus Clayton) and
planner Michael Goldberg (Goldberg Group) provided
evidence on behalf of R & G, in favour of the appeal.
Goldberg said that converting the building to condominiums
would result in affordable home ownership, as the
development cost would be lower than that of a newly
constructed building. Goldberg also expressed his opinion
that the proposal conforms to the North York Official Plan, the
Metro plan and the current Toronto Official Plan.
Goldberg testified that the area does not have a healthy
balance of housing types, as there is significantly more rental
than condominium housing.
Stating that the proposed conversion would eliminate 0.2 per
cent of the city’s rental housing stock, Clayton testified that
such a reduction is not serious. Clayton noted that the
former North York Official Plan encourages a mix of rental and
ownership units. Clayton and Goldberg also stated that
Toronto’s vacancy rate has exceeded 3 per cent for the last six
years.
Daniel McIntyre provided evidence on behalf of the
Federation of Metropolitan Toronto Tenants Association,
against the appeal. McIntyre testified that it is both difficult
to secure and to replace rental housing in Toronto.
Councillor Frank Di Giorgio spoke in support of the
conversion, testifying that it is critical to offer residents in
his ward an alternative to rental housing. Di Giorgio
presented 79 letters from existing tenants and one from the
local ratepayer’s association supporting the proposed
conversion.
No area residents attended the hearing to oppose the conversion.
The board allowed the appeal, approving the plan of
condominium. The board also dismissed the appeal for an
official plan amendment, as one was deemed unnecessary.
Solicitor Adam Brown (Sherman Brown) represented R & G
Realty Management Inc. Solicitors Sharon Haniford and
Kelly Matsumoto represented the City of Toronto. (See OMB
Case No. PL070211.)
MUNICIPAL
Waste
Levy Now
a Reality
VACANCY RATE
DECREASES SLIGHTLY
IN TORONTO
n July 1, 2008 the City of Toronto’s new apartment
waste levy came into force. All residual waste
collected at apartments will be charged back while
recycling, bulky items and household hazardous waste
will be collected for free.
anada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
released the results from its April 2008 rent level and
vacancy survey in late June noting a decrease in the
vacancy rate from 4% in October to 2.8% in April. The
average two bedroom rent was $1,073 in October 2007
and $1,075 in April 2008 – relatively stable.
O
The City of Toronto has developed a waste calculator so
buildings can input their waste amount and calculate the
impact. Many buildings will face substantial bills as a
result of poor recycling rates at buildings.
The Greater Toronto Apartment Association will continue
to closely monitor this new program. As the first bills
come in during August, there will be an opportunity to
adjust the levy in order that the new Solid Waste Utility
only collects $24 million from the apartment sector
across 5,100 buildings.
Also, the fact that Miller Waste Systems is now the
contractor for all apartments in Toronto means there are
opportunities for property management firms to work
directly with Miller and implement collection and
container changes that encourage higher levels of
recycling.
There are lots of good materials for buildings at
www.toronto.ca/garbage.
C
There were close to 8,500 vacant apartment units available
to rent in April meaning it is still a very healthy,
competitive environment for tenants seeking homes.
Many members report continued vacancy rates at all
ranges of the market.
MRAB REPORT
EXPECTED IN
OCTOBER
ccording to statements in the press, the City of Toronto
Multi-unit Regulatory Apartment Building (MRAB)
options report is expected to go before the Executive
Committee at its regular meeting in early October.
A
The report is expected to detail several options the City
could consider in “regulating” apartment buildings
including whether to “license” them or not. It is also
expected that there will be some recommendations on
how the Municipal Licensing & Standards Division
operates in order to allocate resources to cleaning up
buildings in chronic disrepair.
“We will await the report but we are still of the view that the
City does not need to create a massive new bureaucratic
regime to deal with this problem,” said Brad Butt, President,
Greater Toronto Apartment Association.
MUNICIPAL
MUNICIPAL
GOT A GRIP ON YOUR WATER BILL?
rying to control operating costs on your property? Your
water bill is a good place to start. At the GTAA Lunch ‘n’
Learn on May 21, 2008, Lisa Botticella of Toronto Water
offered a number of water-saving tips. Here the highlights of
how you can reduce water use from your building – and save
money on your water bill.
T
Before starting to look for water savings, the first step is
knowing how much water your building uses. Check your
water meter throughout the day, looking for patterns during
the morning, evening and overnight periods. You can even
compare your building’s consumption to the average water
use: in a typical inefficient multi-unit residential building,
each suite will consume around 450 litres of water per day.
If you suspect your suites are using too much water,, you are
a prime candidate for water efficiency projects!
The first (and easiest) place to begin decreasing your water
use is to look for leaks. After you have checked your meter
readings throughout the day, you can compare the overnight
use with the other periods in the day. If overnight water use
seems to be high, your building may have leaks (since water
use overnight should be relatively low). The common culprit
is a leaky toilet – flappers wear out over time, and water
from the tank leaks through the flapper and into the bowl.
These are known as “silent” leaks, since they don’t make any
noise or cause any overflows. You can test whether a toilet
has a leaky flapper by using a toilet leak detection tablet.
Simply drop the tablet into the tank, wait 5 to 10 minutes,
and if the colour of the water in the bowl changes, that toilet
is leaking. After checking the toilet for leaks, look at the
faucets and shower fittings. Implementing a regular program
for leakage inspection can help make sure water – and your
money – is not going down the drain.
Leaking bathroom and kitchen fixtures can be easily fixed
and retrofitted to decrease water use. Generally, older
showerheads and faucet aerators operate at 9.5 Litres per
minute (2.5 gallons per minute) or more. These fixtures can
become more efficient, by installing showerhead and faucet
aerators that consume 5.7 litres per minute (1.5 gallons per
minute) – that’s saving you approximately 4 litres for every
minute that faucet or shower is running!
The second (and most effective) place for water savings, after
checking your fixtures for leaks, is look at the water demand
of those fixtures.. Many apartment buildings still have
toilets that flush with 13 or more litres. Changing out waterguzzling toilets with water efficient models that flush with 6
L or less can result in a large water savings. In addition, the
City of Toronto offers rebates of up to $150 for replacing old
toilets – by selecting a toilet from the City-approved list, you
will not only receive cash back but you are also assured that
the toilet has been tested to meet a minimum performance
standard (and won’t need to be double flushed). Payback
periods for toilet replacement can be lower than 1 year
(depending on the model replaced), and savings can be as
high as over 40% of your water bill! Visit www.toronto.ca/
watereff/multi-flush to find out more about the benefits of
replacing toilets in your building.
A third water user in most multi-unit residential buildings is
the communal laundry facility. Consider switching from
top-loading washers to new high-efficiency (front-loading)
models; They not only save water but also require less energy
to operate. The City of Toronto offers a rebate of up to $125
for each high-efficiency washer you lease or purchase. This
rebate is on top of the current provincial retail sales tax
rebate – which helps to bring down your payback period. If
you are interested in changing out your water inefficient
washers, visit www.toronto.ca/watereff/business_washer
A final heavy water user often overlooked by some property
owners is irrigation. Some irrigation systems can be
extremely inefficient – if set to go off on a timer, they can be
watering your lawn during a rainstorm! Be sure to install
moisture sensors on your irrigation system to prevent this
from happening. Remember to set the timer for watering
between 3am and 5am, and it shouldn’t be set to water every
day – typically, turf requires about 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) of
water per week, which includes rainfall. It’s a good idea to
contact a certified irrigation auditor who can test your
system and ensure sprinkler heads are set up to run
effectively and efficiently.
Overall, these steps identify the opportunities within your
building for decreasing water use. By reviewing your water
consumption, detecting leaks, inspecting fixtures and
looking at your irrigation practices, your building will use
less water – saving money for both you and your tenants.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN SAVE WATER,
PLEASE CONTACT THE CITY OF TORONTO’S WATER EFFICIENCY TEAM AT (416) 392-7000 OR SAVEWATER@TORONTO.CA .
MUNICIPAL
MUNICIPAL
TENANT DEFENSE SUB-COMMITTEE
TAKES ON SUB-METERING
ub-metering of apartment units was a hot topic at the
June 17, 2008 meeting of the City of Toronto Tenant
Defense Sub-committee meeting. Staff was invited to make a
presentation on the perceived pros and cons of sub-metering
and then be questioned by Councillors.
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Peter Mills, Chief Operating Officer of Stratacon Inc. also
made a brief presentation to the Committee to explain how
sub-metering works and give examples where tenants were
in fact better off and for those whose bills were higher,
explained what led to that reality. Several other groups
made brief presentations as well.
At the end of the meeting, the Committee approved the
following motions:
1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter,
Support and Housing Administration to consult and seek
further input from the landlord and tenant communities
and other stakeholders as appropriate on the installation
of smart meters in residential units and the impact of such
initiatives on tenant affordability, and report back to the
next meeting of the Tenant Defense Sub-committee.
2. City Council request the Province of Ontario to:
a. Consider and explore possible ways of implementing a
form of mandatory oversight in cases of voluntary smart
meter conversion which includes ensuring that rent
reductions are fairly calculated and ensuring that
tenants are fully informed of their rights under s. 125 of
the Residential Tenancies Act; and
b. Put on hold the installation of “smart meters” in
residential rental units until such time as the City has
thoroughly considered all the outstanding issues and
appropriate legislative amendments and/or regulations
have been brought into force by the provincial
government.
“This Committee has totally over-reacted,” said Brad Butt,
President, Greater Toronto Apartment Association. “City
Council can’t talk about the importance of energy conservation and
then throw roadblocks up to making it happen in apartments.”
Toronto Tax Ratio
Still Highest
The City of Toronto continues to have the highest ratio in
tax rates between the residential and multi-residential tax
rates. The rate is still over three times higher for rental
apartments than ownership homes.
Despite a Council resolution to bring the tax rate down to
only 2.5 times the residential over 15 years, there is still a
long way to go. In the meantime, tenants through their
rents, pay a much higher tax than do homeowners.
Interesting to note that only municipalities in York Region
charge the same tax rate to apartments as to homes.
Here is a chart showing area municipalities and the
difference in rates between residential and multi-residential.
The rates include the education tax (which the province sets
and charges the same rate to homes and apartments) and in
the case where there is a regional government (like Peel) that
rate is included as well.
M U N I C I PA L I T Y
RESIDENTIAL
M U LT I - R E S I D E N T I A L
PICKERING
1.414855
2.412066
AJAX
1.431121
2 .442431
O S H AWA
1 . 7 8 3 2 47
3 . 0 9 9 6 74
B R A M P TO N
1.244053
1 .9 3 4 9 9 0
MISSISSAUGA
1 . 0 3 476 2
1.635017
OAKVILLE
1.0457 11
2 .032152
B U R L I N G TO N
1 .1 0 7 9 8 0
2 .1 7 2 9 9 7
M I LT O N
0 .9 4 3 2 5 7
1.800411
VA U G H A N
1 . 0 4 47 2 2
1 . 0 4 47 2 2
RICHMOND HILL
1.056079
1.056079
MARKHAM
1.049877
1.049877
MUNICIPAL
G TA A
Association Donates
$2,500 to Residents
he Greater Toronto Apartment Association Board of
Directors approved a $2,500 donation to assist the residents
of 2 Secord Avenue who were affected by a hydro vault
explosion in the basement of their building on July 20, 2008.
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Although all residents are expected to carry their own
insurance to assist at times like this there are still some
residents that need extra help.
“Our Board immediately approved this once the City of Toronto set
up the fund,” said Brad Butt, President, Greater Toronto
Apartment Association. “We feel for both the residents and the
owner as this was a terrible tragedy that no one could have
foreseen.”
The association is also working with officials at the City of
Toronto in developing a protocol to assist property managers
in dealing with this scale of disaster. It is hoped it will be
ready by the end of the year.
G TA A
G TA A
THE ELECTRICITY TRAFFIC JAM
f a tourist visiting Toronto was on Highway 401 at 3:00
a.m. on a Sunday morning, they may wonder why there
were so many lanes. If that person were traveling the same
stretch of highway at 5:30 p.m.on a Friday afternoon, they
would likely want the number of lanes doubled! We face a
similar situation with Ontario’s electricity supply. Everyone
wants to use electricity at the same time, resulting in a
province wide electricity traffic jam which is getting worse.
I
SUB-METER ON YOUR TERMS
The government continues to be committed to install smart
meters throughout Ontario by 2010. The regulatory
environment is favourable towards smart sub-metering so it
is prudent to sub-meter now and under your terms. New
regulations are not likely to favour building owners as has
been highlighted by Section 137 in the New Residential
Tenancies Act.
YOU CAN’T MANAGE WHAT YOU CAN’T MEASURE
Ontario is introducing Time-of-Use (TOU) electricity pricing,
which provides a financial incentive to use less electricity
during “peak” times. With time-of-use pricing, owners
without smart sub-meters will see electricity used during
peak periods jump from 5.0 ¢ cents to 8.9 ¢ without any
ability to manage it.
While electricity sub-metering has proven to reduce
consumption by 20 to 30%, owners are starting to realize
larger scale benefits. A resident’s decision to run the fan coil
less reduces the heating bill as the boilers run less often.
Having the resident accountable for their own electricity bill
also reduces risk as the owner has less exposure to electricity
price fluctuations and facilitates budgeting.
BUSTING THE MYTH – SUB-METERING DOESN’T
INCREASE VACANCY RATE
All things being equal, it seems logical that residents prefer
an all inclusive rental payment. Of course, all things are
NEVER equal, and the belief that sub-metering has a longterm negative impact on vacancy rates has proven not to be
true in practice.
In one particular case study, the vacancy rate was reduced
from 15% to 4% with sub-metering in place. We constantly
run into buildings with a 0% vacancy rate where the new
owners were unaware these buildings were sub-metered.
While there are clearly many factors at play, smart submetering does not create a vacancy issue.
KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR SMART SUB-METERING
PROVIDER PARTNER:
Given the many benefits, and the favourable regulatory
environment, it is prudent to consider smart sub-metering.
It is also prudent to ask some key questions of your potential
smart sub-metering service provider partner:
DIRECT PROPERTIES ANNUAL COOKOUT
he Head Office staff of Direct Properties Inc. just hosted
their first Residents Appreciation BBQ Party for the
residents and staff of 90-92 James Street and 25 Villa Road. It
was held on the courtyard of the property and the weather
was absolutely perfect. Just by posting a few flyers, there was
a huge resident turnout. The successful event was jam
packed with super delicious catered food by BBQ Catering
(beef burgers, salmon burgers, hotdogs, chicken, salads,
desserts etc), music and door prizes. The kids enjoyed the
face painting and balloon making provided by the two
clowns. Sylvia Pencakova, a beauty consultant and a resident
in one of the buildings pampered the hands and lips of the
crowd with massages. Residents like Cameron Seale, Raul
Enriquez and Ed Ilao also provided entertainment with their
keyboard and guitar skills. Residents of all ages, ranging
from 7 to 75, graced the crowd with song renditions. Mary
Robinson, of 25 Villa Road commented that she has never
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lived in an apartment building that hosts a free BBQ for their
tenants. Vijay Pereira of 92 James building came with his
lovely wife, Sharon and his good friend, Chris Procher who
he recently referred to the building using the DPI Resident
Referral Program. This social event was a chance for the
residents to meet and mingle with their neighbours and all
of the DPI staff.
Loyalty awards were presented to residents with over ten
years of tenancy and the evening ended with a wonderful
draw for a door prize. The residents and staff of James/Villa
were overwhelmed and felt very special indeed for the royal
treatment given to them by the Head Office of Direct
Properties Inc. We are hoping that this will be an annual
event.
Ludie Pangan, Building Manager & her wonderful team
of staff and residents at 90-92 James Strre & 25 Villa Road
Will your partner help manage the conversion of existing
tenants to individual metering?
Will your partner waive customer charges on vacant or
unconverted suites?
Does your partner treat each suite as an independent legal
entity which will insure there will be no trips to the rental
tribunal?
Would you want your partner to be able to waive resident
security deposits?
How long do you believe your partner will be in business?
Will your partner install proprietary equipment?
Don’t be caught in the Electricity Traffic Jam! Act now!
AS A MEMBER OF THE ENBRIDGE FAMILY, ENBRIDGE ELECTRIC CONNECTIONS INC. (EECI) WAS CREATED IN 2001 IN
ANTICIPATION OF CHANGES IN ONTARIO'S ELECTRICITY MARKET. EECI IS FOCUSED ON BRINGING SMART SUB-METERS
TO MULTI-RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.
YOU MAY CONTACT THE AUTHOR DIRECTLY AT ( 9 0 5 ) 747 - 5 5 8 1 SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
G TA A
G TA A
SHEPPARD CENTRE “EASY RIDERS” RAISE MONEY
he Sheppard Centre is a mix of both Residential and
Commercial adjoining the Mall at Yonge and Sheppard
in North York. The Commercial portion is owned and
managed by Standard Life Assurance and they invited staff
from Tandem Management who manages the Residential
component to join them in raising money for the Heart &
Stroke Foundation.
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With Police escort the staff got onto a bike that holds 34
people as shown on the photos and rode along Yonge Street
and back along Beecroft Avenue to Mel Lastman Square.
Standard Life and Tandem staff raised $4,000 through
this unique event. They would like to thank Restorer’s
Group, SPG Engineering, Protocom Limited and members
of the Greater Toronto Apartment Association for their
generous sponsorship of this event.
G TA A
Energy Efficiency
Workshops Held
he Toronto Atmospheric Fund in cooperation with the
Greater Toronto Apartment Association held two
workshops on energy efficiency on June 11 and 19, 2008
with various speakers talking to property managers about
practical things that can be done at apartment buildings to
improve energy efficiency and make them cost effective.
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The Tower Wise Energy Efficiency Action Committee
(TEEAC) has been formed with multiple stakeholders to
research and develop a package of options for apartment
building owners to retrofit buildings and meet the
challenges laid out in the City of Toronto Climate Change
Action Plan.
The groups plans additional opportunities later this fall and
in 2009 for property managers to learn more about what can
be achieved in their buildings.
G TA A
G TA A
GOLF TOURNAMENT RAISES
$40,000 FOR FOUNDATION
he ninth annual Greater Toronto
Apartment Association golf tournament
held on July 7, 2008 at The Country Club
was a sell-out success with 298 golfers hitting
the links. It is anticipated that the net profits
will exceed $40,000 and be donated to the
Foundation.
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The association is in debt to the many
companies who sponsored the event and the
dozens of volunteers who pitched in to help
make the event another success.
And special recognition goes to Paul Chisholm
of Berkley Management for his hole-in-one.
Special thanks to our Patron Sponsors of the
tournament whose logos are displayed
herein. They are Rogers Communications,
Housing Solutions Inc., Com-plex Systems
and Ace Painting.
THIS YEAR’S SPECIAL WINNERS
WEST COURSE CHAMPIONS
CHRIS PATERSON
DON CAMERON
BRIAN EVANS
DOUG HAGEY
WEST COURSE SPECIAL WINNERS
CLOSEST TO THE HOLE MEN – SHEAMUS MURPHY
CLOSEST TO THE HOLE LADIES – KELLY SPARFEL
LONGEST DRIVE MEN – BRYAN LEVY
LONGEST DRIVE LADIES – KELLY SPARFEL
CLOSEST TO THE TORONTO STAR BOX – DAVID FINHEGAN
CLOSEST TO THE PHELPS KEG – JOE CRUPI
EAST COURSE CHAMPIONS
LES WOODS
CARLO MARTINI
JOHN STANG
PETER MCLEAN
EAST COURSE SPECIAL WINNERS
CLOSEST TO THE HOLE MEN – TOM BRIOUX
LONGEST DRIVE MEN – DEREK ZARETSKY
LONGEST DRIVE WOMEN – KAREN KIMBER
CLOSEST TO THE TORONTO STAR BOX – MIKE NICHOLLS
CLOSEST TO THE PHELPS KEG – RANDY KAMULA
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!
THIS YEAR’S GENEROUS SPONSORS
GOLF BALL SPONSOR
THE RENTERS’ NEWS
WATER SPONSOR
PROFINISH RENOVATIONS
GOLF CART SPONSORS
TD CANADA TRUST AND THE RENTERS’ NEWS
CLUB CLEANING SPONSOR
CERTIFIED GROUP OF COMPANIES
TEAM PHOTO SPONSOR
ENBRIDGE ELECTRIC CONNECTIONS
GOLFER MASSAGE SPONSOR
CERTIFIED GROUP OF COMPANIES/
SERENITY SPA
COCKTAIL FOOD SPONSORS
DAVROC & ASSOCIATES, STRATACON INC.,
R.F. PORTER CONTRACTING
GIFT BAGS SPONSOR
BUILDING & CONCRETE RESTORATION
ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO
EPS SYSTEM SPONSORS
ECNG, THE RENTERS’ NEWS,
COM-PLEX SYSTEMS AND YARDI SYSTEMS
SCORING SPONSORS
CONTERRA RESTORATION AND
PASCOAL PAINTING
DINNER SPONSORS
PCO SERVICES AND SPARKLE SOLUTIONS
HOSPITALITY TENT SPONSORS
THE BYNG GROUP AND 24 HOURS
PIN HOLE FLAG SPONSOR
PASCOAL PAINTING
DRIVING RANGE SPONSOR
TRANSGLOBE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Without the support of the sponsors, the event could not take place.
Again, thank you for your enormous generosity. Mark your calendars for 2009! Enjoy the rest of the season!
G TA A
G TA A
Heating Plant
Renewal – Do You
Need an Engineer ?
ntario apartment building owners are growing
accustomed to the idea that it’s time to renew their major
mechanical and electrical systems. Good quality modern
systems offer energy savings and comfort improvements, but
more critically the old equipment is beyond its life
expectancy. The increasing chance of failure is creating a
very real risk of leaving tenants without heat or hot water.
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Of course, I’m not the first person to talk about this. Service
contractors all over the province are singing the same tune,
hoping to reduce emergency calls and secure installation
contracts at the same time. As an owner, you should be
aware that you have more than one way to run a heating
renewal project.
NEGOTIATING WITH A CONTRACTOR
In the new construction market, building permits are
required, so there is a legal requirement for qualified
professional engineers to stamp mechanical and electrical
drawings. The retrofit market is different. This kind of
project, even if it’s quite complex, can be considered repair so
a permit is usually not needed. That gives building owners
flexibility to undertake the work outside of the oversight of
building officials. In fact, the owner has the option to avoid
engineers altogether and deal directly with suppliers and
contractors.
It’s easy to think this is like going to a garage to have your
car fixed. You don’t go to a car designer, do you? The local
mechanic has the parts and he knows what to do, right?
In fact, what works for cars doesn’t work as well for buildings.
When you get your car fixed there’s only one right way to do
it, using specific parts made to work with the rest of the car.
The mechanic doesn’t make any choices about the car design,
and if he does his job well the car will work properly after
the repair. That’s not true for heating plants, where you’ve
got a range of equipment and installation choices, and
hundreds of suppliers and installers clamoring for your
business (and all claiming to be the best). At the end of the
job, the plant may work efficiently or it may waste energy. It
may last 30 years or more, or it may fall apart within five
years. You get a 12 month warranty, but that’s all.
REDESIGNING THE PLANT
When you renovate a 30-year-old heating plant, there are
usually good reasons to change the design. If you want to
save energy, avoid oversizing your new equipment, or take
advantage of modern technology, a basic “one-for-one” boiler
replacement is probably not the best option.
That’s where a specialized retrofit engineer comes in. It’s an
extra contract, with a cost attached, but at the end of the day
you can assure yourself that you’ve looked at all the options,
considered the trade-offs, and got the job done right.
WHEN ENERGY COSTS GO DOWN,
BUILDING VALUE GOES UP
Commercial and apartment buildings are valued based on
capitalization rate calculations. A well-engineered $300,000
replacement heating plant will save $50,000 per year in
natural gas. Based on a cap rate of 7%, that adds over
$700,000 to the market value of the property. Only a careful
design by experienced engineers can maximize the fuel
savings to get this benefit.
Don’t rely too much on the boiler manufacturer’s brochure.
Just about all new boilers claim high efficiency, but there are
plenty of wasteful heating plants out there with supposedly
efficient boilers. In-service fuel use depend at least as much
on piping arrangement and control as on the boiler
construction.
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE IMPARTIAL ADVICE
Professional engineering consultants sell only their time,
so they have no stake in the owner’s purchase decisions.
Conversely, building owners will only buy boiler plants once
in their lives, so they can't know as much as a company that
designs these systems and has seen all of the equipment
choices in operation. It’s important to have someone who
knows the market to explain the options and trade-offs in a
clear and impartial way. Each owner will have his/her own
priorities with respect to payback, durability, operating
convenience, budget, and planning horizon. Independent
practitioners who spend their careers in this field are in the
best position to help. Watch out for companies that promote
themselves as engineers but are in fact closely tied to
contractors and equipment suppliers.
MARKET REPRESENTATION
Building owners with limited heating plant expertise will
benefit from market representation. Anyone who has hired a
home renovation contractor knows there are plenty of risks
and shady operators, and that you should not hire only on
lowest price. The same applies in the commercial construction
market, only on a larger scale. Just because a contractor is
willing to start a project doesn’t mean he has the resources to
finish it and do it right. When an owner hires an engineer, the
engineer is bound by a sworn legal duty to protect his client’s
interests. That includes advice on which contractors are
experienced and capable of getting the job done.
Even where a building owner has decided on a trusted
contractor, an engineer will make sure the system is designed
for a long trouble-free life and that the many quality points
are taken care of.
IT’S NOT EXPENSIVE
Engineering design and construction quality control services
are generally in the range of 10% to 15% of the construction
contract. In a busy labour-constrained market, just knowing
the right contractors to invite and the right time of year to
schedule the work can save 30%. Cost control is an
important part of the engineering service, from producing
precise specifications that are resistant to “extras”, to
advising where component substitution makes sense and
warning where it can create serious performance problems.
CONTRACTORS CAN’T ASSESS OPTIONS
Replacing existing systems with high-efficiency engineered
systems takes careful analysis and assessment of options. No
single solution fits every building. Contractors don’t have
the staff for this kind of analysis, and even if they did, they
don’t have the time. So they will recommend the approach
that works best with their business model. That usually
means oversized appliances for safety, lowest cost appliances
for attractive pricing, and the easiest to install because of the
shortage of skilled trades. They may talk about energy
efficiency, but any associated business compromises or risks
don't make sense for them.
Engineers represent the owner, and the better they do that
job, the easier it is for them to sell more work in the future.
They have a business motivation to make recommendations
in the owner’s best interests.
IT’S POSSIBLE TO OVER-SIMPLIFY
A straight one-for-one boiler replacement can create its own
problems. Boiler technology has changed tremendously in
the past 30 years, and so have installation and operating
requirements. If the new boilers do not see the correct water
flows and temperatures, they will not operate efficiently and
may fail prematurely.
TENDERING USUALLY SAVES MONEY
Economics 101. Prices drop when there is competition.
To stretch the car analogy again, that’s an easy principle to
apply when you’re buying a new car, but not so easy when
you’re buying a heating plant that could be laid out in a
hundred different ways.
It’s quite possible to ask a list of construction contractors to
quote on a heating plant replacement. But if you haven’t
precisely defined what you want then you will get several
different prices, each price for a different project with
different equipment and uncertain quality standards. The
quoting contractors know that the only common basis for
comparison is the total price, so they will do what they can
to get it as low as possible. There is no way to know whether
any of the quotes will solve your problems or give you the
benefits you expect. There is no way to know which quote is
the best value. There is no way to predict the amount of
“extras” to come later once the job is under way.
Tendering is the process of requesting competitive pricing
for a carefully defined scope of work. A design engineer
defines the precise details and quality expectations in a
“tender package” consisting of drawings and written
specifications. Contractors bid against the tender package,
ensuring the best possible market price for a project where
equipment and workmanship standards are clearly
understood.
G TA A
G TA A
H&S BUILDING SUPPLIES LTD. HOSTS 2008
WHMIS TRAINING FOR GTAA MEMBERS
However, there is an exception to this rule. If you have a
relationship of trust with a skilled mechanical contractor
you may be better off negotiating with the one company
and have them work directly with the engineer from the
start. One benefit is that you’ll be able to get the job
started faster. The engineer can help you assess the
pricing, and you’ll have the bonus of lower engineering
fees if he can save the effort of tendering.
PMSO MAKES DONATION
TO FOUNDATION
RIGHT-SIZING SAVES OVERALL COST
Most original heating plants are oversized, often twice
what is needed, for two reasons:
he Greater Toronto Apartment Association Charitable
Foundation Board of Directors wishes to acknowledge
the generous donation of $1,200 to the Foundation by the
Property Management Services Organization (PMSO).
The design philosophy of some engineers at the time
was to provide full redundancy.
Before a building is put up, it’s hard to know how big
the HVAC services need to be. So they were sized for
the worst case scenario and then a safety factor was
added on top.
When it comes time to replace mechanical systems,
utility billing history provides a very good indication of
the actual sizing required. We normally analyze that
carefully using statistical tools, and add a small margin
(say 20%) to allow for some equipment failure even
under maximum load.
This “right-sizing” approach cuts the construction cost,
typically saving more than the engineer’s fees.
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Founded in 1976, the PMSO has represented several
Toronto-based apartment managers/owners promoting
the well being and interests of the property management
industry relative to matters dealing with unionized
employees who are members of the Universal Workers’
Union LIUNA Local 183 including negotiating and the
administration of the collective agreement and advice
and legal support to the collective agreement.
n Thursday May 8th, 2008 – H&S Building Supplies Ltd.
hosted its 7th annual WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous
Materials Information System) training seminar for GTAA
members. This full day event was held at the Montecassino
Banquet & Event Facility in Toronto, with Nick Bartzis of STS
(Safety Training Seminars) as the trainer. 175 attendees from
18 different Property Management companies participated
for WHMIS Certification which included breakfast and
lunch, as H&S picked up the bill for the entire days events.
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Amit Shanghavi, Manager Business Development at H&S
spoke about the day and what it meant to their company;
“H&S truly believes in being accountable for the chemicals that we
supply to our clients. Sometimes, Property Managers aren’t too
clear regarding the law as it pertains to WHMIS controlled
products and if a problem were to arise due to mis-use or spillage of
hazardous chemicals then building staff and tenants can be severely
injured. We try our best to educate our clients, but holding this one
day event helps us pass the message on to apartment building
operators, cleaning staff, and support staff, that there should be no
price put on their health”
Over the years of doing this WHMIS training seminar, H&S
has been able to cater the discussion and training to the
unique requirements that building staff require and can
relate too. They focus the seminar on helping attendees
understand the harmful effects of over-exposure to certain
types of chemicals, identifying chemicals which can not be
mixed, helping them read through Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDS), and using personal protective equipment. At
the end of the seminar a test is given and those who pass are
granted their certification which is good for two years. As a
supplier of chemicals, H&S is responsible for providing
MSDS for all chemicals that they supply their clients and
when the buildings understand that they require MSDS then
it makes this training worthwhile.
We thank H&S Building Supplies Ltd. for holding this
event annually for our members and hope that Property
Managers understand the need in educating their
employees on how to be accountable for the chemicals
they use throughout their buildings.
“We are very grateful to this group for making this special
donation and can assure PMSO it will go to help the homeless
are hard to house in Toronto,” said Paul Smith, Chair, Board
of Directors, Greater Toronto Apartment Association
Charitable Foundation.
PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE
GIVES YOU PEACE OF MIND
Licensed professional engineering firms carry insurance
to protect owners against errors and omissions. This
provides you with assurance that the new heating plant
will actually work smoothly, not just that it will be
installed.
SHOULD YOU REQUIRE MORE INFORMATION RELATING
TO THE PMSO AND THEIR MEMBER SERVICE, PLEASE
CONTACT BRIAN MOORE AT 416-256-2900 EXT. 361.
MIKE THOMAS, P.ENG., IS A PRINCIPAL AT EFFICIENCY
ENGINEERING INC., WITH OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE
IN BUILDING MECHANICAL RETROFIT AND ENERGY
EFFICIENCY. HE CAN BE REACHED AT 5 1 9 - 62 4 - 9 9 6 5 , OR
G TA A
G TA A
ANNUAL LEASIDE TOWERS RESIDENT
PARTY ATTRACTS OVER 800
We Got Beat!!!
t took the efforts of an entire city to beat us, but they did
beat us fair and square. Our ‘Spring Hope’ food drive
received so much press that we created a competitive
environment in what seems like every major city in Canada.
Initially, Regina held the Guinness record for the largest 24
hr. food drive collecting 221,000 pounds of food. Then news
got out that we were going to substantially beat that existing
record and in fact we did collecting over 260,000 pounds.
I
With our success came even more enthusiasm across this
country to help those in need. The city of Winnipeg started
evaluating their results from a city wide 24 hr. food drive
they had. They collected more than both the City of Regina
and the Greater Toronto Apartment Association. They are
now the world record holder having collected 378,000
pounds of food within 24 hrs.
Should we be disappointed – not for one second! As an
industry, when we started this food drive we didn’t receive
much by way of support or interest from our local
community. As the years passed the momentum of our
collective efforts and contributions started to gain us both
respect and support from food banks and media. As an
industry we have received more positive media around this
food drive then anything else we have ever done, at least in
the nearly twenty five years I’ve been in business.
esidents of Leaside Towers, owned and managed
by Morguard Residential, attended their annual
barbeque on July 10, 2008. Roger Palmer, District
Manager, is shown escorting Stanley Goodenough
(their oldest resident at 103) to the seating area.
R
We have fed hundreds of thousands of people! It took an
entire city to beat us! Other Landlord Associations in Canada
are contacting us to start similar drives in their cities! We
have partnered with local food banks and received their
support and endorsement of our efforts! We made a
difference!
We don’t need a plaque on the wall saying we earned a
Guinness Record to recognize what we accomplished. As an
industry we have started something that has caught like
wildfire in this country. We have started a teamwork
atmosphere that has cities and corporations and associations
just like ours working together for the greater good. That’s
the best reward we could ever have and I thank you for
choosing to be a part of it.
PARKING STRUCTURE REHABILITATION
BALCONY, MASONRY, AND CAULKING REPAIRS
TEL
905-848-2992 FAX 905-848-3883
www.conterra.ca
TRAFFIC DECK WATERPROOFING SYSTEMS
EXPANSION JOINTS
HYDRODEMOLITION
3633 ERINDALE STATION ROAD, MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO L5C 2S9
SPECIALIZED CONCRETE REPAIRS
G TA A
G TA A
TSSA Changes
Elevator Rules
he purpose of this report is to provide the Elevating
Devices Advisory Council with a review of the upcoming
regulatory changes to Ontario Regulation 209/01 (Elevating
Devices) and Ontario Regulation 222/01 (Certification and
Training of Elevating Devices Mechanics) and present the
Technical Standards and Safety Authority’s (TSSA’s)
communication strategy to disseminate key information to
relevant industry stakeholders, and ensure greater awareness
and compliance of the revised regulations as amended under
the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000 (the Act).
T
BACKGROUND
One of the key components of TSSA’s strategic priority of
organizational excellence includes continual regulatory
improvements. In an effort to enhance its safety service
delivery, TSSA participates in ongoing review of its
regulatory framework, in conjunction with advisory councils
and under the approval authority of the Ministry of
Government and Consumer Services (MGCS). As such, TSSA
pursues regulatory improvements, enacting Director’s
Orders as up-to-date regulations under the Act as well as new
amendments to further improve public safety throughout
the province of Ontario.
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
As part of its comprehensive communication strategy, TSSA
will utilize its existing structure of a responsive Customer
Contact Centre, effective electronic and online
communications, targeted trade publications, industryspecific messaging within the TSSA Update newsletter, direct
mail to applicable stakeholders, and seek assistance from its
advisory councils.
As unique representatives of the elevating device industry,
each council member will be asked to communicate a
summary of the regulatory changes to respective industry
colleagues/groups utilizing the following briefing note and
additional messaging, if needed or desired, provided by TSSA.
Please refer any queries or issues that you may encounter to
the Customer Contact Centre (see contact information below).
Upon receipt of the revised regulation from MGCS, TSSA
will have it posted on its corporate site – www.tssa.org – and
send e-notifications to all subscribers within three days.
Additional targeted communications to respective
stakeholders will occur thereafter – spanned over several
months.
REGULATION CHANGES: ONTARIO REGULATION 209/01
(ELEVATING DEVICES)
Important regulatory changes to Ontario Regulation 209/01
(Elevating Devices) will come into effect on January 1, 2009,
including a number of new requirements that affect owners,
minor alterations, incident reporting, and definitions for
new devices. Highlights that affect various sections of
Ontario Regulation 209/01 are summarized below.
2. Application
Section 2.(1)(u) now provides a clearer exemption for
worker positioning platforms, previously exempted by
2.1(k).
15. Design submission
provides permission that certain alteration documents
can be signed off by a registered mechanic (Section 15.(9)).
19. Minor alteration
1. Interpretation and classes of elevating devices
Section 19.(1) allows more time (30 days) for submitting
paperwork following a minor alteration (up 20 days from
10 days previously); and
Definition section: Some definitions have changed to better
explain the application of the regulation. For example:
contractors must also ensure that an inspection is requested
within 60 days from work completion (Section 19.(2)).
addition of above surface ropeway and surface ropeway
but not new device;
addition of conveyor but not new – generally means the
outdoor ‘magic carpet’/ conveyor ride commonly used at
ski hills or golf courses;
revised elevating device definition (more generic
definition to better recognize new device offerings;
previously included a specific list of devices);
addition of new incident definition;
lifts for persons with physical disabilities now includes
portable devices of this nature;
addition of limited use - limited application elevators
(generally low speed/rise units); device type used since
1995 in the United States, now recognized in the
regulation;
addition of material lifts – very similar to existing ‘freight
platform’ definition;
addition of parking garage lifts – new device used to
stack/park automobiles;
addition of shopping cart conveyors – new device type
(like an escalator – but for shopping carts only); and
addition of tube tow – but not a new device concept.
Section 1.(5) has an enhanced list of regulated devices.
25. Installation
Section 25.(3) has a new requirement for owners to
ensure that they only contract for elevating device work
with registered contractors.
36. Incidents
Section 36, previously Accidents, now re-titled Incidents;
reformatted to more clearly convey incident reporting
criteria; and
provides more information regarding:
who should report (owner or contractor or both);
what is reportable; and
timelines for reporting.
36.(8) No person shall return a device to service until
permitted by an inspector
44. Inspections
for passenger elevators, freight elevators and lifts for
persons with physical disabilities, the contractor or
owner must fill in a Pre-Inspection Checklist.
45. Removal and replacement of seals
defines when seals can be removed 45.(2); and
defines what is required to reseal parts of an elevating
device 45.(3).
REGULATION CHANGES: ONTARIO REGULATION 222/01
(CERTIFICATION AND TRAINING OF ELEVATING DEVICE
MECHANICS)
Important regulatory changes to Ontario Regulation 222/01
(Certification and Training of Elevating Device Mechanics)
will come into effect on January 1, 2009, including a number
of new requirements that affect EDM-B certificates,
provisional certificates, and definitions for new devices.
Highlights that affect various sections of Ontario Regulation
222/01 are summarized below.
1. Interpretation
New definitions added: chair lift, mechanic, passenger
ropeway, registered contractor, ski-lift, skills passport,
supervising certificate holder, surface lift.
2. Application
Requirements for exempting persons from this regulation if
they have specifically been trained to perform rescue
operations and comply with all the requirements specifically
outlined in Section 2.(2).
11. EDM-B certificate
Section 11.(2) – The scope of an EDM-B certificate has been
slightly expanded to allow work on man-lifts which utilize
rack and pinion drives.
24. Transition, provisional certificates
Provisional certificates expired in January 2004 and, as a
result, this section is no longer needed/ valid.
TIMELINE
Regulatory amendments affecting the elevating devices
sector will come into effect on January 1, 2009.
TSSA will additionally print updated incident reporting
guidelines and a new, consolidated Code Adoption
Document (CAD), incorporating past Director’s Orders and
CAD amendments which will take effect on or after
January 1, 2009. Drafts of the new CAD will follow.
PLEASE DIRECT ANY INDUSTRY QUERIES OR ISSUE TO: TSSA’S CUSTOMER CONTACT CENTRE – 1 . 8 7 7. 6 8 2 . 8 7 7 2 .
G TA A
G TA A
SOMETHING NEW UNDERFOOT…
GTAA FUN RUN
compact or soften easily and will look new for a long time
after installation
The materials used to manufacture carpet tiles make them
tough but stylish – sound absorption is much improved due
to the pre-cushioned attached backing. This makes it a
“sound” option in multi residential buildings both in the
corridor and in the suites. Better sound absorption and
insulation also equals improved energy conservation. It is
not unusual to find that most carpet tiles even have recycled
content, another reason why they are a good “green choice”.
Carpet tiles are the best soft surface solution for LEED
Projects.
aturday June 28th was the GTAA’s first Annual
Charity Fun Run. Despite the weather we had a good
turn out of members and their families! We would first
like to thank our very generous Patron Sponsor, Rogers,
for all of their support.
S
We had a number of other companies that sponsored the
event, and without them we could never had made this
run possible!
RENTERS NEWS
WJ PROPERTIES
CONTERRA RESTORATION
VIEWIT.CA
PARK PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
ENBRIDGE ELECTRIC CONNECTIONS
SCHICKEDANZ BROTHERS
MINTO MANAGEMENT
Thank you to all of those companies for your generosity!
We would also like to thank the “Fun Run Committee”
for helping to organize the event, and for all of their
help on Run Day.
ay “Hello” to the new and improved carpet tiles of the new
millennium - these tiles are becoming increasingly
popular as a versatile and flexible alternative to traditional
carpeting for a lot of good reasons.
S
Carpet tiles open a wide range of design possibilities that can
create a custom look - without the additional expense of a
designer. Design features such as borders and rug inserts
within carpeted areas can easily be accommodated without
the waste. Today’s carpet tiles offer a high standard of
material and manufacture, a far cry from the original tiles
from the 1960’s and what we would typically associate in
dowdy offices and industrial settings. With the wide range
of designs and patterns available today, carpet tile choices
can fit in a busy corridor or a plush boardroom.
Carpet tiles are much easier to maneuver than rolled carpet.
The ease of installation speaks for itself, as the tiles come in
boxed quantities, so there is no need to transport a heavy roll
of carpet. Carpet squares are packaged in boxes requiring
less floor space for storage and standard containers for
transport. Carpet tiles can be moved and loaded into elevators
or even carried up stairwells without special height or
accessibility requirements.
Installation is easy, as there is no underlay required due to
the backing already attached! Tiles can be laid in sections
and installed directly over stone, ceramic or vinyl. Soft floor
surfaces such as existing carpet underlay or cork would
require removal before carpet tile installation. Patterning
techniques can make even a basic design quite vibrant and
can quite quickly suit any décor. Luxury carpet tiles won’t
From a cost point of view, quality carpet tiles are quite
comparable to broadloom carpet. However with carpet tiles,
there is very little waste and installation. Carpet tile
installation tends to be quicker than standard carpet
installation - approximately 20% quicker! In fact, a study
completed by a leading carpet manufacturer showed that in
a typical area of 1,800 sq ft using 12 ft broadloom could leave
approximately 13% waste material. The same space covered
with standard carpet tiles results in less than 4% waste.
Quite an impressive savings in both money and time!
This is also good news for the environment as less waste will
use less resources and landfill. As carpet tiles can be re-used,
re-arranged and repairs can be completed with small
amounts of material – the life cycle of a carpet tile far
exceeds its broadloom counterpart.
Carpet tiles are great for high traffic areas - they can be easily
removed, cleaned and replaced individually. If a carpet tile
wears out or sustains a stain that cannot be cleaned, the
individual tile can be removed and replaced without having
to replace the entire carpeted surface. Tiles are easily lifted
individually, to provide replacement or cleaning with
minimal disruption. Some commercial sites are also getting
signed up with an annual rotation program, where carpet
installers come and “rotate” the tiles to alleviate wear
patterns and usage.
So, next time you are considering flooring alternatives, be
sure to include modular carpet tiles as one of your options, it
is good for your budget, great for the environment and an
excellent choice for you and the buildings we serve!
By Melanie Gibson, Marketing Manager, RespondPlus
Services Flooring & Decorating
Pictures courtesy of Mannington Commercial
G TA A
G TA A
ANNUAL MEETING &
DINNER COMING UP!
Unwanted Presents
S O L U T I O N S F O R A BA N D O N E D F U R N I T U R E
A N D OT H E R ST R AY I T E M S
ost of the property managers I’ve met over the years
have come across a couch, mattress, or some other stray
piece of furniture left next to the dumpster for their building.
When this happens, property managers or landlords have
little or no recourse because they don’t know who left the
furniture, and if they do, the tenant has probably skipped
town.
3. Contract Service
There are plenty of junk hauling services that will come by
on a moments notice to pick up abandoned items. These
companies can nip the problem in the bud, preventing copycat
behaviour and a more widespread problem. However, junk
removal companies cannot prevent the problem from starting
in the first place.
In the past the City of Toronto has taken most of these items
from apartment buildings and condos without any additional
cost. However it is unclear with the ongoing changes to
scheduled garbage removal what level of service the City of
Toronto will maintain in the future; and it may become
move difficult to deal with these re-occurring problems.
4. Well lit and protected garbage area
The best overall solution is to keep garbage and recycling
containers inside the building. If this isn’t possible, it’s
important to have a well-lit and regularly patrolled garbage
area. People will be less likely to leave their junk in an area
that is bright and supervised throughout the week.
M
WHAT’S A PROPERTY MANAGER TO DO?
1. Ignore the problem
This is a terrible idea. Items left next to a dumpster produce
a lemming effect. Once one person has left their junk, others
will think they are entitled to do the same. The key is to get
rid of the item(s) as soon as possible to prevent other stray
items from showing up in the same place.
2. Put the item in a storage room or boiler room.
This is a better idea, but it still doesn’t solve the problem.
Word will spread that the building’s management will
tolerate such behaviour and the problem, as with #1, will
only become more entrenched. Furthermore, the landlord
will eventually have to clean out the storage area, which
won’t be much fun. Finally, abandoned items stored in a
boiler room, or electrical room could violate the fire safety
code, which, in turn, could lead to fines or insurance-related
problems.
5. Tenant agreements
Cure the problem at its source. No one intentionally rents to
problem tenants, but it’s important to tell tenants up front
that they are responsible for removing all their stuff when
they leave, including junk. If not, they will be charged for the
removal of the items they leave behind. Also note that most
private haulers are happy to provide landlords and property
managers with discount cards for tenants.
calling the City of Toronto’s Hazardous Waste Office
(commonly know as the “Toxic Taxi”) at 416-392-4330.
They are available for free pick-up of these items, but you
need to plan a number of weeks in advance as their
schedule is very busy.
Please do not hesitate to call me directly at 647-407-2756
to book a free client consultation on how better to
manage your unwanted items. At 1-800-RID-OF-IT we
provide integrated relationship based solutions to our
clients which have proven to mitigate ongoing problems
for them.
Alternatively, our client service centre is open 7 days a
week at 1-800-743-6348 (1-800-RID-OF-IT) or book a
project online at www.ridofit.com.
Rick Crawford is the President of 1-800 RID-OF-IT
Toronto, his team of Trashbusters promise to deliver
peace of mind by removing unwanted items and clutter
in an environmentally friendly manner. You’ve likely
seen one of their large red trucks around town! Visit
their web site, www.ridofit.com for more information.
ne of the best attended events of the season is
coming up on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at The
Liberty Grand ˆ it‚s the 10th annual meeting of the Greater
Toronto Apartment Association.
O
Sponsorship and registration packages available very soon.
This year we are adopting a green theme and hope to
have a number of special things take place to reinforce
the interest in the rental housing industry and our
supplier partners in greening up apartments in Toronto.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR HOW YOU CAN
SPONSOR OR DO A SPECIAL EVENT, CONTACT
SAMANTHA WILKINSON AT 416-385-3435 EXT 37
OR EMAIL SAMW@GTAAONLINE.COM.
WHAT TO DO WITH POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ITEMS?
An abandoned couch, though a frustrating find, isn’t a
dangerous item that must be discarded in a particularly
careful manner. However, many items that are left in
common areas, like underground parking lots and dumpsters,
are dangerous and difficult to know what to do with.
Hazardous materials such as paint, batteries or household
cleaners are regular unwanted tenant gifts. I recommend
G TA A
IT’S BEEN A LONG HAUL,
BUT HERE ARE THE RESULTS!
andlords and employees spoke – we listened. What is
clear is that there are many people interested in working
in this great industry of ours. Here’s what we’ve learned.
L
Over fifty percent of the property managers in the
residential multi-unit housing industry are in a position to
retire within the next ten years.
The position that is the hardest to fill is that of a good
superintendent couple.
As an industry we do not have enough entry level vehicles
to help people build careers in our field.
The best entry level employees coming into our industry
have worked in a customer service field, retail, banking or
hotel environment.
The majority of the most successful leasing professionals
tend to speak at least two languages.
Salaries are jumping substantially for employees with any
customer service experience even if the skill level is only
adequate. The new development boom has created a
significant increase in demand for this position.
The ‘hands on’ property manager who roles up their
sleeves to participate in the operations of the building is
becoming a thing of the past.
More time off to spend with family is the number one
issue for all employees, even more so than money.
The tenant-resident base is becoming more demanding
creating a higher ‘burnout’ rate for marginally staffed sites.
Leasing Specialists are no longer considered entry level
positions by many Landlords. They are being recognized,
and rightfully so, as the engine that drives the company to
success.
Bonnie Hoy & Associates determined that there are many
things we can do as a leading organization to assist our
industry. We’ve already started a number of these measures.
We recently launched ‘The Leasing Academy’ training
program for people who want to enter our industry. We
interview, assess and then train small groups of Leasing
Specialists in all aspects of the rental process. We then
place them in our industry and mentor them for a six
month period. We held our first class in April 2008 with
seven people. So far, six of the seven people have been
well received and are performing well within the industry.
This is a program we will run twice a year for those who
have never worked in the industry. Our next program will
begin in October 2008 and all interested parties are invited
to e-mail us at bonnierents@hotmail.com.
We are also thrilled to expand our services by offering a
permanent employee placement program. We have
extended this service to a number of organizations for
years but are now offering it to the entire industry. We
will never solicit employees from one company to go to
work for another, but will help those needing a better fit
for their skill set. We will also assist landlords in finding
suitable employees. Fees for service will be equal to one
month’s salary and, we will offer a 3-4 month guarantee
for all placements.
We will continue to facilitate the Greater Toronto
Apartment Association’s Superintendent and Rental Agent
Training Program for people already working in the
industry and for employees looking to upgrade their skills
set. The next session is scheduled to run in Fall 2008.
Please watch future communications from the GTAA for
details.
We will continue to support the industry with temporary
leasing and administrative staff to cover short or longterm vacancies.
BONNIE HOY & ASSOCIATES IS COMMITTED TO BEING THE FIRST CHOICE FOR RESIDENTIAL LEASING, EMPLOYEE
PLACEMENT, MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICES FOR CANADIAN LANDLORD’S. WE WILL CONTINUE TO
PROVIDE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SERVICE TO THIS INDUSTRY. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO
CONTACT US AT: (905) 854-1585 | (416) 821-9425 | BONNIERENTS@HOTMAIL.COM
A PA RT M E N T L AU N D RY SYST E M S
SINCE 1961 OUR NAME HAS BEEN
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AND DEPENDABILITY
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416.465.6600
5915 Coopers Avenue, Mississauga, Ontario
Phone: 905-890-1220 OR 1-800-387-9503
Fax: 905-890-7039
W W W. H A R C O C O . C O M

www .gtaaonline .com

Transcription

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