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Condo-living is communal living at its best…and its worst. You share the entrance to your home, hallways, elevators and facilities with dozens (hundreds?) of people. Issues are surely to arise. Here a peek at the dark side that we hear about and see the most:
Pets – Pets are a common complaint amongst condo dwellers – they bark, intimidate people in elevators and some don’t make it outside in time to go potty. Almost all condominiums have rules restricting pets; they may only allow dogs up to 30 pounds, or restrict the number of cats to 2 – we even saw one last week that banned exotic pets like snakes! Most condominiums have rules as to where your pets can wander in the building and some even require you to carry your dog in all public areas. It’s important to understand the limitations on pets before you buy a condo – and even more important to understand your rights and dispute resolution options if you happen to live next door to the barking yorkie.
Parking – People are possessive about their parking spots – and well they should be, considering the price to purchase one in Toronto is anywhere from $25,000-$60,000. Neighbourly disputes often arise when residents park in each other’s spots or hog the visitor parking for themselves or their new girlfriend.
People and Parties – Probably the number one complaint of condo living: noisy neighbours. Depending on how well sound-proofed your condo is, you may hear everything from your neighbour sneezing to talking on the phone to, well, more, ahem, personal matters. Late-night partiers and fighting spouses are all too common – and while you need to expect some noise when living in a condo, frequent disrespectful neighbours are generally against condo by-laws which likely provide you with the right to quiet enjoyment of your unit.
If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of a neighbourly dispute, know your rights and take action. Click here to find out How to Resolve a Condo Dispute.
yannick says:
Bough a condo in 2014, i was younger at the time 41 and most my neighbor where retired older people. It was quiet and i loved it for 2 years. After that sadly they all moved to retirement homes and younger people came in with legalization of marijuana, kids and the works.
After close to 4 years enduring a me myself and I type of neighbor, is baby screaming, is pot addiction and the condo administration doing nothing i decided to move out.
I am done with living in a condo, when the administration is a real joke its hell on us poor owners.