Newsworthy Industry Hot Topics

Industry Hot Topics

Average rent in April back to pre-pandemic highs

The average rent in April for all Canadian properties listed on Rentals.ca was $1,821 per month, representing an annual increase of 9 per cent from a year ago and down just 1.5 per cent from 2019. The most expensive units are single-family homes, with landlords asking $2,776 per month on average compared to $2,265 for townhouses, $2,235 for condo apartments, $1,651 for rental apartments, and $1,590 for basement units.

At the national level, rental apartments, which make up the majority of the listings on Rentals.ca, experienced a month-overmonth increase of 0.3 per cent from $1,646 in March to $1,651 in April.

At the provincial level, British Columbia had the highest rental rates for April, with landlords seeking $2,347 per month on average for all property types (median: $2,200), representing a monthly increase of 2.7 per cent. Ontario had the second highest rental rate at $2,093 per month (median: $2,000), while Newfoundland had the lowest at $950 per month (median: $875).

Saskatchewan had one of the highest monthly changes in average rental rates, increasing by 2.3 per cent to $1,051 per month. Alberta also had a relatively high month-over-month increase in average rent, increasing by 2.1% to $1,289 per month.

Condo apartments have more or less stayed the same month over month from February to April, remaining between $3.11 psf and $3.13 psf. However, the April 2022 rent level has increased by 8.7 per cent from the April 2021 average of $2.88 psf. The market had bottomed out in February of 2021 at $2.82 psf.

Rental apartments have also stayed relatively steady, declining slightly from $2.24 psf in March 2022 down to $2.22 psf in April 2022. This also represents an annual increase of 3 per cent from the April 2021 average of $2.15 psf.

Hazelview supports displaced Ukrainians with housing and donations

Hazelview Properties is among several rental housing providers that have banded together to support displaced Ukrainians since the war began in March 2022. To date, collective efforts by Boardwalk REIT, CAPREIT, Hazelview Properties, Homestead, InterRent REIT, Minto Apartment REIT, and Starlight Investments have helped hundreds of families impacted by the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

For its part, Hazelview has provided more than 50 suites from Halifax to Winnipeg via the company’s housing support program. Additionally, team members have been stepping up to help newcomers in other ways, including collecting, storing and delivering donated items, making financial contributions, and assisting with employment searches.

“My husband and I just wanted to say thank you for your help in finding a place to live,” said Kseniya, who arrived with her family in early April and has been living in a Hazelview apartment. “We love it a lot and are so happy that we were able to find such good people as you are.”

To ensure the Ukrainian families continue to get the essential supplies they need, such as strollers, diapers, furniture and appliances, Hazelview recently launched a fundraiser using the GoFundMe platform. Those who donate are automatically entered into a raffle to win an original painting from Toronto artist Ric Santon.

“I think this project and movement is amazing,“ said Diana Swift, a property manager with Hazelview Properties who’s helped with ongoing efforts. “It is another reason why I am so proud to be part of the Hazelview family.”

“I am incredibly proud of the Hazelview team for coming together to support this program and the Ukrainians who have been hit the hardest by this conflict,” added David Melo, Managing Partner & President of Hazelview Properties. “We remain committed to supporting displaced Ukrainians arriving in Canada for as long as they require it.”

Skyline Living honoured with two CFAA awards

Skyline Living was the proud recipient of two Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations (CFAA) National Rental Housing Awards for Rental Development of the Year and Rental Housing Provider of the Year.

The CFAA is the national voice of the apartment housing industry in Canada and engages in advocacy on behalf of the industry as a whole. Held each year in May, the awards commemorate housing providers that go above and beyond in serving their tenants and the communities in which they operate.

“At Skyline Living, we pride ourselves on examining our practices and working towards continuous improvement,” said BJ Santavy, Vice President, Skyline Living. “This past year, we have focused on our sustainability goals and are proud to see those efforts recognized in the rental housing industry,”

This year’s awards were held in-person at the Toronto Hyatt Regency after two years of virtual presentations due to COVID-19.

“There were many amazing entries in each category, and we congratulate all of our peers on their tireless work to advance our industry and set a high standard every day,” Santavy said. ” It’s an honour and a privilege to be recognized amongst our industry’s best.”

For Rental Development of the Year, the winning property was Carrington View Apartments located in West Kelowna, British Columbia. Described as a beautiful three-building, 186-unit luxury rental development with spectacular views of Okanagan Lake, Carrington View was designed to be net-zero energy ready, and features an array of solar panels that are expected to produce enough power to operate all common areas of the property.

CFAA’s Rental Housing Provider of the Year Award recognizes a rental housing provider that has demonstrated exceptional leadership through an action, practice, or a dedicated initiative. Skyline Living is proud to be recognized for its deep focus on Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG). In early 2021, Skyline Group of Companies, the parent company of Skyline Living, formalized its ESG initiatives with an official and measurable Sustainability Plan it has since put into effect.

“These changes are key toward making a positive difference in our world in every way we can,” noted Santavy. “The data acquired through this formal process has helped to effectively determine which efforts would have the greatest impact. Many other rental providers have begun implementing their own ESG plans, and we hope to continue to have a positive influence in this regard. This process enshrines Skyline Living’s concept of a housing provider as not only a business but a contributor toward its community.”

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Industry responds to Premier Ford’s re-election

Doug Ford has been re-elected as Premier of Ontario in a victory many rental housing professionals and associated sectors were hoping for. On June 2, 2022, the party won a majority government for the second term, triggering the resignation of NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca.

“Tonight’s victory — it isn’t about me, it isn’t about the party,” Ford said afterwards to a round of applause in Etobicoke. “This victory belongs to every worker who knows that they deserve better. Every family knows that they can dream bigger.”

Though not all Ford’s policies have gained favour among the masses, threats of rent control and other divisive strategies proposed by his opponents had landlords and housing developers fearing the alternative. The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) was quick to issue a statement congratulating the returning Premier, while also emphasizing the importance of housing supply.

“There is a broad consensus that the roots of the region’s housing challenges lie in the lack of supply, which is fuelling the affordability crisis,” said Dave Wilkes, President and CEO of BILD.

“Now is the time to take bold and decisive action to address the underlying policy issues that have constrained land supply, added costs to new housing and slowed the addition of new supply to the market.”

The Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) also offered congratulates to the Ontario PCs, calling out Steve Clark and Monte McNaughton specifically for recognizing the importance of residential construction and the skilled trades to the broader economy.

“We are looking forward to working with the government on urgent initiatives to boost the supply of housing, modernize the development application process, and move forward with programs to get more people into the voluntary trades,” said Richard Lyall, President, RESCON. “We were especially pleased at the commitment during the campaign to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years.”

Since passing the “More Homes, More Choice Act” in 2019, the PC government has taken many positive steps to address the housing crisis and commit to boosting housing supply with an ongoing plan RESCON says it supports. However, the group also encourages more action be taken to address the supply situation given the influx of immigrants expected to arrive in the coming years. Suggestions include embracing innovation, streamlining the development approvals process, and continuing with initiatives that clear the path for more youth, women, and people from underrepresented groups to learn the specialized skill sets needed to work in residential construction.

“Ontario’s PCs have played a leadership role in addressing the ongoing housing crisis since taking office,” Lyall said in conclusion. “They have listened to the concerns of the residential construction industry and have been working towards a solution to the significant housing supply deficit.”

For its part, the Federation of Rentalhousing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) is pleased with the results of last night’s election and looks forward to continuing down the progressive path it established during Ford’s first term.

“FRPO would like to congratulate Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario on their election victory and second consecutive majority government,” Tony Irwin, President, FRPO said. “We look forward to building on the progress that has been made over the past four years with Premier Ford, his Cabinet and Caucus, to tackle the housing supply crisis while also striking the right balance between strong consumer protection for residents and a well-functioning industry for rental housing providers.”

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TECH SECTOR SPINOFFS EVOLVING RETAIL APPETITE OPERATIONAL SUPPORT TALENT ENTICEMENT TACTICS PROPERTY TAX DEFINING DEMAND Occupiers’ liability: A board meeting gone wrong

Anyone who has ever been to BY DAVID ELMALEH a board meeting (or a partners, AND GABRIELA CARACAS shareholders, town hall, or any similar type of meeting) can attest to

the tension that often arises. The law is clear that occupiers have a duty to maintain their premises reasonably safe for those who enter it. But what about when an individual commits assault while at one of these meetings? Should the occupier or organizer of the board meeting be liable for failing to ensure the safety and security of those lawfully on the premises?

In Omotayo v. Da Costa, 2018, the defendant occupier, Metro Toronto Condominium Corporation 1292 (MTCC 1292), was successful in dismissing the plaintiff’ s claim and the assailant’ s crossclaim when a member in attendance at a condominium board meeting struck another meeting attendee with a chair.

Justice Nishikawa found that the duty the condominium corporation owed to the plaintiff did not include preventing an assault that occurred during their condominium board meeting.

Facts of the case

The plaintif f, Jacqueline Omotayo, was a resident and former chair of the condominium corporation. The defendant, Jose Da Costa, was also a resident and former president of the condominium corporation. An emergency board meeting was held on Oct. 4, 2011, to discuss the future organization of the board as Ms. Omotayo had recently been removed from her position as chair and Mr. Da

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Costa advised that he no longer wished to occupy his role as president. The emergency meeting took place at the defendant’ s (MTCC 1292’ s) premises.

At the emergency meeting, the plaintiff and Mr. Da Costa entered into a heated argument, which led Mr. Da Costa to “lose it” and strike the plaintiff on the head with a chair. Mr. Da Costa was charged by the police and received a conditional discharge for assault with a weapon.

The plaintiff commenced a civil action against Mr. Da Costa for his use of force as well as MTCC 1292 for failing to ensure her safety and failing to employ security measures at board meetings. MTCC 1292 brought a motion for summary judgment to dismiss the plaintiff’ s claim against it which was only opposed by Mr. Da Costa given his crossclaim against MTCC 1292 for contribution and indemnity.

Summary judgment motion

MTCC took the position that its duty under the law is confined to the physical condition of the premises and foreseeable risks, not the unforeseeable conduct of individuals in attendance. Meanwhile, Mr. Da Costa argued that MTCC 1292’ s duty extends to having rules of conduct for meetings, policies relating to abusive language, threats and intimidating behavior, and a duty to hire and supervise competent professionals to oversee its business (including, if appropriate, security personnel). Mr. Da Costa further argued that the assault was foreseeable given the quarrelsome nature of MTCC 1292’ s board meetings and a prior unrelated incident involving the plaintiff and another member of MTCC 1292 wherein the police was called.

In reaching her decision, Justice Nishikawa looked to Coleiro v. Premier Fitness Clubs where summary judgment was granted in favour of the defendant www.REMInetwork.com | June 2018 15

Want to stand out on social media? Don’t fake it By Steven Chester Let’s face it, we all want our businesses to be social media rock stars, and we know it ain’t easy. It’s becoming more prevalent that some of the most popular social media platforms have iff commen been infiltrated by those who game the system. Da Costa fo TCC 1292 fo This includes those that buy fake followers and “likes” in order to create the illusion that their n failing to social media profile is more popular than it is. oard m t These fake followers are predominantly bots – otion f r su accounts run by software designed to look and the pl intif ’ act like real people. nly opposed New services are also popping up that allow o sc ai ag authentic social media accounts to become nd inde part of the bot game. By signing up for the service, the user authorizes their account to automatically like, follow and randomly udgme m comment on other users’ posts, and in turn the positi they trade that fake engagement with other w is confine users. Sound harmless enough? The thing the prem is you have no say in in the message your account is spreading or where it ends up. e unforese in attendan Ask yourself this: What’s more important, a argued th having 50,000 cosmetic followers, or having 500 followers who are in your target market s o h ving that actually want to hear from you? s, policies re t d hrea du ts y a As a consumer, it’s even simpler, as deceptive tactics are easy to spot. If you’r using underhanded methods to promote e professional your business, this can be viewed as a luding, if ap reflection of your product or service. Your Mr. Da Cos integrity is at stake. ult was fore This is one of the more complex topics that nature of M can’t be fully covered in this space. As always, nd a prior u I invite you to stay social and continue the la nt f d conversation on Twitter where I’ll share a link to at @Chestergosocial the full article. 92 wherei ng her dec Steven Chester is the Digital Media Director of MediaEdge Communications. With 15 years’ experience oo to C in cross-platform communications, Steven helps s where sum companies expand their reach through social media and other digital initiatives. To contact him directly, email d in favour gosocial@mediaedge.ca. SERVING THE FACILIT Y CLEANING & MAINTENANCE INDUSTRY

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