Municipal Property Standards Notices in London Ontario: What Condo Boards Should Do
(From a Condominium Management Expert)
Practical Guidance for Smarter Governance in London & Sarnia, Ontario
A by-law officer has been out to the property, and now the board has an order from the City of London listing repairs and a deadline. It might be a cracked parking area, a loose railing, a damaged fence or something inside one unit. Directors want to know who fixes it, how fast, and whether they can push back.
A property standards notice is serious, but manageable when the board moves early. This guide covers what the order means under London's By-law CP-24 and the Building Code Act, 1992, who repairs what, how the appeal works, and what your management company should do from day one.
What is a property standards order and why did our London condo get one?
It is a formal order from a City property standards officer saying part of the property falls below the by-law and must be repaired by a set date. In London the standards are in By-law CP-24, and section 2.1 says owners of property that does not conform shall repair and maintain it to the standards.
The by-law reaches most of what a condo corporation looks after, including parking areas and outside stairs (section 3.1.3), fences (section 3.3.1), roofs and eavestroughs (section 4.4.1), balconies (section 4.5.1) and pests (section 4.10.1).
Under section 15.2 (2) of the Building Code Act, 1992, the order states the address or legal description, reasonable particulars of the repairs, the time to comply with notice that the municipality may do the work at the owner's expense, and the final date to appeal. Section 15.2 (3) says it is served on the owner and may be posted on the property.
Who is responsible for the repair: the corporation or a unit owner?
It depends on where the problem is and what your declaration says. This is not legal advice, but generally speaking under Ontario law, section 90 (1) of the Condominium Act, 1998 says the corporation shall maintain the common elements and each owner shall maintain their own unit.
Section 91 lets the declaration shift those duties, for example making owners maintain an exclusive-use balcony or patio. Section 89 (1) puts repair after damage on the corporation, also subject to section 91, so read the declaration first.
For common elements, the corporation carries it, since section 17 (2) gives it the duty to control, manage and administer them. For how those lines are drawn, read our guide: Who Is Responsible for Condo Repairs in Ontario?
If the problem is inside a unit and the owner does not act within a reasonable time, section 92 (3) lets the corporation do the work where the failure risks damage or injury. Section 92 (4) adds that cost to the owner's common expenses, and section 19 allows entry on reasonable notice.
What should a condo board do in the first week after the notice arrives?
Read the order closely and diarize both deadlines that day: the appeal date and the compliance date. Everything else follows from those two dates.
A practical first-week list for London boards:
• Get the order to every director and your manager the day it arrives
• Check the declaration to confirm whether the item is the corporation's or an owner's responsibility
• Have your manager inspect the item and get a contractor's scope and timeline
• Decide whether the work is routine maintenance or a major reserve fund repair
• Record the board's decision and reasons in the minutes
Speed protects directors too. Section 37 (1) of the Condominium Act, 1998 says every director shall act honestly, in good faith and with the care of a reasonably prudent person, and a safety order left sitting is hard to defend. Our guide Condo Board Member Liability in Ontario: What Every Director Needs to Know covers that standard.
Can a condo board appeal a property standards order in London?
Yes, but the window is short. Section 6.2 of By-law CP-24 and section 15.3 (1) of the Building Code Act, 1992 allow an owner or occupant served with the order to appeal to the Property Standards Committee by registered mail to the committee secretary within 14 days after being served.
Under section 6.2 of CP-24, the notice includes the grounds for the appeal and the City's hearing fee. If no appeal is sent in time, section 15.3 (2) of the Building Code Act says the order is deemed confirmed.
The committee can confirm, modify or rescind the order, or extend the time to comply, under section 7.13 of CP-24 and section 15.3 (3.1) of the Act. Section 15.3 (4) allows a further appeal to the Superior Court of Justice within 14 days after the decision is sent.
Some appeals are really about time. If the repair is fair but the deadline lands in winter, an extension is often the sensible ask. Boards with condo management in Sarnia Ontario go through the same process under that city's own by-law, and the 14-day appeal in section 15.3 (1) of the Building Code Act still applies.
What happens if the work is not done by the compliance date?
The City can do the work itself and recover the cost from the property. Under section 15.4 (1) of the Building Code Act, 1992, the municipality may repair the property if a confirmed order is not met, and section 15.4 (4) gives it a priority lien on the land for what it spends.
Section 15.2 (1) (b) lets the officer re-inspect to see whether the order has been met, and section 15.4.1 allows administrative penalties for non-compliance. For an immediate danger, section 15.7 (1) allows an emergency order requiring work right away.
Once the work is done, ask for compliance in writing. Section 15.5 (1) lets an officer issue a certificate of compliance, and if the order was registered on title, section 15.2 (4) has the clerk register a certificate discharging it.
What good condo management in London Ontario looks like once an order arrives:
• Being the single point of contact with the officer
• Scoping the work and booking a qualified contractor
• Tracking the deadline and asking early for more time if needed
• Arranging re-inspection and keeping owners informed
Sapphire Condominium Management answers city notices for the London boards we work with and schedules the fix, so directors approve decisions instead of chasing paper. Then comes paying for it: section 93 (2) of the Condominium Act, 1998 says the reserve fund is used solely for major repair and replacement of common elements and assets. If you want a second opinion on your financial statements before the bill lands, you can request a free financial review on us.
The best defence is a building that never draws an order. For the routine side, read our guide: Condo Building Maintenance in Ontario: What Every Board Member Should Know.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long does a London Ontario condo board have to appeal a property standards order?
A: Fourteen days after being served. Section 6.2 of the City of London's Property Standards By-law CP-24 and section 15.3 (1) of the Building Code Act, 1992 require the notice of appeal, with grounds, to reach the committee secretary by registered mail in that time. Otherwise the order is deemed confirmed.
Q: Who pays for a property standards repair in an Ontario condo?
A: Usually the corporation if the item is part of the common elements, because section 90 (1) of the Condominium Act, 1998 makes the corporation maintain them. The declaration can shift duties under section 91, and section 92 (4) lets the corporation add the cost of unit work it does to that owner's common expenses. This is not legal advice.
Q: Can the City of London do the repair itself if our condo misses the deadline?
A: Yes. Under section 15.4 (1) of the Building Code Act, 1992, the municipality may carry out the repair when a confirmed property standards order is not complied with, and section 15.4 (4) gives it a priority lien on the land for the amount spent. Asking early for an extension beats missing the date.
Related Reading
→ Who Is Responsible for Condo Repairs in Ontario?
→ Condo Board Member Liability in Ontario: What Every Director Needs to Know
→ Condo Building Maintenance in Ontario: What Every Board Member Should Know