At our last tenants' association meeting, a number of questions were brought forward by tenants.
Property manager Dora Zaharia has provided the following responses:
What are the provisions for fire safety for tenants while the balconies are being renovated, given that the balcony doors will be secured shut? Balcony doors are not a means of egress. As such, closing access to balconies should not impact the existing fire safety plan. The Contractor awarded this project will review the Fire Safety Plan before the project starts to ensure fire exits are maintained and protected.
What is the bidding process for capital expenditure projects? The tender for this project was private (by invite only) to an approved list of Contractors who specialize in this work. The tender is carried out and overseen by our Engineers (WSP Canada Inc) who will also oversee construction.
What is the impact on tenants' insurance while the balcony doors are secured shut? As the balconies are not a designated fire exit, then it should not have any impact on the tenant's insurance policies.
Does the property management currently have any plans to make the doors leading to the parking garage, the laundry room, and the doors leading to the waste bins, accessible, and if so, what is the timeline? We will consider this, but it is independent of the balcony and garage repair jobs.
Why are capital expenditure costs not split evenly between M&R Holdings and the tenants? There is no requirement under the legislation for the landlord and tenants to split capital expenditure costs. Â If a landlord undertakes eligible capital expenditure work, they may file an application to the Board to recover the cost. Â The landlord is required to pay for all the costs upfront. Â The Board will assign each capital expenditure a useful life based on the regulations in the legislation. At the end of the useful life the tenants rent is reduced by the above guideline increase amount as they will have paid for the capital costs incurred.
Note from the Fifty Cosburn Tenants' Association: The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) establishes a deadline of January 1, 2025 for businesses and residences to comply with accessibility laws. We anticipate that the doorways noted in question 4 will be made accessible on or before that date.