TORONTO, ONTARIO — JANUARY 23, 2026 — Condo fees continue to garner scrutiny particularly from condo owners in the Greater Toronto Area. Property manager Noel Clubb recently appeared on AvranceCorp Presents and shared his perspective.
Clubb has over 20 years of experience as a property manager, working with companies like Brookfield and H&R Reit in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
So, are condo fees too high?
“Actually, that is not the right question,” Clubb explained. “It is the rents that are high, not the condo fees, to be clear. I will explain the condo question first,” Clubb said.
“Condo fees are based on: If the condo has a pool, or other amenities (for example) that ‘drive up operating costs. The condo fee reflects how many units the condo corporations have.
“With the condo fees, the management company of the condo corporations pay the bills of the operating costs,” Clubb continued. “Whatever the board approved in terms of short term or long-term projects and incurred costs.
“So for example, if one lives in a big condo building with a pool and amenities, their condo fees would be higher, reflecting all of those higher operating costs of a larger condo building.”
“I myself, when I lived in condos, moved into a small low-rise condo building with no pool or amenities, so the condo fees were much lower.”
Condo fees typically can add as much as $1000 to the average monthly cost of a condo. They are typically calculated by factors like unit size, increased property values, condo facilities and amenities, and the financial health of the building. They are regulated provincially by elected boards. In Ontario, that board is the Condominium Board of Ontario (CAO).
“Condo fees go to the condo corporations ‘Reverse Fund,’” Clubb said. “That is the total wealth of that condo corporations’ overall budget. That is determined through the Condo Management Corporation management and the elected board of directors (of those condo corporations) in terms of what they can do financially and what they cannot do financially, for improvement projects.
“The correct question really is: ‘Why are rents so high in Toronto?’ Clubb asked. “We have had a limited supply for many decades and now we have low vacancy rates. The population growth of the city and area creates further demand in a scarce market. There are also greedy landlords. Most landlords in Ontario (both private owners and corporation owners) charge higher rents than the market value, upwards to 45 per cent higher than the market value.
“This obviously drives rents even higher.”
AvranceCorp Presents airs Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. ET on the AvranceCorp Developments YouTube channel.
About AvranceCorp Developments
AvranceCorp Developments is a Toronto-based real estate development company with a $4B+ portfolio and 7,000+ residential units in active development. Guided by urban planning principles and a commitment to innovation, AvranceCorp delivers communities that balance affordability, sustainability, and investor value.
Media Contact:
Kenai Andrews
Director, Media & Investor Relations
AvranceCorp Developments
📧 kenai@avrancecorp.com
📞 647-368-8888