With November being housing month, it seems like the right time to reflect on the current housing affordability situation. In November 2018, we featured an article covering the housing affordability experience in British Columbia and Ontario, with a focus on Vancouver and Toronto. Both provinces … [Read more...]
Mould and Rental Properties
Caselaw suggests mould can be a deficiency that affects whether a property is fit for living in. But who's responsible for it? We recently heard about a tricky situation involving mould in a rental property. During a property inspection, the landlord found severe mould in the unit. The tenant … [Read more...]
Condominium Bylaws and Rules: 5 things to know
On January 1, 2020, revised condominium governance regulations came into effect in Alberta. This article is part of a multi-part article series on Alberta’s new condominium regulations. This article provides a quick summary of the top five things you need to know about bylaws and rules. 1. … [Read more...]
When the Doorbell Rings: Direct sales contracts
Your doorbell rings at home. You take a peek out your window. Then the realization hits you: it’s someone going door to door trying to sell you something again. If you’re anything like my cat (or me), you promptly hide in another room until the seller is gone –unless they are selling cookies, of … [Read more...]
Alberta’s New Condominium Regulations: Insurance
On January 1, 2020, revised condominium governance regulations came into effect in Alberta. This article is part of a multi-part article series on Alberta’s new condominium regulations. The previous incarnation of the regulations primarily addressed the type of insurance condominium corporations … [Read more...]
COVID-19 in Alberta: A legislative overview of tenancy-related changes
Since declaring a public health emergency in Alberta on March 17, 2020, the government has made a flurry of announcements and legislative amendments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has implemented these changes through legislation and Ministerial Orders that majorly impact both … [Read more...]
Alberta’s New Condominium Regulations: Rental deposits
This article is part of a multi-part article series on Alberta’s new condominium regulations. Stay tuned for our next article on condominium insurance. On January 1, 2020, revised condominium governance regulations came into effect in Alberta. One of the changes has to do with rental deposits. As … [Read more...]
Canada’s Law on Consumer Product Safety
20/20: Looking back over the last 20 years In the past 2 months alone, you’ve probably heard about the recent food recall warnings on beef and romaine lettuce. Did you know that we have a law in Canada that deals with product safety and recalls? The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (“CCPSA”) … [Read more...]
An Update on Short-Term Rentals
I’ve been waiting for years to write this article. In the housing sphere, short-term rentals have been an issue for quite a while. Typically transacted through on-line platforms such as Airbnb, a short-term rental is a type of rental accommodation where a person (often referred to as a “host”) rents … [Read more...]
Introduction to Contracts
Consumer law covers a wide range of topics that are pervasive in our everyday lives – including contracts, advertising, credit, buying of goods and services, privacy and more. CPLEA often receives questions from the public about consumer law-related issues and so LawNow is launching this column to … [Read more...]
