Changing your door locks
Owners of condo apartment units do not own their front door or anything
attached to it. That includes the door handle, the unit number and the
lock.
Owners are not allowed to drill extra holes in the door to install a
second lock nor are they allowed to change the existing lock unless
they have written permission from the board.
Of course this rule is not enforced in many condos. However in new
condos, especially higher-end ones, this rule may be strictly enforced.
At all times, the management office is required to have a key to all
locks on all residential units. This is so that in case of an
emergency: fire, water leaks or medical issues, they have access to the
unit.
Legal proceedings may be taken against an owner who refuses to provide a key to all locks on their unit door.
Super charged with breaking in Toronto condo apartment, committing sex act
North York Mirror
02 March 2016
Jorge Leon Toronto Police Service/photo
A building superintendent has been charged after a suspect allegedly
broke into a Toronto apartment, committing a sexual act and stealing
property while inside.
According to Toronto police, a man entered an apartment while no one
was home on Friday, Feb. 17. Once inside, he allegedly committed a
sexual act and stole money before leaving.
Jorge Leon, 49, of Toronto, was arrested Sunday, Feb. 26 and charged
with break-and-enter, mischief interfering with property and theft.
Leon has been the superintendent of a condo building in the area of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue West for more than 14 years.
The very rare incidents like the one described above may cause some owners to change the locks in their units. This is not wise.
Questions & Answers
Q. Can the board of my condominium prevent me from installing an
electronic/keypad lock on the exterior part of the door to my unit? It
is a matter of security and convenience that is very important to me.
The board told me I cannot do this as it wants to maintain "uniformity
of appearance."
A. The entrance door of a condominium unit is typically part of the
common elements; albeit limited common elements in many associations.
Similarly, the covenants for an association typically include language
that requires board approval for any addition, alteration or
improvement to the common elements. Such language should be applicable
to an owner's desire to install an electronic/keypad on the exterior of
the unit door.
Many associations do place uniformity of appearance of the exterior of
units as a high priority. This should serve as a reminder that owners
in associations do give up rights that they might have if they did not
live in an association.
David M. Bendoff is an attorney with Kovitz Shifrin Nesbit in the Chicago suburbs.
Video cameras
It is far smarter to install one or more hidden video cameras in your unit. Not only can they record audio and video
whenever they sense motion, they can send the data live to your smart-phone, or computer, so
you can see and hear what is going on. Better yet, with some models, you
can talk to the person(s) who are in your unit.
A very high-end condo in Toronto offers a service where the concierge
delivers parcels to the residential suites. A resident was in Florida
when a parcel was dropped off in her apartment.
The concierge left the parcel at the front entrance and then opened the
refrigerator and helped himself. Unknown to him, her hidden cameras
recorded his theft and sent the video to her smart-phone in Florida.
She forwarded it to the property manager and the man was kicked off the
job site.
(Note that I said he was transferred to a different condo; he was not fired.)
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