Your neighbours
“It has to do—I think—with growing up in an apartment, with my aunt and my cousins right next door to me, with the door open, with neighbors walking in and out, with people yelling at each other all the time.”
—Larry David

It is important for you to be a responsible resident and always be considerate towards your neighbours. Learn and follow the declaration, the by-laws and the rules. That will help you be an informed resident and will prevent most run-ins with the manager and the board.

Types of neighbours
The types of neighbours you have depends a lot on the neigbourhood, the purchasing price, the size of the units and if the condo is on a subway line.

If you are in a downtown condo that has a lot of small 300-700 square foot units, you will be living in a "rental" building as investors will be renting out their units, either on a one-year lease or as short-term hotel suites.

Condos close to the three universities and the numerous community colleges, or near a subway terminal, may turn into college residences with several students packed into some of the units.

Lower priced condos attract lower income owners. Some of them may supplement their income by renting out rooms (turning their units into a rooming houses) or running unlicenced day cares in their units.

Lobby lizards
“When I got divorced and moved into an apartment, I started keeping the TV on, just for company.”
—Mark Harmon

Lobby lizards are bored residents who spend much of their waking hours sitting in the lobby, or on the outside benches, watch the people come and go. They may be retired, unemployed or collecting a disability pension.



With limited mobility, money and few building amenities, hanging around the lobby is an important part of their social life. A bachelor or small one-bedroom unit can feel as confining as a jail cell if you spend too much time in it by yourself.

Some residents resent lobby lizards as they feel that their every move is being monitored including who their guests are and how long they stay, what fast food they order and even what stores they frequent. It is true that the lizards enjoy gossiping. Some women feel that some male lizards are creepy and they hate having to walk by them every evening.

Other residents like the fact that there are people keeping an eye on the place. It makes them feel safer and they like knowing all the building gossip.

Some condos have rules preventing loitering in the lobby, other are silent on this issue.

Bad neighbours
Noise can make your life a misery. Inconsiderate neighbours may have loud parties every weekend, play their music loud, have a small dog that barks whenever anyone walks by their unit or slam their doors when they they leave their units.

Bad neighbours may smoke cigarettes or marijuana in the staircases and park in the visitors' parking lot. When they take the garbage out, they may leave a trail of kitchen grease all the way to the garbage room. Once they get to the garbage room, they leave their kitchen waste on the floor for someone else to drop down the chute. Their kids may play in the hallways. It is up to the property manager and the board to deal with unruly and disrespectful residents. Some do and some don't.

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