The Condominium Industry

Below is a list of condominium associations and regulatory bodies in Ontario to help you navigate through the condominium industry and its many players. 

 

Industry Associations:

 
Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario (ACMO)

Founded in 1977, ACMO is the oldest of the industry associations, with the mandate to represent condominium managers in Ontario. ACMO offers the Registered Condominium Manager (RCM) designation, a voluntary designation that denotes quality and professionalism in the industry. ACMO also offers the four courses required to obtain the RCM and hours of informational videos that keep managers up to date on changes in the industry. ACMO also produces its own magazine and has its own voluntary accreditation program for management companies that pursue the highest standards of quality, the ACMO 2000 certification. Note that ACMO does not offer licences to condominium managers.

 

Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI)

The CCI was founded in 1982 and has the mandate to represent the interests of condominium corporations, owners, and directors. They have chapters all over Canada, and they produce a great deal of educational content for their members. The CCI also offers voluntary in-person training for directors and hosts events across the country.

 

Regulatory Bodies:

 
Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO)

The CAO is a regulatory body created in 2017 through provincial legislation. The CAO keeps an extensive database of all condominiums in Ontario, including directors, management companies, and other pertinent information. The CAO offers online director training, which must be completed within six months of being elected. Directors who miss this deadline are automatically removed from the board. 

 

Condominium Authority Tribunal (CAT)

The CAO also oversees the CAT, the Condominium Authority Tribunal, which helps settle disputes between condominiums and homeowners. Their scope is limited to providing an online dispute resolution service, but there are plans to broaden their mandate in the future.

 

Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario (CMRAO)

The CMRAO was also founded in 2017 through legislation and is the regulatory body responsible for licensing condominium managers and management companies. When the CMRAO came into being, they offered three types of licenses for condominium managers: the limited licence for people who are new to the industry, the transitional licence for those with at least two years of experience but without the accepted educational requirements, and the general licence for those who have both the minimum two years’ experience and the education. The transitional licence is being phased out and will not be available after June of 2021. The General Licence's educational requirements are the four RCM courses offered by ACMO or their equivalency exams. As the name implies, the limited licensee cannot perform as many duties as a general licensee. Note that the CMRAO does not offer the RCM. The RCM remains a voluntary designation offered only through ACMO.