Federation launches Canada's first-ever certified rental building program
Buildings on High Park Avenue participate in pilot project
A certified rental building program, launched last week at the Grand West Life and Minto-owned buildings on High Park Avenue, is the first of its kind in North America and most likely the world, although Ted Whitehead director of the Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) is wary of saying this.
"I get a little nervous," Whitehead revealed in an interview with The Villager, but an extensive online search by the organization's consultants revealed nothing similar to the quality assurance program, he added.
Whitehead calls it the good housekeeping seal of approval. A multi-unit rental building that boasts the certified rental building program logo indicates that it is well-run and well-managed, Whitehead said. There are 36-plus standards, including maintenance, cleanliness and responding to tenants' inquiries in a timely manner, that the rental buildings must comply with.
Last Wednesday's launch, at 65 High Park Ave. - the first apartment property to bear the Certified Rental Building (CRB) logo, attracted the likes of Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Jim Watson, Mayor David Miller and Ward 13 (Parkdale-High Park) Councillor Bill Saundercook.
The program introduces a best practices approach to the provincial rental marketplace and will identify for tenants 'good' buildings and 'good' property managers. It's the federation's goal to get 500 rental buildings certified this year and another 1,500 by the end of 2009. The program is beneficial for renters because it helps them identify quality buildings, Whitehead said.
"It should give them peace of mind when choosing their CRBP-approved building that they selected a property manager who cares about the quality of rental building products and quality of service they provide," he said.
Comprised of more than 800 rental owners/operators who supply rental units to more than 25,000 Ontario tenants, FRPO is the largest rental housing industry association in the province. It provides an array of benefits with membership, including:
- free legal advice on specific landlord/tenant inquiries
- member access to numerous bulk purchases
- access to FRPO's natural gas program
- discounts at Home Depot, RONA and Colour Your World
- regular bulletins on issues of interest to industry professionals
In the works for four years, the CRBP was officially launched to the public June 25.
"It was time for the industry to step forward beyond the landlord role into the role of property management," Whitehead said.
