Ontario Ban on Door-to-Door Sales in Effect as of March 1st

New Law will Protect Consumers at Home

February 23, 2018 10:00 A.M.

Starting March 1, 2018, Ontario will ban unsolicited, door-to-door sales of certain household appliances to better protect consumers from aggressive and misleading contracting at home. 
Businesses will only be able to enter into a contract in the consumer's home if the consumer has contacted the business ahead of time and invited them into their home for the purpose of entering into a contract. Contracts that are in violation of the new rules relating to door-to-door contract solicitation will be considered void, and consumers will be able to keep the goods and services with no obligations.
The new rules will apply to:

• Air cleaners
• Air conditioners
• Air purifiers
• Duct cleaning services
• Furnaces
• Water filters
• Water heaters
• Water purifiers
• Water softeners
• Water treatment devices
• Bundles of these goods and services

In addition, businesses will be required to keep a record of how contact with the consumer entering the contract was made, and all contracts signed in the home for these goods and services will also have a 10-day cooling-off period, allowing consumers to cancel the contract for any reason without penalty.
Protecting consumers is part of Ontario's plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.

QUOTES

" These new laws will ensure that people aren’t being taken advantage of through unsolicited door-to-door contracting. We have heard from many consumers, ‎including many seniors, who are being taken advantage of at their doorsteps. Our government is taking steps to protect Ontario consumers and provide them with more protection against aggressive and misleading door-to-door contracting tactics so that they can enjoy peace of mind in their homes."
- Tracy MacCharles
Minister of Government and Consumer Services

QUICK FACTS

• Door-to-door contracts have been among the top complaints received by the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services.
• Ontario is the second province in Canada to restrict door-to-door solicitation and contracts.
• If a consumer calls for a repair, maintenance or any other reason, businesses will only be allowed to leave information about the products and services they offer, unless the business has a written contract in place with the consumer and secures the consumer’s approval in advance of the visit to solicit a contract for the restricted goods or services.
• Businesses will need to keep a record of how contact with the consumer was made and provide consumers with clear information about their rights.

LEARN MORE

• Know your rights about door-to-door contracts

Mahreen Dasoo Minister’s Office 416-326-1939 Sue Carroll Communications Branch 416-326-7408

Available Online Disponible en Français

Toronto MLS Average Resale Home Price January 2018

Toronto MLS Sales-To-New Listings Ratio January 2018

Toronto MLS New Listings January 2018

Toronto MLS Sales January 2018

TREB RELEASES MONTHLY MARKET FIGURES REPORTED BY GTA REALTORS® For January 2018

February 6, 2018 – Toronto Real Estate Board President Tim Syrianos announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 4,019 residential transactions through TREB’s MLS® System in January 2018. This result was down by 22 per cent compared to a record 5,155 sales reported in January 2017. The number of new listings entered into TREB’s MLS® System amounted to 8,585 – a 17.4 per cent increase compared to 7,314 new listings entered in January 2017. 

However, it is important to note that the level of new listings was the second lowest for the month of January in the past 10 years. “TREB released its outlook for 2018 on January 30th. The outlook pointed to a slower start to 2018, especially compared to the record-setting pace experienced a year ago. As we move through the year, expect the pace of home sales to pick up, as the psychological impact of the Fair Housing Plan starts to wane and home buyers find their footing relative to the new OSFI-mandated stress test for mortgage approvals through federally regulated lenders,” said Mr. Syrianos. 

The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark was up by 5.2 per cent year-over-year. This annual rate of growth was driven by the condominium apartment market segment, with double-digit annual growth versus the single-family segment, with prices essentially flat compared to last year. The overall average selling price was down by 4.1 per cent year-over-year to $736,783. This decline was weighted toward the detached segment of the market. In the City of Toronto, the average selling price was up for all home types except for detached houses. “It is not surprising that home prices in some market segments were flat to down in January compared to last year. At this time last year, we were in the midst of a housing price spike driven by exceptionally low inventory in the marketplace. It is likely that market conditions will support a return to positive price growth for many home types in the second half of 2018. 

The condominium apartment segment will be the driver of this price growth,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Director of Market Analysis. “With the City of Toronto’s Executive Committee meeting today to make recommendations on the City’s 2018 Budget, City Councillors would be wise to note the vast difference between last January’s real estate market and this January’s, given the City’s inadvisable reliance on the Municipal Land Transfer Tax. The amount of revenue that the City generates from this tax goes up and down with the real estate market. The last year should be a wake-up call for City Council. They should heed the City Manager’s ongoing warnings of over-reliance on this tax. The Land Transfer Tax is not a good way to fund municipal services,” said Syrianos. The revenue generated by the Municipal Land Transfer Tax is based on the number of real estate transactions and the value of those transactions. When the MLTT was first implemented in 2008, it made up less than 2% of the City’s operating budget. Today, it makes up 7%, a 250% increase.