• National home sales fell 0.9% from May to June.
• Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity came in 5.2% above June 2015.
• The number of newly listed homes rose 2.2% from May to June.
• The MLS^® Home Price Index (HPI) rose 13.6% year-over-year in June.
• The national average sale price climbed 11.2% in June from one year ago; net of Greater Toronto and Greater Vancouver, it advanced 8.4% year-over-year.

• National home sales dropped 2.8% from April to May.
• Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity was up 9.6% compared to May 2015.
• The number of newly listed homes fell 3.2% from April to May.
• The MLS^® Home Price Index (HPI) rose 12.5% year-over-year in May.
• The national average sale price climbed 13.2% in May from one year ago; net of Greater Toronto and Greater Vancouver, it advanced 9.1% year-over-year.

In a recent judgement of the Court of Québec, Small Claims division 1, the Court held that a co-owner of a building had not proved that the plant-sprinkling water from his neighbour, three floors up, was responsible for the deterioration of the painted surfaces of his balcony. The syndicate of co-ownership, called in as warranty by the prosecuted co-owner is not responsible either, according to the Court.

The claims of the parties in the Court
The plaintiff and the defendant own condominiums located respectively on the 24th and 27th floors of the building. The plaintiff accuses the defendant of having badly maintained the balcony of his condominium, thereby causing the flow of wastewater. The applicant therefore claims from him $4,300 in compensation for water damage to his balcony.

The value of building permits issued by municipalities edged down 0.3% to $6.9 billion in April. This marked the second consecutive monthly decline and was largely the result of lower construction intentions in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

The value of residential permits declined 1.8% to $4.3 billion in April. The decrease in the value of multi-family dwelling permits more than offset the gain posted by single-family homes. Declines were reported in six provinces, led by Ontario, followed by Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Whether it be repairing a brick wall, the balconies, the parking lot, the roofing, from landscaping to the foundation, an owner of income property should know about the consequences of this work and his obligations to his tenants.

1 – THE NOTICE: The obligatory notice mechanism is required under section 1922 for work carried out inside the housing only. Thus, external work does not require formal notice being given to tenants. This rule was confirmed in 2012 in Reid v. 1745 Cedar Ave Inc. 31-120621-042.

However, a courtesy notice given in advance to your tenants will allow them to take steps to minimize the impact of these works on their lives. For instance, a holiday taken at the same time, working with the family rather than at home, etc… There is no delay time to do it since this notice is not binding. This approach is a way to help maintaining a good relationship between you and your tenants and possibly reduce the damages claimed.

Housing starts in Quebec were trending at 32,516 units in May, compared to 31,662 units in April, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The trend is a six-month moving average of the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR) of housing starts.

The evidence submitted at the hearing held at the Rental Board shows that the landlord tried to visit the apartment with prospective tenants. But the tenant refused access several times, although the latter had authorized the landlord to make two visits.

The tenant demands to be present during visits to his housing by potential tenants since he does not trust the landlord. He claims that the landlord would already have entered his housing without his permission. This last statement is belied by the landlord.

The tenant acknowledges that he changed the lock on the door of his dwelling without the consent of the landlord. It concerns a digital code lock.

The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 1/2 per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 3/4 per cent and the deposit rate is 1/4 per cent.

The global economy is evolving largely as the Bank projected in its April Monetary Policy Report (MPR). In the United States, despite weakness in the first quarter, a number of indicators, including employment, point to a return to solid growth in 2016.