Moving into a Toronto condo in winter: how do I book the freight elevator before closing?
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Month end and start are busy. From December to mid January, the management office may be closed or on short hours.
Keys come once the lawyers move the funds, and that can slide into the afternoon. Book too early and you pay movers by the hour to wait.
With conditions still open, the booking may be wasted. Yifei books once the lawyer has reviewed the documents and conditions are waived.
At one building the move fee and deposit were each a couple of hundred dollars. At another, a broken fan button cost the seller the deposit. Take photos before and after.
- 01Get the move rules the day you firm
- 02Ask about fees, deposit and paperwork
- 03Book after keys, with some buffer
- 04Tell movers the slot and loading dock
- 05Lay mats for snow and salt
- 06Inspect together, sign, take photos
Tell Yifei your closing date and whether you are leaving a condo too. He will help you sort it out.
Ask YifeiBook the elevator as soon as your purchase goes firm, and pick a time after you will actually have the keys on closing day, not first thing in the morning. When you book, ask about four things: the move fee and deposit, which days are blocked, what paperwork they need, and who inspects afterward. When the move is done, have management check the elevator and hallway with you and sign off, so your deposit comes back.
Book early, and book the right time
How you book the elevator, the hours, and any deposit are set by each building's own rules. The Condo Authority of Ontario says rules must be reasonable and consistent with the Condo Act and the building's declaration and by-laws, and everyone in the community has to follow them. So don't assume your last building works the same way; ask this one.
Most buildings have one freight elevator and a limited number of slots per day. End and start of the month are busy, and from December to mid January you also have Christmas and New Year, when the management office may be closed or on short hours.
Timing matters on closing day. Keys are released once the lawyers have moved the funds, and that can slide into the afternoon. If the elevator is booked for 9 a.m., you are paying movers by the hour to wait in the truck.
Order matters too. If the deal still has conditions, it is not done, and the booking may be wasted. Yifei waits until the lawyer has reviewed the documents and the conditions are waived, then books with the building.
Different situations
Step by step
- The day you go firm, ask management or the concierge for the move-in rules: allowed days, hours, length of a slot.
- Ask about money: move fee, deposit, when and how the deposit is refunded.
- Ask about paperwork: mover's insurance certificate, your own insurance, truck registration.
- Book after key release, with an hour or two of buffer.
- Tell the movers the time slot, where the loading dock is, and the height clearance.
- In winter, lay down mats so snow and salt don't get tracked down the hallway.
- Afterward, walk the elevator, walls and floor with staff, get a signature, and take photos.
What Yifei has seen
At one building, the booking was a move fee and a deposit of a couple of hundred dollars each, paid up front and refunded after management inspected. During the move, the front desk had someone watching, checked everything right after, and the client signed. The client still followed up later to make sure the deposit came back.
At another building it went the other way. Management said the movers broke a fan button in the elevator and kept the seller's deposit for the repair. A small button can cost you the deposit, so photograph the elevator before you start and inspect it together after.
Another client, on moving day, was stopped by security at the old condo: no moving the boxes at the door, no elevator. The client ended up calling Yifei for help. You need a booking at the building you are leaving, too.
Staging removal works the same way. One building would not book Sundays, so Yifei picked a weekday and asked the client to let the front desk know before leaving. Another time the slot was two hours around midday, which was plenty for a small load.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a freight elevator deposit?
Each building sets its own in its rules. At one building Yifei dealt with, the move fee and the deposit were each a couple of hundred dollars. Go by your building's rules, and if a deduction looks unfair, have a lawyer look at it.
Can I move in on closing day?
Yes, once you have the keys. An afternoon slot, or the day after closing, is safer.
What if they keep my deposit?
Ask management in writing what was damaged and what the repair cost. Before and after photos make that conversation much easier.
Tell me your situation and I'll tell you straight what to do. Yifei (RE/MAX), efay.ai
Sources
- Condo Authority of Ontario, Rules: https://www.condoauthorityontario.ca/before-you-buy-or-rent-a-condo/how-condos-work/governing-documents/rules/
- Condo Authority of Ontario, Leasing a Condo: https://www.condoauthorityontario.ca/before-you-buy-or-rent-a-condo/leasing-a-condo/