By Simon Royer, REALTOR® at RE/MAX Icon Realty

Can we stop bad-talking condos for a second?

Every time a condo fee shows up on a listing, I watch people react like it's money being lit on fire. "$450 a month? No thanks." Meanwhile that same person will drop $8,000 on a roof, $4,000 on a driveway, and never once put those numbers next to the condo fee they turned their nose up at.

I'm not here to convince you a condo is the right move. I'm here to correct a lazy idea that's floated around for years: that condo ownership is automatically a worse decision than freehold. It isn't. It's a different type of ownership, with different costs, different responsibilities, and different benefits. The real question was never "are condos good or bad." It's whether a specific condo makes sense for you.

So What Are You Actually Getting for That Condo Fee?

This is where most of the bad-talking falls apart, because people treat "condo fee" like a single, universal thing. It isn't. Every corporation is different, and honestly, every condo isn't even the same type of property.

Condos can come as apartment-style units or as townhomes. And within townhome condos, there's another layer people usually don't know about: some are common element condos, where the corporation only takes care of the shared spaces (roads, visitor parking, common landscaping, that kind of thing), but the maintenance of your actual unit, the roof, the driveway, the exterior, is on you as the owner. Fees on those tend to run lower than a full-service condo for exactly that reason: you're paying for less to be done on your behalf.

So depending on the building and the type of condo, that monthly fee can cover exterior maintenance, landscaping, snow removal, window and roof repairs, building insurance on the common elements, water, and sometimes amenities like a gym, party room, or visitor parking. In some buildings it covers a lot. In others, less, and in a common element condo, it might just cover the shared spaces while you're still responsible for your own property. That's exactly why you don't judge a condo fee in isolation. You ask what's actually included, because a $600 fee that covers your roof, windows, and snow removal is a very different deal than a $300 fee on a common element townhome where you're still cutting your own grass.

But High Condo Fees Can Affect Value

There's another side to this. Even when a condo fee is justified by what it covers, buyers still have a monthly budget, and a high fee can affect how they look at a property.

I've seen buyers love a unit and then get hung up on the monthly fee. That's just reality. If similar condos are available with noticeably lower fees, buyers are going to compare them, and that can affect how easy a unit is to sell and ultimately what someone is willing to pay for it.

It also affects affordability directly. A buyer isn't just looking at the purchase price and the mortgage payment. They have to account for the condo fee every month too, and that can change what actually fits within their budget.

That's why I don't automatically defend a high condo fee either. I want to know why it's high and what the owner is actually getting for it. A higher fee that includes a lot is one thing. A high fee with very little included is something else entirely.

And whether a fee is technically "worth it" doesn't change the fact that future buyers may still perceive it as expensive. When you're buying a condo, that's worth thinking about, because one day you may be the one trying to sell it. A condo fee can be completely justified and still hurt a property's marketability. Both of those things can be true at once.

A Freehold House Isn't Maintenance-Free Either

Here's what gets left out of the conversation every time: owning a freehold home comes with its own list of costs, they just don't arrive as a tidy monthly line item.

Roof. Windows. Driveway. Landscaping. Snow removal. Eavestroughs. Exterior painting. A furnace or AC unit that decides to quit in February. None of that is optional, and none of it is cheap. The difference is that a freehold owner pays for it in unpredictable lump sums, while a condo owner pays for a portion of it (again, depending on the building) in predictable monthly installments.

Think of it this way: a condo fee is basically paying for maintenance in advance. With a detached home, that same maintenance still has to happen, it just shows up whenever the roof or the furnace decides to fail, and now you're scrambling to come up with a few thousand dollars on short notice. Neither approach is free. One just spreads the cost out and the other saves it up for a surprise.

And be honest with yourself about that scramble. If a surprise repair means calling grandma, or mom and dad, to help cover it, that's worth thinking about too. Avoiding a condo fee doesn't make the cost of maintaining a home disappear. It just means you're responsible for dealing with those expenses when they show up.

Condos Can Make a Ton of Sense for Certain People

I've worked with buyers where a condo wasn't a compromise, it was the smart, obvious answer. First-time buyers trying to get into the market without taking on exterior maintenance costs on top of a mortgage. Downsizers who are done with a lawn mower and a snow shovel. Busy professionals who travel constantly and don't want to worry about who's checking on the house. People who genuinely just don't want to spend their Saturdays on exterior upkeep. For all of those buyers, a condo isn't a lesser version of homeownership. It's the version that actually fits their life.

A full-service condo in particular is a lock-the-door-and-go lifestyle. No mowing, no shovelling, no wondering who's watching the place while you're away. That's exactly why it works so well for busy professionals, elderly buyers who don't want the physical upkeep of a house anymore, and busy families who'd rather spend their weekends doing literally anything other than yard work.

And here's something people forget: a condo is a community, not just a unit. Every corporation is run by a board of directors, made up of owners in the building, who vote on the decisions that affect everyone, budgets, rule changes, major repairs, how reserve funds get spent. If you want a say in how the place is run, that's your way in. Attend the annual general meeting, show up to vote, or run for the board yourself. It's not a passive form of ownership if you don't want it to be.

I've got a personal stake in this one, too. My first property was a condo, and it's the entire reason I have what I have today. It's how I got my foot in the market. If I'd waited around for a detached home to make financial sense, I'd still be waiting. For a lot of first-time buyers working with a smaller budget, a condo isn't a consolation prize, it's the move that actually gets you in the game.

Thinking a condo might be your way into the market? I work with first-time buyers across Cambridge, Brantford, and Waterloo Region. If you're not sure what you can realistically afford, let's figure that out before you start falling in love with listings. Check out the First-Time Buyer Guide →

And Sometimes, Yes, the Condo Is a Bad Buy

I'm not going to pretend every condo is a good purchase, because plenty aren't. This is the part that makes the rest of this article worth trusting. Not all condo purchases are a great decision, and that's exactly why I always, no matter what, suggest a status certificate review before a client goes firm on one.

High fees with very little actually included. A weak or underfunded reserve fund. A special assessment on the horizon that nobody's talking about yet. Rules that don't fit how you actually want to live, whether that's rentals, pets, or renovations. A poorly managed corporation with a history of neglected repairs. Any one of those can turn a condo into a genuinely bad decision, no different than buying a freehold home with a bad foundation or a neighbourhood you didn't research.

A special assessment is a one-time extra charge owners may be required to pay when the corporation needs funding beyond what's available through its regular budget or reserve fund. A special assessment doesn't automatically mean you should walk away, but you absolutely want to understand why it was required, how much it is, whether there may be additional costs coming, and what the corporation's overall financial position looks like. That's another reason the status certificate and lawyer review matter.

What I Actually Look At Before a Client Buys a Condo

Before a client gets emotionally attached to a unit, here's what we go through together: what the fee covers and what it doesn't, a review of the status certificate with a real estate lawyer (not optional, not a formality), what the reserve fund actually looks like, the rules around pets, rentals, and parking, whether there are any known upcoming expenses or assessments, recent comparable sales in the building, and, most importantly, whether the unit actually fits the plan the client has for the next few years.

That last one matters more than people think. A great condo for a downsizer can be a terrible one for a young family that's going to outgrow it in two years.

Already looking at a condo? Send me the listing you're considering. I'll take a look and tell you what stands out to me, the good, the bad, and the questions I'd be asking before moving forward. Send Simon the Condo →

The Real Question

Stop asking "are condos bad." Start asking "is this condo right for me."

That's the only question that actually matters, and it's the one I go through with every buyer who's considering one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is buying a condo in Ontario a bad idea in 2026? No. It's a different form of ownership with its own costs and trade-offs, not an inherently worse one. Whether it's a good idea depends entirely on the specific unit, building, and your own plans.

Are condo fees a waste of money? Not automatically. It depends what's included. A fee that covers exterior maintenance, snow removal, and building insurance is doing real work. A high fee covering almost nothing is a fair reason to be skeptical.

What should I check before buying a condo? The status certificate (reviewed by a real estate lawyer), the reserve fund, any upcoming special assessments, the rules around rentals and pets, and recent comparable sales in the building.

Is a condo a good investment? It can be, depending on the building, location, and fee structure, same as any freehold property can be a good or bad investment depending on its own details. There's no blanket answer either way.

Who is a condo actually a good fit for? First-time buyers who want to avoid exterior maintenance costs, downsizers, busy professionals, frequent travellers, and anyone who'd rather not spend their weekends on yard work and repairs.

Are high condo fees bad for resale value? High condo fees can make a property harder to sell because buyers factor the monthly fee into both their budget and their comparison with other properties. That doesn't automatically mean a high-fee condo is a bad purchase, the important questions are what the fee covers, the financial health of the corporation, and how the total cost compares with competing properties.

Simon's Final Word

I'm not trying to talk anyone into a condo. I'm trying to stop the blanket assumption that condos are automatically the worse choice, because that idea has cost some buyers a genuinely great fit for their life.

If you're looking at a condo in Cambridge, Brantford, or anywhere in Waterloo Region and you're not sure if it's a good buy, send me the listing. I'll give you my honest opinion on it. No pressure to work with me, just a straight answer.

This blog post reflects the personal opinions and professional experience of Simon Royer, REALTOR® at RE/MAX Icon Realty. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. RE/MAX Icon Realty Brokerage, 33-620 Davenport Rd, Waterloo ON N2V 2C2