45 BASEBALL PLACE CONDO | RIVERSIDE SQUARE CONDOS

"The building has insurance, so I don't need my own" is one of the most common — and most costly — misunderstandings among first-time condo owners. Here's exactly what's actually covered at each level, based on Ontario's Condominium Act.

What the Condo Corporation Is Legally Required to Cover

Under Section 99 of Ontario's Condominium Act, Riverside Square's condo corporation is required to maintain insurance covering the building's common elements and what's called the "standard unit" — generally the structural, fixed parts of your unit as originally built — against major perils like fire, lightning, smoke, windstorm, hail, explosion, water escape, vandalism, and similar structural risks.

What the Corporation's Insurance Does NOT Cover

This is the part that catches owners off guard:

• Upgrades and improvements beyond the "standard unit." If you've upgraded flooring, cabinetry, or fixtures beyond what your building's declaration defines as standard, those upgrades generally aren't covered by the corporation's policy.

• Your personal belongings. Furniture, electronics, clothing — none of this is covered by the building's insurance, full stop.

• Your personal liability. If someone is injured in your unit, or you accidentally cause damage to a neighbouring unit, the corporation's policy doesn't protect you personally.

• Additional living expenses if your unit becomes uninhabitable due to a covered event.

The Detail Most Owners Don't Know: Deductible Chargebacks

Ontario's Condominium Act (Section 105) allows a condo corporation's governing documents to make an individual owner responsible for the corporation's insurance deductible in certain circumstances — sometimes even when no one was directly at fault for the damage. This can mean a real, unexpected bill if a covered event affects your unit, even if you did nothing wrong. Check your specific building's governing documents to understand how this applies, and consider whether your personal policy should include coverage for this specific scenario.

What "Standard Unit" Actually Means (And Why You Need to Check)

Every condo corporation defines "standard unit" differently in its governing documents — what counts as standard at one building may not match another. Since Riverside Square spans five separate buildings, don't assume the definition is identical across 15, 25, 30, 45 Baseball Place, and 665 Queen Street E. Review your specific building's declaration, or ask your insurance broker to review it with you, so you know exactly what you're responsible for insuring yourself.

What Your Personal Policy Should Cover

• Upgrades and improvements beyond your building's standard unit definition

• Personal belongings and contents

• Personal liability

• Additional living expenses if you're displaced by a covered event

• Loss assessment coverage, specifically for the deductible chargeback scenario described above

What Changes If You're Renting Out Your Unit

If you own a unit at Riverside Square and rent it out, a standard owner-occupied policy generally isn't the right coverage — you need a landlord-specific policy that accounts for tenant occupancy, covers your liability as a landlord, and typically includes loss of rental income if the unit becomes uninhabitable due to a covered event. Renting out a unit without notifying your insurer can jeopardize a claim, so this is worth confirming directly with your broker before you lease the unit out, not after something happens.

Where to Find Your Building's Insurance Information

If you're buying resale at Riverside Square, the Status Certificate includes a certificate of insurance showing the corporation's current policies — review this carefully as part of your due diligence, ideally with your lawyer, before finalizing your purchase.

The Bottom Line

The condo corporation's insurance protects the building's structure and common elements — it was never designed to protect your personal belongings, your upgrades, or your personal liability. A personal policy isn't optional in any meaningful sense; it's the coverage that actually protects what's yours.

Want help understanding your specific building's standard unit definition or insurance requirements? Reach out to our team for guidance on what to check before you buy or as a current owner.

This article summarizes general Condominium Act provisions and is not insurance or legal advice. Consult a licensed insurance broker and your building's governing documents for guidance specific to your unit.

For a lot of buyers and renters, whether a building genuinely welcomes pets is a dealbreaker question, not an afterthought. Here's what to actually confirm before you move into Riverside Square with a dog or cat.

Why Condo Pet Policies Aren't One-Size-Fits-All

Under Ontario's Condominium Act, condo corporations can establish reasonable rules around pets — including restrictions on number, size, weight, or breed — provided those rules are properly documented in the corporation's governing declaration and by-laws. This means pet policies genuinely vary building to building, even within the same broader community like Riverside Square's five addresses.

What to Actually Confirm Before You Commit

• Number of pets permitted per unit. Most condo corporations cap this, commonly at one or two pets.

• Size or weight restrictions, particularly relevant for larger dog breeds.

• Any breed-specific restrictions, which some corporations do include in their rules.

• Designated pet relief areas or building-specific etiquette rules, including elevator and common-area policies for pet owners.

• Whether the specific policy differs across 15, 25, 30, 45 Baseball Place, or 665 Queen Street E — don't assume a policy you read about one building automatically applies community-wide.

Why This Matters More for Renters Specifically

If you're renting rather than buying, remember that a landlord's own lease terms can add an additional layer of restriction on top of the condo corporation's rules — even if the building broadly permits pets, an individual landlord can still choose not to allow them in their specific unit's lease. When applying to rent at Riverside Square, confirm the specific unit's pet policy directly with the landlord or property manager, not just the building's general reputation.

What to Do If You're Not Sure a Building Allows Pets

Ask directly and get it in writing before you commit — whether you're buying or signing a lease. Verbal assurances from a listing agent aren't a substitute for confirming the actual condo declaration and by-laws, or the specific lease terms if you're renting.

What This Means for Landlords Renting Out a Unit Here

If you own a unit at Riverside Square and are deciding whether to permit pets in your lease, consider that pet-friendly units often draw a larger applicant pool in a building and neighbourhood known for its walkability and green space access nearby — a genuine competitive advantage if you're trying to minimize vacancy time, provided you factor in appropriate protections like a higher security consideration where permitted under Ontario law.

The Bottom Line

Riverside Square's community-wide reputation as walkable and livable doesn't guarantee a uniform pet policy across all five buildings — confirm the specific rules for your building and unit before you commit, whether you're buying or renting.

Have a pet and looking for a unit at Riverside Square that welcomes them? Reach out to our team and we can point you toward current pet-friendly availability.

Of the five buildings that make up Riverside Square, 665 Queen Street E stands apart in one clear way: it's the only one built around heritage character rather than a purpose-built modern tower. Here's a closer look at what that actually means for buyers.

What Makes 665 Queen Different

Located at the gateway to the Riverside Square community, 665 Queen St E is part of the Streetcar Developments vision for transforming Queen East into a live-work-play corridor — blending contemporary architecture and open layouts with the neighbourhood's existing character, rather than replacing it outright. Modern glass façades and integrated ground-floor retail sit alongside a streetscape that still reads as genuinely Riverside, not a transplanted downtown tower.

The Location Advantage

Sitting right where South Riverdale meets Leslieville, 665 Queen puts residents within easy reach of both neighbourhoods' retail and dining strips, plus fast access to the downtown core. It's a meaningfully different day-to-day feel than the Baseball Place towers set slightly further into the neighbourhood — more directly embedded in Queen Street East's retail energy.

Who 665 Queen Tends to Suit Best

• Buyers who want neighbourhood character over a purpose-built amenity tower. If part of Riverside Square's appeal is the East End's identity rather than a generic amenity package, this building leans further into that character than the newer Baseball Place towers.

• Renters and buyers prioritizing walkability to Queen East's retail strip. The building's position puts daily errands and dining options within an easy walk in a way that's slightly more immediate than the Baseball Place addresses.

• Investors targeting tenants drawn specifically to Leslieville's identity. The building's positioning at the Leslieville gateway can be a genuine draw for tenants who specifically want that neighbourhood association.

How It Compares to the Baseball Place Towers

Where 15, 25, 30, and 45 Baseball Place each offer a variation on purpose-built modern tower living, 665 Queen's heritage-integrated design is a genuinely different product within the same broader community. Neither is objectively better — it comes down to whether you're drawn to Riverside Square for its modern amenity package or for its integration with the East End's existing character.

What to Check Before Buying or Renting Here

• Confirm current unit mix and availability directly — heritage-integrated buildings sometimes have a different range of layouts than purpose-built towers, given the constraints of working with existing structure.

• Ask about retail tenant mix at street level, since that's a bigger part of this building's identity than it is for the other four addresses in the community.

• Review the Status Certificate carefully, as with any condo purchase — heritage-integrated buildings can carry different maintenance considerations than a fully new-build tower.

The Bottom Line

665 Queen Street E offers a genuinely distinct option within the Riverside Square community — heritage character and Queen East integration rather than a standard modern tower. For the right buyer, that distinction is exactly the draw.

Want current availability and pricing at 665 Queen Street E? Reach out to our team for building-specific details.