Condo construction feels never-ending in Toronto, where developers continue to jam shiny skyscrapers into new parts of the downtown core, whether it means the destruction of a beloved institution, the gutting of a historic structure or just the inevitable death of a parking lot.

With so many cranes constantly erecting new buildings on demanding deadlines, it often seems like many modern builds are finished as quickly and as cheaply as possible for maximum profit, which has led to issues like falling glass, flooding, paper-thin walls, elevator snafus, inferior insulation, and worse. 

Glass-walled buildings notorious for shoddy fabrication and ongoing problems also tend to become prime spots for short-term rentals, turning them into ghost hotels and making matters for actual residents even worse.

Beware of shoddy construction. My Toronto friends keeps telling me stories of crappy condos b/c of the condo buying frenzy that developers build 'em as fast as they can, collect the $, & move on leaving behind condos that cracks, falls apart, etc for the condo boards to deal with

— Andrew Wong 🇺🇸 (@ayankeeoriginal) August 17, 2023

And even those who don't live in these communities have been noticing how badly some of them have been made, with visible maintenance issues and physical deterioration.

One popular Reddit thread from this week exemplifies this perfectly with a photo of the crumbling brick exterior of the brand new XO Condos at King and Dufferin, with the original poster joking about the low standard of new construction in the city.

"I live nearby and watching this building go up has been baffling. The developer seems to have cheaped out on every aspect: facade, entrance, trees, internal fit out," one local commented in the lengthy ensuing discussion, noting that the developer, Lifetime, has also managed to secure a second build kitty corner to XO.

"If you want a real laugh, take a look at the renderings. The entire community has been conned and the developers will walk away with a big bag of cash either way."

Quality of new condo construction in Toronto
byu/Denchik3 intoronto

Another commenter who claims to have been present during the creation of the complex agreed that the large firm is "definitely cheap, always looking to build on shitty sites and cut every corner possible." They added that mold was often spotted during the work, only to be simply covered up with paint rather than dealt with properly.

Others chimed in to share their own horror stories of how terrible units they or loved ones had bought pre-construction turned out to be upon fruition.

Many blame rushed projects, a lack of adequate red tape and inspections, uneducated construction workers, and Premier Doug Ford's regulatory cutbacks, among other things.

I see. My unofficial volunteer investment advisor is strongly against Toronto condos. Says construction is very shoddy, entire building full of investment units and fees can skyrocket once the building starts to fall apart. Also says they’re overpriced according to his chart. 🙄

— Sarbjit Kaur (@sarbjitkaur1) July 31, 2020

Some also point out that renderings are essentially only for architects to win a project and for developers to get homes sold, and have little bearing on what a place will actually end up looking like. Plus, they often change numerous times, sometimes substantially, during a project's nascence.

With the public and all levels of government pushing for more housing ASAP to fill a void in stock amid unprecedented demand and dire unaffordability — during a time when developers are also facing higher costs and interest rates that may push them to cut corners to complete much-needed units — we can likely expect this trend to only get worse.