Q:    I purchased a condo last week and when I went to my lawyer’s office to pick up the keys, I received one key to the living unit. 

It was indicated that the rest of the keys are usually in the property on the kitchen counter or some other place that is obvious. 

When I went to the building, the security guard had to let me in to the lobby and when I went into my new home there was only one key for the mailbox and no entry fobs or extra keys.
 
When I phoned my lawyer, she indicated that they had no control over the keys and that I should speak to the building management. I did just that and they indicated that they could provide entry fobs at a cost of $50 per fob and extra keys at the same cost.  What are my options?

A: Generally, when I advise clients who are selling a property, I instruct them to provide entry keys to our office and then leave ALL extra copies in the property.  The same instructions apply for a condo or a house. 

However, most condo corp’s charge a fee for their entry fobs and keys for common area entry.  Therefore, the vendor will sometimes return their fobs for a refund (personally I think this is unnecessary when you put the entire cost of the transaction into perspective). 

That being said, all you are basically entitled to is access to your new home: extra fobs and keys are just that, extra.

I don’t understand why if you are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a property, that the vendor would not leave all of the access devices but just as your lawyer stated, we have no control over what is or is not provided above basic access.

Jeffrey Cowan is the principal of Cowan Law and can be reached by email at jeff@cowanlaw.ca.