The Four Courts, 103 Pembroke St: An 1879 Mansion Split Into 4 Suites

The Four Courts is about as far from a condo tower as a condo can get: four suites inside an 1879 Gothic Revival mansion on Pembroke Street. Each suite is a two-storey, two-bedroom home with 10- to 12-foot ceilings and a garage at the back. It is a rare way to own a piece of Victorian Toronto without a whole house to maintain, but a four-unit, self-managed corporation needs a different kind of due diligence. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The house behind the suites

The mansion dates to 1879. It was built for Frederick J.A. Stewart, a tea broker and land developer, on land that was part of the estate George W. Allen had developed in the 1850s, around the time Allen became mayor of Toronto. The style is Gothic Revival Victorian, the pointed gables and decorative trim that mark the older streets of this part of the city.

Like many big Victorian houses downtown, it had a long middle life as something else. By the 1920s it was a boarding house for workers. The 2012 conversion turned it back into private homes, four of them, which is how it got its name.

Sources differ on who carried out the conversion. UrbanToronto credited a father-and-daughter team from The Rainbow Group, while condo databases list Chipping Holdings as developer, which may be the project company. If it matters to you, the declaration in the status certificate names the declarant.

What the suites are like

Each of the four suites is a two-bedroom home of about 1,400 square feet or a little more, laid out over two storeys. The conversion kept the house’s height: ceilings run 10 to 12 feet, which makes these suites feel larger than their square footage.

The 2012 finishes were high-end for the time: gas fireplaces in every suite, granite counters, marble bathrooms and a full set of premium kitchen appliances. More than a decade later, check what each owner has updated, because four suites can now look quite different inside.

Parking is in a garage at the rear, and it is included in the fee. Garage parking with a downtown Victorian is a rare combination, and it is one of the main reasons these suites hold their appeal.

Four owners, no manager

With four suites and no property management company, the owners run the corporation themselves. That keeps fees down, but it means four people make every decision on budgets, repairs and insurance, and a single disagreement can stall things.

An 1879 masonry house has its own maintenance list: brick and mortar repointing, roof and flashing, wooden trim, windows and the basement. In a four-unit corporation those costs fall on very few owners. Read the reserve fund study and ask how the owners actually handle repairs, record-keeping and the annual meeting.

Also confirm whether the property is designated or falls within a heritage conservation district. Much of Cabbagetown does, and that can affect what you are allowed to change on the exterior, including windows and doors.

Condo or freehold: why this format exists

A buyer drawn to The Four Courts is often also looking at Cabbagetown freeholds. A small Victorian row house gives you full control and land, but you pay for every roof, furnace and brick repair yourself, and you rarely get a garage.

A suite here gives you a share of a grander house, high ceilings and a garage, with the exterior costs shared four ways. The trade-off is that you cannot make decisions alone, and the condo rules, insurance and reserve fund apply just as they would in a tower.

For many downsizers that is the right balance. For a buyer who wants to renovate freely or add space, a freehold is usually the better fit. Decide which you are before you compare prices, because the two are valued very differently.

Pembroke Street day to day

Pembroke is a short residential street of Victorian houses between Jarvis and Sherbourne. It sits on the western edge of Cabbagetown, with Allan Gardens and its conservatory a short walk away.

This is a downtown street, and the blocks around Jarvis and Sherbourne are a mix of old houses, towers and social services. Walk it at different times of day before you buy. The panel on this page carries the transit, school and walkability details.

Pricing at The Four Courts

With four suites, sales are rare and there is no meaningful building average. When the suites first came to market in 2012, UrbanToronto reported asking prices between about $500,000 and $600,000. Values downtown have moved a long way since.

To price a suite today, I compare it with two groups: two-bedroom loft and townhouse conversions in Cabbagetown and Corktown, and small Victorian freeholds nearby. The suite should land between them, with the garage and high ceilings pushing it up and the shared ownership pulling it down.

Fees include common elements, building insurance, parking and water. In a self-managed four-unit building, ask for the actual budget and the reserve fund balance rather than relying on the monthly fee alone, because a low fee can mean an underfunded reserve.

Financing deserves a word too. Some lenders look more closely at very small condominium corporations, especially self-managed ones, and may ask for the budget, reserve fund study and insurance certificate earlier than usual. Talk to your lender before you make an offer and have the status certificate reviewed by your lawyer as a condition.

Insurance is the other line to check. Insuring a 145-year-old house as a condominium can cost more than insuring a modern building, and the deductible in the corporation’s policy may fall to an owner if a claim starts in their suite. Ask for the policy summary and set your own unit coverage to match it.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Four Courts Cabbagetown

There are no shared amenities in the usual condo sense. What you get is the house itself: the ceilings, the fireplace, the garage, and permission to barbecue. Ask what parts of the yard and exterior are exclusive-use for each suite, since that shapes where you can sit outside.

Jatin’s honest take on The Four Courts Cabbagetown

The Four Courts Cabbagetown — frequently asked questions

Looking at Church–Wellesley, Corktown, Moss Park and Cabbagetown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.