The Deauville, 185 Davenport Rd: A Five-Suite Condo Off Yorkville

The Deauville is about as small as a Toronto condominium gets: five suites in a three-storey building on Davenport Road, a short walk north of Yorkville. That makes it private and quiet, and it also makes it one of the hardest buildings in the area to judge from the outside. If you are looking here, you are really buying into a five-person partnership, and I want you to know what that means first. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Five suites, and why that changes everything

Most condo reviews talk about amenities and views. With five suites, the more important questions are about governance. In a corporation this small, the board is effectively the owners themselves, decisions are made among neighbours, and there may be no professional property manager at all. The building profile does not list one.

Self-managed buildings can run beautifully. Costs stay low, decisions are quick and everyone takes care of the place. They can also drift: records are thin, the reserve fund study is overdue, or one owner ends up doing all the work. You find out which kind of building it is by reading the documents, not by walking the hallway.

Small numbers also change the maths of repairs. A roof, a window replacement or a masonry repair that would barely move the fee in a 300-suite tower is split five ways here. That is why I treat the reserve fund study as the single most important document for this building.

An enormous range of suite sizes

Recorded suite sizes run from about 541 square feet to roughly 3,624 square feet. That is an extraordinary spread for a five-unit building. It suggests a mix of very different homes under one roof, perhaps a large owner’s suite on an upper level alongside much smaller units, though I could not confirm the exact layout of each one.

That spread matters for costs. In most Ontario condominiums, each unit’s share of the common expenses is set in the declaration and usually tracks size. If you buy the smallest suite, a big repair may cost you relatively little; if you buy the largest, you could be carrying a large share of the building on your own. Ask for the schedule of common expense percentages before you make an offer.

The building profile does not list an elevator or a parking garage. In a three-storey building that may mean stairs to the upper floors and no deeded parking, which is a real consideration for downsizers. Confirm both with the listing agent and the status certificate.

Davenport Road at the top of Yorkville

Davenport Road between Avenue Road and Yonge Street is the quieter, more residential edge of Yorkville. You are a short walk from Yorkville Village, the Royal Ontario Museum and the University of Toronto, and close to Ramsden Park and the Nordheimer Ravine trails, which is an unusual mix of city and green space for this part of town.

Davenport itself is a busy road, so street noise is part of daily life, especially in front-facing suites. Commercial space has also been marketed for sale at this address, which suggests the building has a retail or office component at street level. I could not confirm the details, but if there is a commercial unit, ask how it shares costs with the residential suites.

This stretch is also surrounded by larger condominiums, including 181 Davenport next door. The Deauville offers something they do not: a building small enough that you know every neighbour by name. The data panel on this page covers transit, schools and what is nearby.

How I approach a building this small

Before I book a showing here, I ask the listing agent for three things: the most recent status certificate, the reserve fund study and a year or two of board minutes or owner meeting notes. In a five-suite building, those documents tell you more than the suite itself, and a seller who has them ready is usually a seller in a well-run building.

I also ask about insurance and financing early. Some lenders look more closely at very small or self-managed corporations, and the building’s insurance policy and deductible matter more when only a few owners share them. Speak to your mortgage broker before you fall in love with a suite, so there are no surprises after your offer is accepted.

Finally, meet the neighbours if you can. In a building of five homes, the people across the hall are your board, your budget committee and your building manager, all at once.

Pricing a building that almost never sells

There were no active listings when I checked, and there is no reliable building average per square foot on record. With five suites, a resale might come up once every few years, and each suite is so different in size that no two sales are comparable.

To price a suite here, I compare it with boutique low-rise condominiums between Avenue Road and Yonge north of Bloor, adjusting for size, level, outdoor space, parking and the condition of the building. Very large suites in small buildings usually sell for less per square foot than compact ones, so do not apply a small-suite price per foot to a 3,000-square-foot home.

The fee is unusually inclusive. Common elements, heat, air conditioning, building insurance, water and cable TV are all covered, which leaves hydro as your main utility. Compare the total monthly cost, not just the fee, when you weigh this against a newer building. If you want the recorded sales history for this address, ask me for the building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Deauville

The only amenity on record is a security system. There is no concierge, gym or party room, and the profile does not list an elevator or parking garage, so this is a building you choose for privacy and location rather than facilities.

Jatin’s honest take on The Deauville

The Deauville — frequently asked questions

Looking at Yorkville, the Annex and Midtown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.