39 Tecumseth Townhouses: 26 Condo Towns from 1984 South of King West

39 Tecumseth is a low-rise townhouse complex from 1984 in a part of the city that has since filled up with glass towers. Twenty-six units, two storeys, professional management and a location a few minutes from King West. It is an older, simpler product than the condos around it, and that is exactly why some buyers want it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A 1984 low-rise in a neighbourhood of towers

The Niagara neighbourhood grew up as a working-class area of houses for the people employed along the rail corridors, and that was still its character when this complex was registered in 1984. Since then it has gained a long list of condominium apartment buildings. A two-storey townhouse corporation is now the minority here.

That gives it a different feel from its neighbours. There are no elevators, no amenity floor and no concierge. You get a smaller, quieter community of 26 units, and a home that works more like a house than an apartment.

The MTCC prefix stands for Metropolitan Toronto Condominium Corporation, a prefix used for condominiums registered in the former Metro Toronto before the city’s 1998 amalgamation and today’s TSCC numbering. It tells you the complex is a little over forty years old, with all that implies for the building envelope.

What the units are like

Condos.ca lists the complex as two storeys. I could not find published floor plans or a full range of unit sizes, but the one unit on the market as I write is a one-bedroom between 600 and 699 square feet, so at least some of the homes are compact. Ask for the measured size and plan of any unit you look at.

In a two-storey townhouse, that usually means a living floor and a bedroom floor connected by stairs, with your own entrance. Some units of this era sit over or beside others in stacked or back-to-back arrangements, so confirm how the unit you are viewing is laid out and who is above, below or beside you.

Forty years in, many units will have been renovated. Ask what was done, when, and whether permits were pulled. If any work touched exterior walls, windows or the roof, check that the corporation approved it.

Two storeys and a modest footprint also mean less space for storage than a newer condo with a locker room. Look at closets, any basement or crawl space and where bikes and seasonal gear would go. In a compact unit, that question often decides whether the home works for you day to day.

Management, documents and what you own

Condos.ca lists Shelter Canadian Properties as the manager. A professional manager in a 26-unit corporation usually means organized records, regular reserve fund updates and someone responsible for contractors, which helps when you are doing your homework.

Ask for the status certificate, the latest reserve fund study, the budget, the insurance certificate and two or three years of board minutes. In a 1984 complex, roofs, windows, exterior cladding and any shared services may already be on a second cycle. You want to see that work planned and funded.

In a townhouse condo, the declaration decides which parts belong to the unit, the common elements or the exclusive-use common elements. That covers things like patios, front doors and parking spaces, and it determines who pays when they need repair. Condos.ca does not list parking or fee inclusions for this complex, so confirm both for the specific unit.

A small corporation also means each owner’s share of a big project is noticeable. Ask the manager whether any major work is planned in the next few years, how it will be paid for, and whether the board has discussed a fee increase. Those answers belong in your decision before you firm up, not after.

Tecumseth, Wellington and King West

Tecumseth runs south from Queen through King toward Wellington and Niagara Street. This is one of the oldest planned parts of the city: it was laid out in the 1830s as the New Town Extension, with Niagara Street curving through it, and there was a military hospital at Niagara and Tecumseth across from Fort York.

Victoria Memorial Square, the 1793 military burial ground that is now a park and part of the Fort York National Historic Site, is a few blocks east near Wellington and Portland. King West’s restaurants and offices are a short walk north, and Fort York is close by to the south and west.

The area is busy and still changing, with new buildings going up around it. Construction is part of life here. Transit, schools and nearby food and parks are in the data panel on this page.

Pricing a small townhouse complex

Condos.ca does not publish a building average per square foot for 39 Tecumseth, and there is only one unit listed for sale at the time of writing, so there is no range of active prices I can responsibly quote. In a 26-unit complex, sales are infrequent.

The right comparison is other condo townhouses and small low-rise units in King West and Niagara, adjusted for size, condition, parking and the monthly fee. Compared with a one-bedroom in a newer tower nearby, a townhouse here gives you a private entrance and no elevator waits, but usually fewer amenities and an older building envelope.

Ask for the current fee and a breakdown of what it covers. With no concierge or amenity floor, most of it should be funding insurance, exterior upkeep and the reserve. If you want recent comparable sales for this pocket, request them through the building sold report.

Building specifications

Jatin’s honest take on 39 Tecumseth Townhouses

39 Tecumseth Townhouses — frequently asked questions

Looking at Queen West, Trinity-Bellwoods, Kensington and Little Italy more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.