Connect
Real Estate · City of Toronto

Real estate lawyer in North York

North York is part of the City of Toronto, so a purchase here carries the same two land transfer taxes and the same condominium status certificate questions as anywhere else in the city. We close purchases and sales across North York.

Discuss your matter(647) 793-2939

Our Thornhill office sits just north of North York, a short run down Yonge Street or the 404. In-person signing is convenient for North York clients, and remote identity verification and document signing are also available if you prefer.

We handle
Purchases, sales, refinancing & title transfers
Signing
Thornhill office or remote, your choice
Local tax
Provincial and Toronto municipal land transfer tax
Start here
Send us your agreement as early as possible

What matters in a North York closing

Toronto's two land transfer taxes still apply

North York is part of the City of Toronto, so the municipal land transfer tax applies here exactly as it does downtown.

More details

North York's more suburban character does not change which municipality it sits in. As part of the City of Toronto, a North York purchase carries both the provincial land transfer tax and the City of Toronto municipal land transfer tax, calculated the same way and payable on the same closing date as anywhere else in the city.

Condominium status certificates

Along Yonge Street and around the major intersections, condominiums make up a large share of North York transactions, and the status certificate is a central part of reviewing one.

More details

Willowdale, Bayview Village, and the corridor around Sheppard and Yonge carry heavy condominium density, and on a condominium purchase the status certificate review sits alongside the title search as a core part of the file. It shows the reserve fund's health, any pending special assessment, arrears, and what the declaration permits for pets, rentals, and short-term occupancy. Reading it properly takes time a firm closing date does not always allow.

Older detached homes

Neighbourhoods like Armour Heights, Lansing, and Bathurst Manor carry older housing stock, where survey and title questions surface more often than in newer subdivisions.

More details

Much of North York's detached housing predates current survey and permitting standards. Older lots can carry encroachments, additions built without a closed permit, or a survey that no longer reflects a fence line or addition on the ground. These are usually resolvable, but they are far easier to address before the closing date than on it.

Closing costs

Land transfer tax in North York

Two land transfer taxes

North York purchases carry the provincial tax and the City of Toronto municipal tax, since North York is part of Toronto.

First-time buyer rebates
A rebate may be claimed against each tax. They are applied for separately and have their own maximums.
How the tax works

A buyer in North York pays the same two land transfer taxes as a buyer anywhere else in Toronto: the provincial tax that applies across Ontario, and the City of Toronto municipal land transfer tax on top of it. Both are calculated on the purchase price on a graduated structure and both are payable on closing.

First-time buyers may claim a rebate against each tax separately, each with its own maximum. It is a common assumption that a more suburban part of the city means a lighter tax bill; the municipal boundary determines whether the second tax applies, not how far a neighbourhood sits from downtown.

Real estate matters in North York

  • Residential purchases

    We review your agreement before the conditions come off, search title, and carry the file through to the day you get the keys.

  • Residential sales

    We answer the buyer's requisitions, arrange the discharge of your existing mortgage, and account for every dollar leaving the transaction.

  • Refinancing and new mortgages

    Whether you are moving lenders, taking equity out, or adding a second charge, we handle the registration and the discharge that follows it.

  • Title transfers

    Adding a spouse, removing a name, transferring to family, or updating title after a death. Each one carries tax and mortgage consequences worth understanding first.

  • New construction and builder purchases

    Builder agreements are written for the builder. We read yours as early as we can, and where a statutory rescission right applies, inside that window, while there is still something you can do about it.

  • In-person and remote signing

    In-person signing at our Thornhill office is our standard approach, and remote identity verification and document signing are available if you prefer. Remote signing changes how you meet with us, not the lawyer-led legal work performed on your closing.

Explore our full real estate practice
How it works

Your North York closing

  1. Send us the agreement

    We review the transaction and tell you what we need.

  2. We prepare the file

    Searches, lender work and closing documents are handled by our team.

  3. Sign and close

    Sign at our Thornhill office, or remotely if you prefer. We confirm when the transaction closes.

Start your North York closing
Where we act

North York neighbourhoods

We act throughout North York, including:

  • Willowdale
  • Newtonbrook
  • Bayview Village
  • Don Mills
  • York Mills
  • Bathurst Manor
  • Armour Heights
  • Lansing
  • Downsview
  • Clanton Park
Common questions

North York real estate questions

Does the Toronto municipal land transfer tax apply to a North York purchase?

Yes. North York is part of the City of Toronto, so a purchase here carries the same provincial and municipal land transfer taxes as a purchase in any other part of the city. There is no separate North York rate and no exemption for sitting outside the downtown core.

Do I need to worry about the Vacant Home Tax on a North York property?

Yes, in the same way any Toronto property owner does. The annual occupancy declaration applies across the city, North York included, and it is worth handling as part of the closing rather than leaving it to the calendar.

What should I check before buying a condominium near Yonge and Sheppard?

The status certificate first. It discloses the reserve fund's health, any pending special assessment, whether the unit is in arrears, and what the declaration permits around rentals, pets, and short-term occupancy. Where your agreement is conditional on a satisfactory certificate, the review period is usually short and set by the agreement itself, so send it to us the moment it is delivered.

Does Garrison have an office in North York?

No. Our office is in Thornhill, a short drive north of North York on Yonge Street or the 404. Clients can sign with us there in person, or remotely if you prefer. Either way, it is the same lawyer-led legal work on the closing.

My North York property is older. What should I expect during the title review?

We check for encroachments, additions without a closed permit, and whether the existing survey still matches what is actually on the ground. These issues are common in older North York neighbourhoods and are usually resolvable, but resolving them is easier before closing than after.

Do I have to sign in person?

Our Thornhill office is a short drive north of Steeles for most North York clients, and in-person signing is available there. If you would rather not make that trip, identity verification and document signing can be completed remotely instead. Remote signing changes how you meet with us, not the lawyer-led legal work performed on your closing.

Also serving

Nearby areas we serve

Buying or selling in North York?

Send us the agreement and we will confirm both land transfer taxes and what the file needs before closing.

Discuss your North York matter