How to Buy a Condo in North York: Prices, Taxes and Steps

Buying a condo in North York comes down to three things. You search by TRREB community, you budget for two land transfer taxes and your lawyer reads the building’s status certificate before your offer is firm. In the second quarter of 2026 the average condo apartment price was $597,444 on 174 sales in Toronto C14 and $619,683 on 101 sales in Toronto C07, the two districts TRREB groups as its North York City Centre sub-market. We take each part in turn below. The legal, tax and mortgage points are general information, so confirm them with a lawyer, an accountant or a mortgage professional.

Where North York starts and stops

North York used to be its own municipality and is now part of the City of Toronto. The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) has no North York geography. It reports sales by district (Toronto C14 is one) and by community (Willowdale East is one). Two things follow from that.

There is no official North York average price. Every figure here names a district or a community and the period it covers.

A listing search also needs a list of communities. We use the TRREB communities whose same-named City of Toronto neighbourhood sits inside the City’s former North York boundary. By that test:

• Toronto C06, C07, C12, C13, C14 and C15 are inside the boundary in full.
• Toronto C04, C11, W04 and W05 are inside it in part. In C11 only Flemingdon Park qualifies. In C04 it is Bedford Park-Nortown and Englemount-Lawrence. This site’s search also includes Lawrence Park North, which the same test places in the former City of Toronto.
• Toronto C10 (Mount Pleasant East and Mount Pleasant West) is outside it.

TRREB community lines and City neighbourhood lines are separate systems that share names, so the match is close but not exact. Our post on what is considered North York goes through the boundary in more detail.

Apartment or townhouse

Condo listings here come in two types. TRREB reports each one separately.

• A condo apartment is a unit in an apartment building. You can browse condo apartments for sale.
• A condo townhouse is a townhouse that is part of a condominium corporation. You can browse condo townhouses for sale.

Either way you are buying into a condominium corporation, so you get a status certificate and a reserve fund. Both are covered below.

The two types are not close in volume. In August 2026 TRREB recorded 885 condo apartment sales in the City of Toronto and 120 condo townhouse sales. In the districts on this site’s list, Toronto C15 had 14 condo townhouse sales that month at an average of $738,843, Toronto W05 had 9 at $465,044 and Toronto C13 had 5 at $682,600. Toronto C06 had none. With counts that small, a single sale can swing a monthly average a long way.

The mix shifts from community to community. In the second quarter of 2026 Willowdale East recorded 214 sales of all home types, of which 153 were condo apartments and 22 were condo townhouses. Bayview Village recorded 118 sales, with 83 condo apartments and 15 condo townhouses. Hillcrest Village had 10 of each. The condo townhouse guide covers that type on its own.

What the TRREB numbers say

The table shows condo apartment sales and average prices for each district wholly or partly inside the former North York boundary. The quarter rests on more sales, so it is the steadier figure. The single month is the newer one.

TRREB district	Q2 2026 sales	Q2 2026 average price	August 2026 sales	August 2026 average price
Toronto C04	45	$926,411	8	$714,125
Toronto C06	49	$509,204	14	$548,400
Toronto C07	101	$619,683	25	$581,340
Toronto C11	49	$595,725	15	$442,533
Toronto C12	18	$1,603,889	3	$1,769,100
Toronto C13	75	$611,065	23	$704,130
Toronto C14	174	$597,444	52	$555,815
Toronto C15	180	$588,484	52	$619,237
Toronto W04	56	$493,441	13	$503,500
Toronto W05	46	$467,695	13	$468,962

Sources: TRREB Condo Market Report, Q2 2026 and TRREB Market Watch, August 2026. Districts C04, C11, W04 and W05 include communities outside the former North York boundary, so their figures are wider than North York.

Keep a few things in mind when you read it.

• These are district averages across every size of unit sold. They do not give you the price of a particular building or floor plan.
• Toronto C12 had 3 sales in August 2026. That is too thin to describe an area.
• For comparison, the City of Toronto average for condo apartments was $667,916 in the second quarter of 2026 on 3,174 sales, against $717,403 a year earlier.

Inside the North York City Centre sub-market (Toronto C07 plus Toronto C14), TRREB counted these condo apartment sales by size in the second quarter of 2026: 40 one-bedroom, 66 one-bedroom plus den, 85 two-bedroom, 62 two-bedroom plus den and 22 three-bedroom.

Our North York condo prices page keeps these figures current. For a plain-language read, see the post on how much a condo costs in North York.

Where the condo towers are

The 2021 Census, published through the City of Toronto’s Neighbourhood Profiles, shows where most condominium housing sits.

City neighbourhood	Occupied dwellings	Share that are condominiums
Avondale	6,995	90%
Yonge-Doris	9,845	89%
Bayview Village	10,455	66%
Henry Farm	8,510	64%
Flemingdon Park	8,190	56%
Willowdale West	7,835	52%

These are 2021 counts, so anything finished since then is missing. Each area has its own guide: Yonge and Sheppard, Willowdale and North York Centre, Yonge and Finch, Bayview Village, Don Mills and Sheppard and Flemingdon Park. If you are searching around transit, see North York condos near the subway.

Reading the status certificate

The status certificate is the condominium corporation’s report on itself and on the unit. The Condominium Authority of Ontario says anyone can request one. The corporation can charge up to $100 including all applicable taxes and must provide it within 10 days.

You will find these inside:

• the declaration, by-laws and rules
• the current budget and the last audited financial statements
• a statement on the latest reserve fund study and the reserve fund
• the common expenses for the unit and any arrears
• common expense increases and special assessments
• the insurance certificate
• outstanding judgments and litigation

The reserve fund is the account a corporation keeps solely for major repairs and replacements of common elements and assets. A comprehensive study, called Class 1, must be done within the first year after the declaration is registered. After that a study is required at least every three years, alternating between one with a site inspection and one without.

Have your lawyer read the whole certificate and tell you how your offer should handle that review. We did not find a general rule on that point, so do not assume one.

Land transfer tax and first-time rebates

North York is inside the City of Toronto, so you pay Ontario land transfer tax and the Toronto municipal land transfer tax. Up to $2,000,000 the two use the same brackets.

Portion of the price	Ontario rate	Toronto rate
Up to $55,000	0.5%	0.5%
$55,000.01 to $250,000	1.0%	1.0%
$250,000.01 to $400,000	1.5%	1.5%
$400,000.01 to $2,000,000	2.0%	2.0%

Higher rates apply above $2,000,000 and the City adds an administration fee of $102.56 plus HST per transaction. Our land transfer tax calculator works out both taxes for any price.

First-time buyers get relief from two places.

• Ontario refunds up to $4,000. In the province’s words, no land transfer tax would be payable by qualifying first-time purchasers on the first $368,000.
• The City of Toronto rebates up to $4,475, on new and resale homes.
• Together that is a maximum of $8,475.

The main conditions are the same for both. You must be at least 18 and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. You must move in as your principal residence within nine months. You cannot have owned a home or an interest in a home anywhere in the world. Your spouse cannot have owned one while being your spouse. The Ontario refund must be claimed within 18 months of registration. Check with a lawyer that you qualify before you count on either amount. The post on closing costs for a North York condo lists the other items to ask about.

FHSA, the Home Buyers’ Plan and insured mortgages

First Home Savings Account (FHSA). The Canada Revenue Agency sets $8,000 of participation room in the year you open your first FHSA and a $40,000 lifetime limit. Unused room carried forward is capped at $8,000.

Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP). The withdrawal limit from an RRSP is currently $60,000, repaid over 15 years. For a first withdrawal made between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2028 the repayment period starts in the fifth year after the year of the withdrawal. The agency’s example is a first withdrawal in 2026 with a first repayment year of 2031. An HBP withdrawal and a qualifying FHSA withdrawal can be used for the same home.

Insured mortgages. Since December 15, 2024 the price cap for an insured mortgage is $1.5 million, up from $1 million. Thirty-year amortizations on insured mortgages are open to all first-time buyers and to all buyers of new builds.

Minimum down payment. You put down 5 percent of the price up to $500,000. From $500,000 to under $1.5 million, put down 5 percent of the first $500,000 plus 10 percent of the portion above. At $1.5 million or more you need 20 percent. Under 20 percent down, you typically need mortgage loan insurance.

Our mortgage calculator estimates a payment. A mortgage professional can tell you what you qualify for and an accountant can confirm how the FHSA and HBP apply to you.

Resale versus pre-construction

With a resale condo you can walk the unit and read a status certificate from a corporation that has a financial history. A pre-construction condo is bought from a developer before it is finished. Different rules apply.

• Buying a pre-construction condo from a developer gives you a 10-day cooling-off period to cancel. The sources we opened describe that right for purchases from a developer only. Nothing in them extends it to a resale purchase.
• Tarion deposit protection for a condominium unit is up to $20,000.
• GST/HST applies to new homes. Several rebates exist.
• You may pay an interim occupancy fee, which has a cap set out by the Condominium Authority of Ontario.

Our pre-construction condo guide goes through each of these, along with assignment sales. For a side-by-side view, read pre-construction versus resale.

Selling a house to buy a condo

Some of our buyers are owners selling a larger home. Here is what changes for them.

• The first-time buyer refund and rebate both require that you have never owned a home anywhere in the world. A house owner does not meet that test, so the full Ontario and Toronto land transfer taxes are payable on the condo.
• A house has no status certificate. A condo purchase adds that document, the reserve fund study and monthly common expenses, which the certificate states for the unit.
• Property tax uses the same City rate for a house and a condo. Your bill changes because the assessed value changes.
• The City of Toronto requires residential owners to declare occupancy status each year for the Vacant Home Tax. If you hold two properties over a declaration period, each one needs a declaration.
• The minimum down payment rules above apply to this purchase like any other.

In August 2026 the City of Toronto median was $550,000 for a condo apartment on 885 sales and $661,650 for a condo townhouse on 120 sales. Set those beside a written estimate for your current home. You can request a free condo or home evaluation. Our selling guide covers the sale side for condo owners. Which closes first, the sale or the purchase, affects your mortgage. Speak with a mortgage professional and a lawyer before you commit to closing dates.

Property tax

The 2026 City of Toronto residential rate is 0.767311 percent of assessed value. It is made up of a City rate of 0.605295 percent, an education rate of 0.153000 percent and a City Building Fund levy of 0.009016 percent. The City’s own example is an assessment of $692,140, which produces a bill of $5,311.

Tax is charged on assessed value, which can differ from the price you pay. Ask for the unit’s current tax bill before you offer.

If you are not a citizen or permanent resident

Three separate rules can apply if you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

• Federal prohibition. The Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act took effect January 1, 2023 and was extended to January 1, 2027. It covers residential property in census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations. The penalty is a fine of up to $10,000 and a court may order the property sold. Exceptions include certain temporary residents, refugee claimants and purchases with a Canadian spouse or common-law partner.
• Ontario Non-Resident Speculation Tax. The rate is 25 percent, on residential property anywhere in Ontario, payable by foreign nationals, foreign corporations and taxable trustees. Condominium units are included. A rebate is available where a foreign national becomes a permanent resident within four years.
• Toronto Municipal Non-Resident Speculation Tax. The City lists a rate of 10 percent of the purchase amount, with its own rebate.

The federal end date is close, so check the current status with a lawyer before you sign anything. Our investment guide covers the rules for owners who rent out a unit.

Step by step, from search to closing

1. Set the budget. Get a written mortgage pre-approval. Run both land transfer taxes through the calculator and ask a lawyer for a fee quote in writing.
2. Check first-time buyer status. Confirm whether you qualify for the Ontario refund, the Toronto rebate, the FHSA and the Home Buyers’ Plan.
3. Choose the communities. Pick TRREB communities rather than “North York” as a whole. The neighbourhood guides say which communities each area covers.
4. Choose the type. Decide on a condo apartment or a condo townhouse. Then pick the number of bedrooms.
5. Read recent sales. Use district and community figures with their sales counts, then ask for recent sales in the buildings you like.
6. View units. Ask us anything about North York condos and we can book a showing. Use the contact page.
7. Make an offer. Your agent prepares it. Ask your lawyer how it should handle the status certificate.
8. Review the status certificate. Your lawyer reads the budget, the reserve fund statement, any special assessments and any litigation.
9. Finalize the mortgage. Give your lender what it asks for and confirm the amortization and the insurance premium if one applies.
10. Close. Your lawyer handles the land transfer taxes, any first-time buyer refund or rebate and the registration of the transfer.
11. After closing. Budget for property tax and common expenses. Make the Vacant Home Tax declaration each year, even if you live in the unit.

Start with the condo apartment listings or the condo townhouse listings, then narrow by community.