Disclosure regarding Vendor Management following Practice Guide issued by the Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario (CMRAO) – August 2025
This disclosure by FirstService Residential Ontario is in relation to the directive issued by the CMRAO in August 2025, specifically in relation to Vendor Management and Compliance.
Vendor Management and Compliance at FirstService Residential Ontario
FirstService Residential Ontario uses the services of a third-party service provider to evaluate and vet vendors used by Clients of FirstService Residential Ontario.
Vendor Information Verification Experts (VIVE) is, at the date of this disclosure, the company that provides third party vendor verification services to FirstService Residential Ontario to ensure the following:
- Protection against unlicensed and underinsured vendors.
- Ensures that the vendor’s Insurance policy – not the Client’s– cover damages the vendor causes.
- Protection against increasing risk, as evidenced by current trends, including:
- Increasing numbers of vendor insurance claims
- Cash-strapped vendors allowing insurance to lapse or carrying underinsured coverage;
- Insurance companies are denying more claims and writing exclusions into policies limiting coverage;
- Claims are settling for larger amounts;
- Some vendors insist that certain kinds of insurance don’t apply to the type of work they provide when they do. Examples include workers’ compensation and automobile coverage.
- Some vendors seem insured, but their policies have language that excludes work they do for corporations. The corporation may be exposed in this way.
Services provided by VIVE
VIVE maintains a Master Vendors List through their online portal, which is accessible to all FirstService associates. Associates may access the portal through the Links section of Connect.
Each vendor registered with VIVE agrees to provide their liability insurance, WSIB and licenses, if required, to VIVE for independent verification. VIVE then ensures that this information is kept up to date throughout the year.
In addition to the verifications, VIVE also provides the following information within their program:
- contact information for the vendors
- vendor search by trade and trade categories
- alerts, including, approval, exemption, suspension and inactive statuses
- quick source bid tool
- vendor ratings by other users
Fees and charges
Every vendor registered with VIVE pays an annual fee directly to VIVE to be a member of the Vendor Management Program. No fees are charged to Client Corporations by VIVE or FirstService Residential Ontario for vendor management and compliance services.
FirstService Residential Ontario receives payments from VIVE, which are designed to recover the direct and indirect costs incurred by FirstService Residential Ontario in managing the overall vendor management program and ensuring the highest levels of compliance and risk management possible.
Should any Client Corporation request that a vendor not be charged the annual fee indicated above, FirstService Residential will charge this fee to the Client Corporation.
FirstService contacts and questions
Please direct any questions you might have on this disclosure to:
John Damaren (Vice President, Community Development & Governance)
[email protected]
Roy Almeida (Senior Vice President, Finance)
[email protected]