126. Doug Harris: Condominium Law, Strata Corporations & the Evolution of Urban Living
Peek behind the veil of condo ownership with esteemed guest, Professor Doug Harris. Together, Aaron and Professor Harris traverse through the evolution of condo ownership, from its 1960s beginnings to its modern-day role in urban living. Their conversation dives into the unique dynamics of condo living, exploring landlord-tenant relationships, co-ops, detached parcels, and the intricate legalities such as residential tenancy laws and strata corporation governance. They also examine the challenges municipalities face in providing rental housing, consumer protection in multi-unit developments, smoking rules, and Doug’s call for thoughtful housing policy.
Douglas Harris, a professor at the Allard School of Law since 2001, has significantly contributed to property law and legal history, authoring award-winning books on Indigenous fisheries in British Columbia. After his call to the British Columbia bar in 1994 and playing in Canada's Olympic field hockey team, he pursued further education, earning LLM and PhD degrees in legal history, and later served in various administrative roles at UBC, receiving teaching awards. Currently, he's focusing on condominium property law, co-authoring a leading Canadian property law casebook, and fostering collaboration on law and cities through the Law & Cities Research Group.