Property Assessment

Assessment History

For years, properties in Ontario have been assessed to determine their municipal taxation level. In 1970, the government of Ontario took over municipal assessments in order to standardize the process across the province. In 1998, responsibility for property assessment was transferred to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). This not-for-profit corporation created by the Province delivers a broad range of assessment services to municipalities, all of which are members of the Corporation. MPAC is responsible for assessing all properties in Ontario. These values are provided to municipalities on annual assessment rolls. Municipalities and the Province use these values when they calculate property taxes and education taxes.

How Assessments Are Done

To establish your property's assessed value, MPAC analyzes property sales in your area. These sales provide a basis for the assessed values of similar properties. MPAC continually collects information about properties to ensure that those with similar features (age, size, location, construction, etc.) have similar assessed values. This method - current value assessment - is used by assessment jurisdictions in most provinces and other countries. The Assessment Act requires that your property's assessed value be based on what it would likely have sold for on a specific date.

There are five major factors that usually account for 85% of the value: location; lot dimension, living area, age of the property, adjusted for any major renovations or additions, and quality of construction.

Other features that may affect value include: number of bathrooms, fireplaces, finished basements, garages, pools, and waterfront properties. Site features can also increase or decrease the assessed value of your property such as: traffic pattern, corner lot properties, and proximity to a golf course, hydro corridor, railway, or green space.

For information regarding your property assessment, please contact the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) at:

P: 1-866-296-6722
F: 1-866-297-6703
Website: www.mpac.ca
Email: enquiry@mpac.ca