Aire Serv installs and services heating and cooling systems, which layers two separate government-licensing threads on top of the franchisor's own consent process: TSSA gas licensing for any furnace or gas-appliance work, and federal refrigerant-handling certification for air-conditioning and heat-pump work. Neither licence transfers with the business — each attaches to a qualified individual, not the shop's name — so confirming who holds them, or will hold them, after closing tends to shape the whole timeline more than anything else.
Aire Serv resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
The offer sets price and the conditions that actually decide whether the deal closes: franchisor consent, continuity of licensed gas and refrigerant-certified staff, and a clean review of active service agreements.
1–3 weeks†The franchisor reviews the incoming owner's background, financial standing and operational fit, and typically holds a right of first refusal it can exercise before consenting to the transfer.
3–6 weeks†A franchise disclosure document may still be required for this resale — Ontario courts read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, so franchisor involvement can trigger it even where the deal is framed as private.
assessed early†Getting to closing
Where the unit leases shop or warehouse space, landlord consent to assign runs on its own clock; in parallel, TSSA gas-technician status and refrigerant-handling certification are confirmed for the incoming staff.
2–6 weeks†The franchisor's operational and systems training happens alongside confirming the trade credentials already required by law, so the unit can keep taking on both gas and cooling work without interruption.
1–3 weeks†Funds, the franchise agreement, and assigned service files change hands together, with the licensing questions and any equipment financing confirmed before the date is locked in.
1 day, once conditions are met†Dedicated aireserv.ca site confirms "Canadian Owned and Operated" under "The Dwyer Group Canada, Inc. d/b/a Neighbourly," with an "Own a Franchise" link and independently-owned-and-operated locations sold via territory.
Ontario territories within its Canadian Neighbourly-family franchise network.
This is the first real decision in a Aire Serv resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The unit's equipment, service vehicles, active service agreements, goodwill and the franchise agreement itself. | The shares of the corporation that holds the franchise agreement, including its history and existing liabilities. |
| The franchise agreement | Assigned to the buyer with franchisor consent, usually alongside a new or amended agreement. | Generally stays with the corporation, but the franchisor is notified of the ownership change and must consent to it. |
| TSSA gas licensing | Doesn't transfer automatically — the buyer's qualified gas technician needs to be recognized before the unit continues furnace or gas-appliance work. | The corporation may keep its registration standing, but the individual qualified technician named on it still has to be confirmed or replaced. |
| Refrigerant-handling certification | Required under federal ozone-depleting-substance regulations for anyone servicing air-conditioning or heat-pump systems, confirmed independently of the franchise transfer. | The same certification confirmation applies regardless of how the corporate transaction is structured. |
| The lease | Needs landlord consent to assign, where the unit operates from leased space rather than a home office. | Usually stays in place unless the lease itself has a change-of-control clause. |
| Tax angle | Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased. | Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares. |
The unit's equipment, service vehicles, active service agreements, goodwill and the franchise agreement itself.
The shares of the corporation that holds the franchise agreement, including its history and existing liabilities.
Assigned to the buyer with franchisor consent, usually alongside a new or amended agreement.
Generally stays with the corporation, but the franchisor is notified of the ownership change and must consent to it.
Doesn't transfer automatically — the buyer's qualified gas technician needs to be recognized before the unit continues furnace or gas-appliance work.
The corporation may keep its registration standing, but the individual qualified technician named on it still has to be confirmed or replaced.
Required under federal ozone-depleting-substance regulations for anyone servicing air-conditioning or heat-pump systems, confirmed independently of the franchise transfer.
The same certification confirmation applies regardless of how the corporate transaction is structured.
Needs landlord consent to assign, where the unit operates from leased space rather than a home office.
Usually stays in place unless the lease itself has a change-of-control clause.
Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased.
Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single Aire Serv territory changing hands with a licensed gas technician and refrigerant-certified staff already in place, and a straightforward lease.
Start my file →A territory where the current licensed technician isn't staying on and a replacement needs to be sourced, or a multi-territory purchase touching more than one franchise agreement.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
No. TSSA gas-technician registration follows the qualified individual, not the franchise. The buyer either needs to already hold it, or needs to employ someone who does, before the unit can keep taking on furnace or gas-appliance work — we build that requirement into the closing timeline rather than assuming it resolves itself.
Yes — they're two different regimes. TSSA governs gas work, while refrigerant handling for air-conditioning and heat-pump systems falls under federal ozone-depleting-substance regulations and its own certification. An HVAC territory typically needs both covered, not just one.
Not procedurally — even within the same parent group, each brand's franchise agreement and territory are reviewed and consented to separately, so holding another Neighborly-family franchise doesn't shortcut the standard consent and disclosure review for this specific transfer.
It's a practical factor worth planning around — furnace demand peaks in colder months and cooling demand peaks in summer, so we typically discuss whether a specific closing date lines up well or awkwardly with the seasonal service calendar as part of structuring the deal.
It happens, particularly where a departing owner has built out an adjoining territory over time. A multi-territory purchase generally means a more involved franchisor review, since it touches more than one agreement.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Aire Serv or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Aire Serv resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.