The Condominium Authority of Ontario has concluded its 2026 Annual Members’ Meeting earlier this week. Find the recording and summary of the FAQs below!
The meeting began with a public forum with CAO’s executive team presenting highlights from the 2025-26 Annual Report and responding to questions from over 600 participants.
Below you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions asked by participants.
Don’t see your question here? Make sure to contact us so we can speak with you directly!
1. What powers do the CAO and the Condominium Authority Tribunal have to enforce compliance and hold condo boards and directors accountable?
The CAO does not have formal legal authority investigate the conduct or decisions of individual condo corporations. Individuals wishing to see changes to our mandate or the CAT’s jurisdiction should contact the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. Share your comments directly by September 30 on the proposed Condo Act changes.
The CAO focuses is on providing information, education and resources to help condo communities understand and meet their legal obligations while building harmonious communities. In some circumstances, we may also proactively contact a condo corporation and provide direct guidance about those obligations.
Our current consumer protection and compliance practices help ensure that key information filed by condo corporations is accurate, up to date and publicly available. We monitor this information to help confirm that:
- Directors have completed their mandatory training.
- Condo boards have enough qualified directors to maintain quorum and act on behalf of the corporation.
- Condo corporations report information about their condominium managers and management providers.
The CAO also provides guided dispute-resolution resources to help communities resolve common issues. If these steps do not resolve the issue, an owner or condo corporation may be able to file an application with the Condominium Authority Tribunal.
The CAT is Ontario’s first fully online tribunal with a three-stage approach to dispute resolution and may issue binding orders in the final stage. Beginning July 1, 2027, the Tribunal will hear certain disputes about whether required owners’ meetings were held, whether proper notice was provided and whether owners should be reimbursed for costs incurred when their corporation fails to hold a requisitioned meeting. It will not hear disputes about voting, proxies, ballots or events occurring during a meeting. Learn about the Tribunal’s jurisdiction.
2. What can owners do when a property manager is unresponsive, incompetent, overextended or acting in a conflict of interest?
Owners should raise performance concerns with the condo board, as the board may not be aware of the issue. The board is responsible for overseeing the manager and addressing performance concerns.
Owners may also request the corporation’s management agreement with their provider. This record can help owners understand the manager’s responsibilities and whether the manager is fulfilling them. Owners should use the mandatory Request for Records form when making a formal request
Concerns about conflicts of interest, fraud or the possible misappropriation of funds should also be brought to the board’s attention so it can review the situation and take appropriate action.
The Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario regulates and licenses condominium managers and management providers. It may be able to review a complaint involving a manager’s conduct or compliance with their professional obligations. Find out if the CMRAO can review your complaint.
3. How can owners challenge unfair board decisions, unreasonable rules, chargebacks or failures to follow the condo’s declaration, bylaws and policies?
The appropriate path depends on the nature of the issue.
The Condominium Authority Tribunal may be able to accept disputes involving:
- Condo records.
- Noise, vibration, smoke, vapour, light or odour.
- Provisions in governing documents related to pets, vehicles, parking or storage.
- Chargebacks directly connected to an issue within the Tribunal’s jurisdiction.
- Compliance with a prior Tribunal settlement agreement.
For example, an owner may be able to file a case if they believe a parking rule is unreasonable, if they receive an improper chargeback under that rule, or someone is not following the rule.
Owners may also requisition an owners’ meeting to discuss concerns with the board or ask that an existing rule is repealed or amended if it is unreasonable. When a proposed rule is circulated, owners can requisition a meeting within the required period and vote on whether the rule should take effect.
Because most condo decisions are made by the board, owners can have their say on the corporation’s direction by staying informed, attending meetings, voting in director elections and, when necessary, using the process for removing a director before the end of their term.
4. How can condo corporations properly fund, invest and use their reserve funds while keeping owners informed about major projects and expenditures?
Boards should rely on expert advice when funding, investing and using reserve funds. Maintaining organized records, understanding their governing documents and monitoring the corporation’s long-term repair needs can help the board anticipate risks and select an appropriate funding strategy.
Owners receive a summary of the reserve fund study and the plan for future funding after each reserve fund study. This notice explains how the board intends to fund the reserve fund and identifies any differences between the board’s plan and the study provider’s recommendations.
Owners also receive reserve fund updates twice per year through the corporation’s periodic information certificates. Additional guidance is available in the CAO Guide on Condo Reserve Funds, including nine reserve fund best practices beginning on page 18.
5. What can owners and boards do to manage rising condo fees, operating expenses, special assessments and other financial pressures?
Condo fees reflect real costs to run a corporation smoothy and may be affected by operating costs, inflation, insurance premiums, planned repairs, utility costs and more.
Boards can help manage financial pressures by:
- Planning and budgeting for long-term needs.
- Performing preventive maintenance.
- Obtaining competitive bids for major contracts.
- Considering appropriate energy-efficiency upgrades.
- Completing reserve fund studies as required.
- Maintaining adequate reserve fund contributions.
- Communicating openly with owners about financial risks and planned expenditures.
Significant fee increases or special assessments may become necessary when earlier budgets were insufficient, reserve contributions were inadequate or unexpected repairs arise.
Owners can support effective oversight by reviewing periodic information certificates, annual budgets and financial statements. They should also attend owners’ meetings, ask informed questions and respond when owner approval is needed.
6. How can condo elections and annual general meetings be made fairer, more transparent and more accessible, particularly when they are held virtually?
Condo corporations should communicate meeting and voting information clearly and early. Notices should contain all required information, including the meeting’s date, time, format, agenda and director-candidate information, where applicable.
Whether a meeting is held in person, virtually or in a hybrid format, owners must have a reasonable opportunity to participate, vote and be counted toward quorum. The voting process should be fair, accountable and secure while protecting the confidentiality of individual votes.
Here are some factors that that condo boards should consider looking for an e-voting system:
- Intuitiveness: owners should be able to navigate the system with ease.
- Confidentiality and Privacy: votes that are cast in advance should be confidential until they are counted at the meeting.
- Accountability: owners need to know how the voting system works and trust in the ability to accurately reflect votes.
- Retaining Required Information: the platform must have the ability to record and retain information as set out under the Condo Act.
Owners who have concerns about a voting process can request a copy of the recorded votes using the Request for Records form.
The same legal meeting and voting requirements apply regardless of whether a meeting is held in person, electronically or in a hybrid format. Review the CAO’s voting guidance and Owners’ Meeting Guide.
Beginning July 1, 2027, the Tribunal will hear certain disputes about whether required owners’ meetings were held, whether proper notice was provided and whether owners should be reimbursed for costs incurred when their corporation fails to hold a requisitioned meeting. It will not hear disputes about voting, proxies, ballots or events occurring during a meeting.
7. What records and financial information must condo corporations provide, and what recourse do owners have when information is withheld or access fees are unreasonable?
Owners are also entitled to request access to most other records, including:
- Governing documents.
- Board and owners’ meeting minutes.
- Current contracts.
- Current budgets and financial statements.
- Recent auditor’s reports.
- The current reserve fund study and plan for future funding.
- Certain voting and conflict-of-interest records.
Some records are kept indefinitely, some for at least seven years and others for shorter periods. Access to certain records may be restricted including personal information of unit owners and corporation employees, litigation records and insurance investigations.
Owners should submit the mandatory Request for Records form to begin the formal process and timelines. Electronic copies of core records are provided without charge. Reasonable fees may apply to paper copies and non-core records.
If a corporation does not respond, refuses access or charges an unreasonable fee, the owner may be able to file a records case with the Tribunal. Learn more about requesting condo records.
8. Who is responsible when repairs, maintenance or safety concerns, such as mold or water damage, are not addressed promptly?
Responsibility depends on the nature and location of the problem and what the condo’s governing documents say. Condo corporations are generally responsible for repairing damage to common elements and standard unit elements. Owners are responsible for repairing damage to decorative or non-standard unit elements. The corporation’s governing documents define what is considered a standard unit and may modify these usual responsibilities.
Owners are responsible for paying the corporation’s deductible or the cost of repairing the damage, whichever is less, if they themselves or their guest cause damage to the unit. Condo corporations may repair outstanding damage or conduct maintenance an owner was responsible for under the declaration and recover the reasonable costs if the owner does not take action within a reasonable time. Learn more about insurance for condo owners.
9. How should condo corporations balance rule enforcement with human rights, accessibility, privacy and reasonable accommodation requirements?
Condo corporations should enforce their governing documents consistently, reasonably and in good faith. Enforcement must also comply with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
All accommodation requests should be taken seriously, and boards should foster a respectful accommodation process. This may require modifying a rule, enforcement approach or timeline up to the point of undue hardship.
The corporation should:
- Request only the information reasonably necessary to understand the resident’s restrictions or needs.
- Protect the resident’s privacy and share information only with those involved in the accommodation process.
- Consider alternative solutions and the effect on other residents.
- Document the options considered and the reasons for its decision.
- Respond and implement approved accommodations promptly.
Directors should first consult legal counsel when the request involves complex legal, medical, accessibility or safety considerations. A legal opinion can help the board balance its enforcement obligations with its duties under the Human Rights Code and meet the required standard of care.