The monthly commitment
Condo fees, unpaid amounts for the unit, and disclosed increases or special assessments can affect what you need to budget beyond your mortgage.
Ontario condo status certificate review
Know the condo.Understand the commitment.
Garrison Law reviews your status certificate package and explains the financial, legal and practical details that may affect your purchase.
No fee for the review.
We’ll reply within one business day to confirm whether we can act.
Reviewed by real estate lawyer Eric Ly or Thajeve Selvanathan.
What we reviewFEES & ASSESSMENTS FINANCES & RESERVE FUND RULES & RESTRICTIONS LITIGATION & INSURANCE
The details behind your decision.
The building’s financial picture
The budget, financial statements, and reserve fund information help put planned major repairs and replacements in context. A reserve fund balance alone does not tell the whole story.
The rules you’ll live with
The declaration, by-laws, and rules set out obligations and restrictions. Tell us about plans for pets, renting, or renovations so the review addresses what matters to you.
Legal and insurance concerns
Disclosed litigation, judgments, and insurance information may raise questions about the corporation’s exposure and your responsibilities as an owner.
How it works
Your status certificate review in three steps.
Tell us about your purchase
Share the condo’s details and your review deadline. We’ll reply within one business day to confirm whether we can act on the review. You can contact us even if you are still waiting for the status certificate package.
Send your documents
Once they’re available, send us the complete status certificate package and your agreement of purchase and sale.
Receive your review summary
We’ll email you a plain-language summary of the findings relevant to your purchase and highlight anything that may need your attention.
We’ll identify disclosed concerns or questions that may warrant follow-up before you decide how to proceed.
Understanding the documents
What is a status certificate?
A snapshot of the condo
A status certificate is a snapshot of a specific condo unit and its condominium corporation. For a resale purchase, it provides financial and legal information that you will not learn from a walk-through.
What comes with it
The status certificate comes with supporting documents, including:
- The condominium’s declaration, by-laws and rules
- The current budget and audited financial statements
- Insurance information
Why it matters to your purchase
Together, these documents provide a broader picture of the condominium corporation and the obligations that may affect your purchase.
When you buy a condo, you are buying your unit while also taking on obligations connected with the condominium corporation. A review helps you understand those obligations before you commit.
Before you commit
Do you need a status certificate review?
The law does not require you to have a status certificate reviewed, but it is worth doing before you commit to a resale condo. The Condominium Authority of Ontario advises buyers to review status certificates with their legal counsel.
A review matters most when your offer is conditional on it, because your options may be limited once that condition is waived or fulfilled. Your mortgage lender may also have its own requirements.
What a lawyer looks for
- Does the unit owe anything?Whether the certificate discloses unpaid common expenses for the unit.
- Are costs likely to rise?Disclosed increases to common expenses and any special assessments.
- Is the reserve fund keeping pace?The balance, read alongside the budget and planned major repairs and replacements.
- Are there legal disputes?Disclosed judgments or ongoing litigation involving the corporation.
- What does the insurance mean for you?The corporation’s insurance information and your responsibilities as an owner.
- Do the rules fit your plans?Restrictions in the declaration, by-laws and rules on pets, renting or renovations.
Why the review matters
Surprises that can follow you home.
A review can bring financial obligations, restrictions and disclosed legal issues into focus before you commit.
Costs you didn’t plan for
A disclosed special assessment or reserve-fund concern may mean costs beyond your expected monthly fees. A review can help bring those financial obligations into focus before you commit.
Plans the building won’t allow
Rules around renting, pets or renovations may conflict with how you plan to use the unit. A review can highlight restrictions that matter to your purchase.
A concern found too late
If your purchase is conditional on reviewing the status certificate, timing matters. Finding a concern after that condition is waived or fulfilled may limit your options under the agreement.
These are examples of issues a review may identify, not predictions about a particular condominium. A status certificate review cannot rule out every future expense or problem.
Timing matters
Review before you waive.
If your agreement includes a status certificate review condition, have the package reviewed before you waive or fulfil that condition. Your agreement determines the deadline and what options may be available if a concern is identified.
Include your review deadline when you contact us, and reach out early even if you are still waiting for the package.
A status certificate reflects information as of the date it is issued. A review cannot guarantee future costs or assess the physical condition of the building.
Request a reviewCommon questions
Status certificate review FAQs.
What does a status certificate review cover?
We review the status certificate package for information that may affect your purchase, including common expenses, special assessments, the corporation’s finances and reserve-fund information, governing documents, disclosed litigation and insurance information.
Who reviews my status certificate?
Garrison Law real estate lawyer Eric Ly or Thajeve Selvanathan reviews your status certificate package. If anything may affect your purchase, we’ll explain it in plain language and in the context of your agreement.
How much does the review cost?
There is no fee for Garrison Law’s status certificate review of a condo you are purchasing. This is separate from any fee charged to obtain the certificate itself. A condominium corporation may charge up to $100, including applicable taxes, to provide a status certificate.
How long does the review take?
We’ll reply within one business day of your request to confirm whether we can act on the review. Timing after that depends on the package and your review deadline, so include your deadline when you make the request. If you are still waiting for the certificate, a condominium corporation generally has 10 days after receiving the request and fee to provide it.
What documents should I provide?
Once available, provide the complete status certificate package and your agreement of purchase and sale. We’ll confirm how to send the documents after you request the review.
Should I have a lawyer review a status certificate?
The Condominium Authority of Ontario recommends that buyers review status certificates with legal counsel. A legal review can help put the financial information, governing documents and disclosed issues into the context of your purchase.
What happens if the review identifies a concern?
Your summary will identify disclosed concerns or questions that may warrant follow-up. What those findings mean for your purchase can depend on your agreement and where you are in the transaction.
Can Garrison Law review a status certificate anywhere in Ontario?
Yes. Garrison Law provides status certificate reviews for condo buyers throughout Ontario.
Can Garrison Law also handle my condo purchase closing?
Yes. If you decide to proceed with the purchase, you can ask Garrison Law to handle the closing. Using Garrison Law for your closing is not a condition of receiving the status certificate review.
Buying a condo?Let’s review the details.
Send us your status certificate review request and your deadline. Reviews are available at no charge to condo buyers across Ontario.
Start your review
Request a status certificate reviewRequest a reviewWe’ll confirm within one business day whether we can act.
Buying, selling or refinancing? Our real estate team can help.
The information on this page is general information for Ontario resale condo buyers, not advice on a particular purchase. Buying from a developer involves different disclosure documents.
Sending a review request does not create a lawyer-client relationship. We will confirm whether we are able to act for you and whether we can meet your review deadline.
Further reading: CAO: Status certificates and CAO: Buying a resale condo.