Ontario | Self-Managed
Running a Small Ontario Condo Without a Manager
The Condominium Act, 1998 puts the board in charge and requires no manager. A small Ontario condo can run itself, but the Act still asks for a board of three, CAO training, preliminary notices, information certificates, records, a reserve fund study and yearly returns. If the owners hire help, that person must hold a licence.
The short answer
- "A board of directors shall manage the affairs of the corporation" (s. 27(1)). No section requires a manager.
- Owner-directors who run the corporation without pay need no licence. A paid manager must be licensed under the Condominium Management Services Act, 2015.
- The board has at least three people, with a quorum of two. Each director finishes CAO training within six months.
- A corporation of fewer than 25 units can skip the audit for a year if every owner consents in writing.
- Owners of 80% of the units can turn off the twice-yearly information certificates for a fiscal year.
The board
- At least three directors, or more if the by-laws say so. Quorum is a majority of the board's size.
- Directors do not have to be owners. They must be individuals, 18 or older, and not bankrupt.
- Terms are three years or less, as the by-laws set.
- A president and a secretary are required; one person may hold more than one office.
- Board meetings need 10 days' written notice unless the by-laws say otherwise, and can be held by phone or video.
- Owners of more than 50% of all units can remove a director at a requisitioned meeting.
- A director with an interest in a contract must disclose it and stay out of the discussion and vote.
Training and licensing
- Training: each director finishes the CAO's courses within six months of being elected, appointed or re-elected, unless done in the past seven years, or stops being a director. The CAO says the training is free and online and takes "approximately 7 hours".
- The corporation repays a director's own costs for the course within 30 days.
- Licensing: "No person shall provide condominium management services unless licensed" (CMSA s. 34(1)). Collecting fees or acting on the board's delegated powers counts as management services.
- Directors and officers are exempt, including directors paid under a by-law, unless they are paid to provide management services (O. Reg. 123/17 s. 2(1)).
- Bookkeepers who only collect and hand over money promptly, and trades who only repair, maintain, clean or landscape, have their own exemptions.
Meetings and notices
- AGM within six months after each fiscal year ends.
- Preliminary notice at least 20 days before the notice of meeting; notice of meeting at least 15 days before the meeting; both on CAO forms.
- The AGM notice attaches the financial statements and auditor's report.
- Nothing can be voted on unless it was clearly disclosed in the notice, apart from routine procedure.
- Owners of 15% of the units can requisition a meeting. From December 31, 2026 the board has 20 days to respond and the meeting is held within 40 days after that.
Information certificates, records and audit
- Periodic information certificates go to owners within 60 days after the end of the first and third quarters of each fiscal year, on CAO forms. Owners of 80% of the units can consent in writing to skip them for the rest of a fiscal year.
- An update certificate goes out within 30 days of a change in directors, manager or deductible, and a new owner certificate within 30 days after a new owner gives notice.
- Records requests are answered within 30 days on the CAO form. Core records sent electronically are free. A corporation that refuses records without reasonable excuse can be ordered to pay up to $5,000.
- Financial records are kept at least seven years; the minute book and governing documents permanently.
- Audit: owners appoint a licensed auditor at each AGM, unless the corporation has fewer than 25 units and every owner consents in writing to skip it until the next AGM.
Returns to the CAO
- Annual return between January 1 and March 31 each year. The CAO says a late return costs $200.
- Notice of change within 30 days of a change in directors, address for service or manager. A re-elected director needs no notice.
- A corporation with unpaid CAO fees cannot bring a Tribunal case.
Read on e-Laws and the Condominium Authority of Ontario's site on 31 October 2026. Section numbers are from the Condominium Act, 1998 and its regulations as consolidated that day. Your declaration and by-laws can add rules of their own.
Common questions
Can a condo corporation in Ontario manage itself? +
Yes. The Act puts management on the board and does not require a manager. Unpaid owner-directors need no licence.
Does a condo manager need a licence in Ontario? +
Yes. Anyone paid to provide condominium management services, such as collecting fees or acting on the board's delegated powers, must be licensed under the Condominium Management Services Act, 2015.
How many directors does a 2-unit condo need? +
At least three. The Act sets no smaller board for a small corporation, and directors do not have to be owners.
Can a small condo skip the audit? +
Yes, for one year at a time, if it has fewer than 25 units, the turnover meeting has been held, and every owner consents in writing.
What is a periodic information certificate? +
A CAO form the corporation sends owners twice a year with the directors, manager, insurance deductibles, budget, reserve fund and lawsuits. Owners of 80% of the units can turn it off for a fiscal year.
When is the condo annual return due? +
Between January 1 and March 31 each year, filed with the CAO Registrar.
How long must condo records be kept? +
Financial records at least seven years; the minute book, governing documents, owner records, agreements and reserve fund studies at all times; ballots and proxies at least 90 days after the meeting.
Can directors be paid? +
Only under a by-law that fixes the amount and a period of no more than three years. A director paid to provide management services needs a licence.
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