How to Order and Read a Status Certificate Yourself

Status Certificates Explained: The $100 Document That Can Save You $50,000

Published 10 September 2026 · By Jatin Dua, Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty

Condo status certificate document package with reading glasses on a desk

By Jatin Dua · Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty · Updated September 10, 2026 · 10 min read — the mechanics: who to ask, what it costs, how long it takes, what arrives, and the order to read it in so you understand what your lawyer is telling you.

Short answer

Anyone may request a status certificate from the condominium corporation — usually through the property manager — and the corporation must provide it within ten days of receiving the request and the fee. The fee is capped at $100 including taxes under the Condominium Act, 1998. It arrives as a package: the certificate itself plus the declaration, by-laws, rules, budget, financial statements and the reserve fund study summary. Have a lawyer read it. Read it yourself as well, in the order below, so that you understand the advice you are given.

This page is about the mechanics of ordering and reading one. For what the contents mean in depth, see what to look for in a status certificate and what a status certificate tells you.

Who orders it, and how

Identify the property manager. The listing brokerage will have this, and most management companies publish a status certificate request process on their website.
Submit the request in writing, with the unit and level numbers exactly as they appear on title, and the address for delivery.
Pay the fee. It is capped at $100 including taxes. Some managers require payment before the clock starts, which is why paying immediately matters.
Note the date. The corporation must provide the certificate within ten days of receiving the request and the fee.
Send it to your lawyer the day it arrives, not the day before your condition expires.

In practice, either your lawyer or your agent will handle the ordering. The reason to understand the process is timing: if you negotiate a five-business-day condition and the corporation takes its full statutory period, your lawyer has almost no time to read it. Ask for ten to fifteen business days.

What arrives

Document	What it is for
The certificate itself	The corporation’s statements about this unit and this corporation, as at the date of the certificate
The declaration	The constitutional document: what is a unit, what is common element, what is exclusive use, and the proportions
The by-laws	Governance and operational rules made by the board and approved by owners
The rules	Day-to-day conduct: pets, noise, flooring, balconies, moving, parking
The current budget	What the corporation expects to spend this year, and the reserve fund contribution
The most recent financial statements	What it actually spent, audited
The reserve fund study summary and funding plan	What major work is coming, when, and what the plan requires
The insurance certificate	What the corporation insures and, crucially, the deductible

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The order to read it in

1. The reserve fund, first

Find the reserve fund balance on the certificate, then find the reserve fund study summary and its funding plan. Ask one question: does this fund plausibly cover what the study schedules over the next five to ten years, given the age of the building? Everything else is secondary to this.

2. Special assessments

Look for two things, not one: an assessment that has been levied, and one that is contemplated. The second is the one buyers skim. Ask your lawyer to quote the exact wording.

3. Common expenses for this unit

The monthly amount, whether it is in arrears, and whether there has been an increase since the budget was approved. A mid-year increase outside the normal cycle is a signal.

4. Legal proceedings

Whether the corporation is party to any litigation. In newer buildings this is often a construction deficiency claim; in older ones it can be anything from an insurance dispute to an owner matter. Either way it can affect both fees and lender appetite.

5. Insurance and the deductible

What the corporation carries, and how large the deductible is. In some circumstances an owner can be responsible for the corporation’s deductible, and that figure has grown substantially across the sector. Tell your own insurer the number.

6. Liens

Whether a lien is registered against the unit. A lien for arrears follows the unit, not the owner.

7. The rules that will govern your life

Pets — number, size, breed restrictions. Short-term and minimum-term rentals. Flooring and underlay specifications. Balcony use, barbecues and what may be visible from outside. Moving procedures, elevator booking and the loading dock. Visitor parking limits. Alterations requiring notice or approval.

8. The declaration’s allocation of parking and lockers

Whether the space and locker attached to this unit are owned units, exclusive-use common elements, or neither — in which case any arrangement is a rental that does not convey.

The certificate is a snapshot with a date on it It speaks as at the date it was issued. If your closing is months away, or if the certificate you were handed was ordered by somebody else weeks earlier, the position may have changed — a board can levy an assessment or the corporation can be sued in the interval. Order your own, dated for your transaction, rather than accepting a copy that was produced for a previous buyer.

Reading it as a seller

Ordering one before you list is not required and is very often worth it. A buyer’s lawyer is going to read this document, and anything unwelcome inside it is better discovered by you in advance than by them during a conditional period, when you have already lost your other buyers. At most $100 including taxes to know what they will know is a straightforward decision.

What it will not tell you

The physical condition of the unit itself. That is an inspection.
Whether the neighbours are difficult. Minutes, where you can obtain them, are far more candid than the certificate.
What the board is thinking. Only what it has decided or is aware of.
Whether the fees are good value. That requires comparing inclusions and three years of history against other buildings.
Whether the building is well managed. The financial statements hint at it; the minutes show it.

The instruction to give your lawyer

Ask for a written report addressing, in plain English: the reserve fund balance against what the current study’s funding plan requires; any special assessment levied or contemplated, quoting the wording; common expense arrears on this unit; any lien; any legal proceedings the corporation is party to; the corporation’s insurance deductible; the ownership form of the parking space and locker; and the rules on pets, rentals, flooring and alterations. Ask for it in writing, and ask for it before your condition expires rather than on the day.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a status certificate cost in Ontario?

The fee is capped at $100 including taxes under the Condominium Act, 1998. That covers the certificate and the accompanying documents. Your lawyer’s fee for reviewing it is separate and typically runs a few hundred dollars — and it is the part that gives the document its value.

How long does it take to get one?

The corporation must provide it within ten days of receiving the request and the fee. Because of that, a five-business-day condition can leave your lawyer with almost no time to read it. Ask for ten to fifteen business days on a status certificate review condition, and pay the fee immediately so the clock starts.

Who can request a status certificate?

Anyone may request one from the corporation, usually through the property manager. In practice the request is made by the buyer’s lawyer or agent during a conditional period, or by an owner before listing. Include the unit and level numbers exactly as they appear on title, and a delivery address.

Should I order one before listing my condo?

It is not required, but at most $100 including taxes it is usually worth it. A buyer’s lawyer will read it, so anything unwelcome inside is better found by you in advance than discovered during their conditional period, when you have already lost the other buyers and are renegotiating from your weakest position.

Can I rely on a certificate ordered by a previous buyer?

It is a snapshot as at its date, so an older one may no longer reflect the position — a board can levy a special assessment or the corporation can become party to litigation in the interval. Order your own, dated for your transaction. It costs at most $100 and it is the document your lawyer’s advice rests on.

What is the most important part to read?

The reserve fund, read against the reserve fund study’s funding plan and the age of the building. One question decides most purchases: does the fund plausibly cover what the study schedules over the next five to ten years? After that, look for a special assessment levied or contemplated, then arrears, litigation, the insurance deductible and any lien.

Do I still need a home inspection on a condo?

The certificate tells you about the corporation, not about the unit. On an older unit where in-suite plumbing, wiring, windows and HVAC are the owner’s responsibility, an inspection is still useful. On a newer unit it is less common. The two documents answer different questions and neither substitutes for the other.

Can I see the board minutes?

Owners have records access rights under the Condominium Act, 1998, and the practical availability to a prospective buyer varies. Where you can obtain recent minutes they are more candid than any other source, because a problem is usually discussed there before it is disclosed anywhere else. Ask, and ask your lawyer what is obtainable in your circumstances.

Sources

Condominium Act, 1998 — status certificates, the ten-day requirement, the prescribed fee, records access, reserve funds and liens. Accessed 10 September 2026.
O. Reg. 48/01: General — the prescribed contents of a status certificate and reserve fund study requirements. Accessed 10 September 2026.
Condominium Authority of Ontario — buyer and owner guidance on status certificates and records. Accessed 10 September 2026.