Quebec Law 16 for condos: deadlines and a 2025–2028 compliance plan
What every condo board must do about the maintenance log, reserve fund study, and new transparency rules.
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What actually came into force on August 14, 2025?
Quebec's divided co-ownership management regulation came into force on August 14, 2025, following Law 16. Every divided co-ownership syndicate must comply. Neither the board nor the owners' meeting can vote to opt out.
Existing syndicates have three years and one day from that effective date to establish a compliant first maintenance log and obtain a first reserve fund study, leading to August 15, 2028. Waiting until 2028 is risky because inventory work, inspection, collection of plans and contracts, and selection of an independent professional all take time.
New co-ownerships also have promoter transition rules. The board should verify the transition-meeting date and every record delivered instead of assuming the promoter automatically supplied a complete file.
What must the maintenance log and reserve fund study contain?
The maintenance log inventories common portions and private-portion components maintained by the syndicate. It records condition, remaining useful life, major repairs and replacements planned over 25 years, completed work, costs, and supporting records. The board updates it at least annually and records why scheduled work was deferred.
An authorized professional normally revises the log at least every five years; some small or structurally simple co-ownerships qualify for a ten-year cycle. That exception concerns the maintenance-log revision. The reserve fund study must still be obtained every five years.
The study uses the log to recommend the balance needed at the start of each year and required contributions. Article 1071 of the Civil Code of Québec requires contributions to follow those recommendations while accounting for building changes and money already in the fund.
What compliance plan should the board follow?
Start with a board resolution, an internal owner, and a schedule. Gather the declaration of co-ownership, plans, warranties, contracts, invoices, inspection reports, claims history, and completed-work records. Obtain several proposals from authorized, independent professionals, with a mandate that clearly separates the log, the study, and later revisions.
Once produced, the board has 60 days to make the documents available to owners; if the annual meeting occurs first, they must be available before the meeting. Present the recommended scenario, actual balance, near-term work, and condo-fee impact together.
After the first study, the board has no more than 30 days following the annual meeting to set contributions in accordance with its recommendations. If the fund is deficient, replenishment may be spread over no more than ten years. See our guide to presenting the study at an owners' meeting.
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