Governance and Tribunal Changes Are Coming; What Do They Mean for Ontario Condo Corporations?

Earlier this month, the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) announced several notable Governance and Tribunal changes affecting condominium corporations across the province, in relation to owner-meeting requirements and the Condominium Authority Tribunal’s jurisdiction over disputes related to owners' meetings.

While not scheduled to come into effect until later this year and in summer 2027, here's what owners and boards need to know about the upcoming changes.

What are the changes to the legislation regarding Owner-Requistion Meetings?

Starting December 31st, 2026, several changes to owner-requisitioned meeting requirements will come into effect, including:

New Mandatory Standardized Requisition Form - Owners wishing to requisition an owners' meeting will be required to use a new prescribed form that the CAO is currently developing to make requisitions more consistent and reduce disputes over whether they meet legislative requirements.

Extended Requisition Response Window - Condo boards will soon have 20 days to respond to any requisitions they receive, up from the current 5 days, to provide more realistic and workable expectations for boards and managers.

More ways to deliver a requisition - Owners will have additional delivery options for submitting a requisition. In addition to existing methods, requisitions may be delivered by prepaid mail, courier, by depositing them in the condo corporation's mailbox, or electronically, where the board has approved electronic delivery.

Formal Process for Revising or Withdrawing a Requisition - Boards will now need to provide rationale for denying a requisition. Owners will be notified of the board's decisions and will have 10 days to revise and resubmit the requisition. The new rules also specify who may withdraw a requisition and how that withdrawal must be made within 15 days of submission.

Owner-occupied Units are now called “Non-leased Voting Units” - Generally, a unit will be treated as non-leased unless the corporation's records show that it is leased, or the corporation has received the required notice that its owner has rented it out.

New Rules for Non-leased Board Director Positions - The amendments will introduce new requirements for optional board positions reserved for voting by owners of non-leased units. When meetings involve electing or removing directors from these positions, corporations will need to provide owners with additional information on eligibility requirements and the voting process.

More Information in Meeting Notices - Meeting notices will include additional information whenever reserved board positions are involved, including eligibility requirements, relevant legislative provisions, and instructions for participating in the process.

New CAT Jurisdiction and what it means for Ontario Condominium Corporations

Starting July 1st, 2027, the Condominium Authority Tribunal will expand its jurisdiction to include disputes about:

• Whether condo corporations hold owners’ meetings as required, including whether they are holding Annual General Meetings every year
• Whether condo corporations send notices to owners about upcoming owners’ meetings, and whether these notices go out within legally mandated timelines
• Whether the notices include all other legally prescribed items. (Ex. AGM notices must include items such as audited financial statements, auditor’s report, names of candidates up for election and their disclosure information, and anything else outlined in the governing docs of the condo corporation)
• Whether owners who requisition an owners’ meeting should be reimbursed reasonable costs incurred in situations where their condo corporation fails to call the meeting

Despite this expanded jurisdiction, the Tribunal will not be able to hear disputes about what happens during an owners’ such as proxy or ballot disputes.

In addition to the expanded jurisdiction, the maximum damages the Tribunal may award in eligible cases will also increase to $50,000 beginning on July 1st, 2027. This new limit will apply to Tribunal proceedings regardless of whether they began before or after the change comes into force.

Additional Resources

For additional information, click here.

If you'd like to learn how solutions such as our Electronic Voting, In-Person Meeting or Hosted Virtual Meeting solutions can help your corporation run a successful meeting, get in touch with our team today.