Congratulations! You’ve been elected to serve on the condominium board of directors. So now what?
Well, you are now responsible for overseeing the corporation’s affairs, ensuring compliance with provincial laws and the governing documents, and upholding the best interests of unit owners as a whole.
Download our board member notice of change sample form
But there are also some immediate housekeeping items you’ll need to address.
Table of contents
Training
At least one province requires directors to complete an educational course in order to maintain their seat on the board.
Ontario
In Ontario, directors must complete the Condominium Authority of Ontario’s mandatory training within 6 months of being elected, appointed, or re-elected unless they have completed the training within the preceding 7 years.
The Condominium Act states that if a director does not complete the training within 6 months, that director will be automatically disqualified and cannot serve as a director. However, they could be re-appointed by the remaining directors as long as the person completed the training prior to being appointed (and quorum of the board remains).
The training can be completed online, and there is no cost enroll. The entire course takes about 7 hours to finish, and doesn’t have to be completed all at once.
Quebec
Co-ownership directors are not required to complete any training, but several resources exist to help them fulfill their responsibilities.
The Association of Co-Ownership Syndicates of Quebec (ASCQ) has a series of workshops and events dedicated to educating directors. The classes are not free, but are worth attending.
British Columbia
Strata council members in British Columbia are not required to undergo training, but there are helpful resources available and members are encouraged to take advantage of them. The Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI) has a “Condo 101” course led by strata lawyers. The course is taught online, and is free for CCI BC members.
FirstService Residential also has a hassle-free training webinar for council members looking to learn more about general responsibilities and day-to-day operations.
Alberta
There is no mandatory training requirement for condo directors in Alberta. However, the CCI North Alberta Chapter offers a variety of educational events throughout the year. Training may be free if you are a CCI member.
The Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta also has free resources to assist new directors.
Update records
Did you know that you have to make an official record when you become a director?
When a change occurs in a condo board of directors, the corporation may need to register a some type of form that tells a regulatory body that the change happened. The form may look different depending on what province you live in, but the general process is the same.
You can get an idea of what a basic form will look like by downloading our sample for free.
Ontario
All condominium corporations are legally required to file condo returns with the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO). There are 4 different types of returns, but in this case, we will only need to address the annual return.
Annual returns must be submitted between January 1 and March 31.
Returns are used in two ways:
- To populate the publicly available and searchable CAO Registry
- To determine the annual assessment fee that the corporation must pay to the CAO
The return asks about the condominium, units, when the last AGM occurred, who is on the board, which company manages the condominium, and more.
However, if one or more new directors are elected to serve after the annual return is filed, the condo corporation must file a notice of change. A notice of change lets the CAO know that there has been a change or correction to information already filed in the condo return.
All notices of change must be filed electronically with the CAO through its online filing system.
Notices of change must be filed within 30 days of the change and must indicate:
- What information has changed
- The date(s) that the change(s) took effect
Quebec
All enterprises registered in the enterprise register are required to file an annual declaration with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec (REQ), even if they have no changes to make. This includes condos/syndicates of co-owners.
Linked co-ownerships, meaning those that file their annual declaration to the REQ with their provincial income tax declaration, must submit the annual declaration 6 months following the end of the fiscal year.
Not linked co-ownerships are required to file between May 15 and November 15 of each year.
If the information in the enterprise register must be amended, the enterprise must use an online service to register the change. This service is available in My Office, under “Gestion de l’entreprise.”
Nova Scotia
In Nova Scotia, condominium corporations are required to file their annual financial statements to the Registrar of Condominiums, but do not need to submit board information annually if no new directors or officers were added.
Corporations do need to notify the Registrar of Condominiums any time there is a change in officers and directors by submitting a Condominium Registration Updated List of Officers and Directors Form. They also need to notify the registrar if any of the contact information for the officers and directors has changed.
Forms may be submitted by email or mail (but the condominium corporation seal must be visible).
The Registrar of Condominiums will send a copy of the updated list of board members to the Registry of Joint Stock Companies.
Alberta
Within 30 days after an AGM, an Alberta condo corporation must register a Notice of Change of Directors with the Alberta Land Titles Office, listing the names and addresses of current board members.
If a change occurs between elections (change in membership or a board member’s name or address), then the corporation must send an updated version of the same form.
Conclusion
Now that you are a director, you will want to ensure you are following rules and requirements as they are written. The more you know, the easier you will settle into this new role.
And don’t forget to ask seasoned board members or your condo manager for guidance. They will have firsthand experience that can help you lead your community to success.
