Bill 16 Quebec condo: what boards must do by 2028

What is Quebec Bill 16, and what does it change for a board?

In two sentences: Bill 16 requires every divided co-ownership syndicate to keep a maintenance log for the building and to have a contingency fund study done, which sets what must be paid into the fund. Existing condos have until August 15, 2028.

Adopted in December 2019 by Quebec's National Assembly, Bill 16 amends the Civil Code of Québec to strengthen the governance of divided co-ownerships (condominiums).

Its primary goal: protect co-owners by requiring syndicates to document the state of the building and to fund its upkeep.

Bill 16 applies to all divided co-ownership syndicates in Quebec, whether a two-unit building or a complex of hundreds of condos.

What maintenance obligations does Bill 16 impose on a Quebec condo?

Three: a maintenance log, drawn up by a qualified professional, which the syndicate then keeps up to date; a contingency fund study, redone at least every five years; and information for co-owners, including the certificate handed over at each sale.

1. The maintenance log
A complete inventory of all building components (roof, plumbing, elevators, etc.) with their condition, estimated useful life and work history.
2. The contingency fund study
An analysis by an engineer, chartered appraiser, architect, professional technologist or CPA, a member of their order and independent from the syndicate, at least every five years, to set contingency fund contributions from the building's actual condition.
3. Telling co-owners where things stand
The financial statements presented at the annual meeting, the syndicate certificate handed over at every sale (art. 1068.1 C.C.Q.), and what co-owners need to know about the state of the contingency fund.

The maintenance log in detail

The maintenance log is the most operationally demanding obligation of Bill 16. It must be kept current and accessible to co-owners on request.

What must the maintenance log contain?

The regulation (order in council 991-2025, s. 2 and 3) sets the contents. In plain terms:

An inventory of the common portions: structure, roof, windows, mechanical and electrical systems, plumbing, elevators, common areas.
For each component, the date it was installed or last replaced, and its condition.
The work carried out, with dates, and the work that was put off.
The service contracts in force and the warranties still running.
The inspection reports and expert assessments.
A projection of the work and its cost over twenty-five years.

Who is responsible for the maintenance log?

The co-ownership syndicate, represented by its board of directors, is legally responsible for creating, updating and maintaining the log. In practice, this is often managed by the property manager or a designated board member.

What happens without a log?

We found no fine, neither in Bill 16 nor in the regulation. What happens sits elsewhere, and it shows:

At the next sale, a syndicate certificate the board cannot fill in.
A contingency fund study that cannot be done: it starts from the condition of the components, which the log documents.
After damage tied to undocumented upkeep, a board's liability that is harder to defend.

The Bill 16 maintenance log in Kohabit: the building's components by system, each with its estimated end of life and next deadlines. — The log in Kohabit: every component carries its estimated end of life and its next maintenance deadlines.

Who draws up the maintenance log?

The log is drawn up by a qualified person: a member of Quebec's order of engineers, chartered appraisers, architects or professional technologists, independent from the syndicate (Order in Council 991-2025, s. 1).

From there, the work is shared:

The review belongs to a qualified person, every five years, ten for small buildings (s. 5).
Keeping it current belongs to the board, which records each year the work done and the work postponed (s. 4).
The contingency fund study is done by the same professions, or by a chartered professional accountant (s. 7), at least every five years (s. 8).

Kohabit is for keeping it current: the interventions, the invoices, the documents, and the export when someone asks for it. It does not draw up the log and does not replace the qualified person.

A volunteer board's realistic backward plan

From the first box of documents to the August 15, 2028 deadline, without the scramble.

By the end of 2026

Gather

Centralize everything that exists: declaration of co-ownership, plans, past inspection reports, major-work invoices, maintenance contracts, warranties. Don't sort yet, just gather. If your documents live in three boxes, two email inboxes, and a USB stick at the former treasurer's home, now is the time to bring them into one place.

First half of 2027

Build

Have the component inventory and their condition established. Depending on the building's size and complexity, this means a building professional who inspects and documents. Request quotes now: lead times stretch as 2028 approaches.

Second half of 2027

Tool up and settle in

Set up the maintenance schedule and build the habit of recording each intervention as it happens. Six months of run-in before the deadline leaves time to adjust frequencies and train the next board.

2028

The log exists

2028: the log exists, it is current, and the contingency fund study builds on it.

The mistakes we see most often

Waiting for the deadline

Syndicates that document now have an up-to-date certificate on the condition of the co-ownership the day a unit is sold, and a budget that accounts for what is coming.

Entrusting the log to a single human memory

The devoted treasurer's Excel file works right up until the day they move away. The log must outlive individuals: it is a record of the syndicate, not of a person.

Having it built, then never touching it again

A log frozen in 2027 will be outdated by 2029. The value is in day-to-day upkeep, which takes a few minutes per intervention when the tool fits.

Paying for what you can do yourselves

A professional's expertise is valuable for the initial inventory and the reviews; the daily data entry is yours. Be wary of packages that bill routine upkeep at expert rates.

The contingency fund study: what changes

Before Bill 16, many syndicates set contingency fund contributions arbitrarily, often too low, leading to brutal special assessments the day a major repair was needed. Bill 16 now requires a contingency fund study done by a qualified person.

How often?

The study must be conducted every 5 years at minimum. It uses the current component condition (from the maintenance log) to project replacement costs over 25 to 30 years.

Who performs it?

An engineer, chartered appraiser, architect, professional technologist or CPA, a member of their order and independent from the syndicate.

What if the fund is underfunded?

If the study reveals the fund is insufficient, the syndicate must increase contributions. The longer you wait, the more brutal the increase. That's why acting before 2028 matters.

Kohabit budget and contingency fund module: contribution tracking, fund balance, and projections. — Kohabit's Budget module: the contingency fund balance and the contributions, tracked over time.

When a unit is sold

A co-owner sells. They ask the syndicate for the certificate on the condition of the co-ownership, the document the notary wants. The board has fifteen days to produce it (art. 1068.1 C.C.Q.).

Among other things, the certificate states the contingency fund balance and the amount the study says should be there. The gap between the two reads in one line, by the buyer as much as by their notary.

A log kept as the work happens gives those figures the day they are asked for. Without it, the board looks for them at the same time as the buyer. Kohabit has a free certificate generator, and an annotated template.

Bill 16 in the broader Canadian context

Quebec is not the only Canadian province to have reformed its condominium framework in recent years. Understanding how Bill 16 compares to other provincial regimes helps you measure its ambition and anticipate where regulation is likely heading.

Province	Governing law	Log or study required?	Update frequency
Quebec	Bill 16 (2019), amending the Civil Code	Yes: maintenance log + contingency fund study	Study every 5 years
British Columbia	Strata Property Act (1998)	Yes: Depreciation Report (equivalent)	Every 3 years
Ontario	Condominium Act (1998), Bill 106 (2017)	Yes: reserve fund study	Every 3 years
Alberta	Condominium Property Act	Yes: reserve fund study	Every 5 years

How much does it cost?

Costs vary too much from one building to another to give a single honest number, but the structure is predictable: an initial cost for the component inventory and condition assessment, periodic reviews, and a day-to-day upkeep cost that should be close to zero if you are properly equipped.

Ask for two or three quotes for drawing up the log and for the study: that is the only figure that means anything for your building, and it comes back quickly.

How Kohabit gives you the tools to keep the log

Bill 16 requires a maintenance log kept up to date. In Kohabit, you keep it as the work happens, and it is included in every plan, at no extra cost.

Guided asset inventory

You build the inventory step by step, with the regulation's categories: structure, mechanical, electrical, and the rest.

Maintenance task tracking

You plan inspections and replacements on a single list, and assign each task to the board, a neighbour or a provider, who gets the reminder by email.

Permanent history

You record each intervention with its date, its provider, its cost and its documents.

PDF export

You export the log as a PDF for the meeting, the notary or your archives.

See all features View pricing

Bill 16 rollout timeline

Bill 16 was adopted in 2019, but its provisions came into force in stages. Here are the key dates to keep in mind:

December 2019

Bill 16 adopted

The National Assembly adopts Bill 16 on December 5, 2019; it is assented to on December 11 (2019, chapter 28).

January 10, 2020

First provisions in force

Sections 24 to 63 of Bill 16 come into force, with exceptions. The maintenance log and the study wait for their regulation.

August 14, 2025

The regulation comes into force

Order in Council 991-2025 sets what the maintenance log must contain, who draws it up and how often it is reviewed. The deadline for existing co-ownerships runs from this date.

August 15, 2028

The deadline for existing co-ownerships

Québec.ca gives syndicates "three years and a day" from the regulation coming into force, which lands on August 15, 2028.

Bill 16 glossary

Condominium law is full of specific terms. Below are definitions of the main concepts used in this page and in official Bill 16 documents.

Divided co-ownership (copropriété divise): Ownership regime where each co-owner exclusively owns a private portion (their condo unit) and a share of the common areas (roof, hallways, elevators, etc.). This is the regime Bill 16 applies to. Distinct from undivided co-ownership, where no portion is exclusive.
Syndicate (syndicat de copropriété): Legal entity created automatically with the declaration of co-ownership. It groups all co-owners and is responsible for preserving the building. The syndicate is bound by Bill 16 obligations, not individual co-owners.
Maintenance log (carnet d'entretien): Living document that lists building components, their condition, useful life, and maintenance history. Required under Bill 16, it serves as the reference for the contingency fund study and for real estate transactions.
Contingency fund (fonds de prévoyance): Financial reserve built by co-owners to fund major repairs and replacement of common elements. Distinct from the operating fund, which covers ongoing expenses (insurance, cleaning, etc.).
Contingency fund study: An analysis projecting component replacement costs and setting the contribution level. Done by an engineer, chartered appraiser, architect, professional technologist or CPA, at least every five years.
Declaration of co-ownership: Founding notarized deed of the divided co-ownership. Defines common and private portions, the relative value of each fraction (the voting share), and shared living rules. The reference document for any legal question about the building.
Voting share (relative value of the fraction): A unit's weight in the co-ownership, set in the declaration from the nature, area and location of the fraction. It determines the share of the common expenses and the voting weight at a general meeting. "Thousandths" is French usage; the Quebec declaration speaks of relative value.
Annual general meeting (AGM): Yearly meeting of all co-owners where key decisions are made: budget approval, board election, voting on major works. The notice period comes from the Civil Code (art. 346), not from Bill 16.
Special assessment (cotisation spéciale): Exceptional contribution decided by the syndicate to fund an unforeseen expense beyond the contingency fund's capacity. Avoiding this is precisely what Bill 16 aims for by requiring rigorous financial planning.

Frequently asked questions about Bill 16

Is the maintenance log already mandatory in 2026?

The obligation fully takes effect on August 15, 2028. But building a log takes months, and professionals will be in growing demand as the deadline nears: starting in 2026 is the comfortable timeline, not the overzealous one.

Can we keep the log ourselves, without a firm?

Day-to-day upkeep, yes, and it is even the healthiest model for a small syndicate. The initial setup and the periodic reviews call for qualified people as required by the regulation. Check the exact requirements before hiring anyone.

Is Excel enough for the maintenance log?

Excel can hold the data, but it does not flag deadlines, does not keep a change history, does not link invoices, and depends on a single person. A shared, durable record, whatever the tool, is the real underlying requirement.

What is the link between the log and the contingency fund?

The contingency fund study relies on the condition and useful life of components, exactly what the log documents. An up-to-date log makes the study more accurate and often cheaper. Our free contingency fund calculator gives a first projection.

Does Bill 16 apply to small condos of 2 or 3 units?

Yes. Bill 16 applies to all divided co-ownerships in Quebec, regardless of size. Even a 2-unit building must maintain a maintenance log and build a contingency fund.

Can the maintenance log be kept on paper?

The law does not specify the format (paper or digital). However, a digital log is strongly recommended as it is easier to update, share with co-owners, archive, and present during real estate transactions.

Who can conduct the contingency fund study?

The contingency fund study is done by an engineer, chartered appraiser, architect, professional technologist or CPA, a member of their order and independent from the syndicate (Order in Council 991-2025, s. 7). It is redone at least every five years (s. 8).

What if our syndicate has never kept a maintenance log?

Have the log drawn up by a qualified person: a member of the Ordre des ingénieurs, des évaluateurs agréés, des architectes or des technologues professionnels, independent of the syndicate (order in council 991-2025, s. 1). They inventory the components and document their condition. Day-to-day upkeep is yours after that, and that is where Kohabit comes in.

Must the maintenance log be updated for every small repair?

The log is not redone each year: each job goes in as it happens. The board records, every year, the work done and the work put off (order in council 991-2025, s. 4), and a qualified person revises it every five years, ten for small buildings (s. 5). In practice, record what touches a component: a replacement, a repair, an inspection. Changing a light bulb does not belong there.

What happens if my syndicate is not compliant before August 2028?

We found no fine for the maintenance log, neither in Bill 16 nor in the regulation. Three things happen anyway. At the next sale, the board cannot fill in the syndicate certificate it must issue within fifteen days (art. 1068.1 C.C.Q.). The contingency fund study becomes impossible to do, since it starts from the condition of the components. And after damage tied to undocumented upkeep, the board's liability is harder to defend.

Does Kohabit generate a notary-ready document?

The notary asks for the certificate on the condition of the co-ownership, not a summary of the log. Kohabit has a free certificate generator that needs no account. The log itself exports as a PDF whenever you need it, for the meeting or for a buyer who asks.

Official sources and resources

To go straight to the source, here are the official Quebec references on Bill 16 and condominium syndicate obligations.

Go further

Explore our practical guide for Quebec condo boards.

Quebec Bill 16 & Maintenance Log: what your condo board must know