Is Buildium really subject to the CLOUD Act even with Canadian-hosted data?

Yes. The US CLOUD Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act, 2018) allows US authorities to compel access to data held by a US company, regardless of physical storage location. Buildium being a RealPage (USA) subsidiary, its operations fall under this framework.

Why does milliemes-weighted voting matter in Quebec?

The Quebec Civil Code requires that condo association votes be weighted by the share (milliemes) recorded in the declaration of co-ownership. This differs from the US HOA model of 1 unit = 1 vote. A tool that does not support this native weighting produces non-compliant votes.

Buildium has an HOA module, isn't that enough?

Buildium's HOA module is built for the US framework. It does not cover Quebec CCQ-specific obligations: AGM convocation per art. 1087, mandatory convocation contents, quorum at majority of voices with adjournment, special fund call format per art. 1072.1, etc.

How much will we save migrating from Buildium to Kohabit?

At equal size, the gap varies by unit count and FX rate. For a 12-unit building, Buildium starts around $80 USD/month (~$110 CAD), Kohabit would be $36 CAD/month for the same 12 units. About $900 CAD annual savings, plus the hidden Act 25 compliance costs avoided.

Honest comparison, Quebec condo associations

Kohabit vs Buildium: why a US tool is not the right call in Quebec

Buildium is an excellent US property management software. But for a Quebec divided co-ownership board, it has 4 structural problems this comparison honestly details: Act 25 and CLOUD Act, missing Act 16, voting model misfit, and English-only UI.

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Buildium is a leader in US property management, acquired by RealPage in 2019. The product is mature, the ecosystem is rich, the mobile app works, and the US user base is massive. For a property manager handling US rentals, it's a legitimate choice.

For a Quebec divided co-ownership board, it's a different story. The Quebec legal regime for divided co-ownership (governed by the Civil Code) has no direct equivalent in the US HOA (Home Owners Association) model. And Quebec's Act 25 imposes constraints that US tools do not cover by default, particularly because of the CLOUD Act.

This comparison does not attack Buildium as a product (it remains excellent in its origin context). It explains why, as a Quebec board, a Quebec-built tool is structurally better suited.

The 5 differences that actually matter

Rather than comparing 200 checkboxes, here are the structural gaps between Kohabit and Buildium.

CLOUD Act vs Canadian hosting

Buildium is operated by a US company, its data is reachable by US authorities under the CLOUD Act, even if servers are in Canada. Kohabit is hosted and operated exclusively in Canada.

No Act 16 maintenance log

Buildium does not support the maintenance log as required by Act 16 (components, useful life, compliant history). Kohabit has a dedicated module, compliant by default.

Divided co-ownership vs HOA

Buildium is built for US HOAs, where votes are per-lot. Quebec divided co-ownership votes by milliemes (shares), not native in Buildium.

English vs Quebec French

Buildium is in English with limited French localization, not adapted to Quebec vocabulary (syndic, milliemes, AGM, declaration of co-ownership). Kohabit is in native Quebec French.

USD billing

Buildium bills in USD, exposing Canadian boards to FX risk. Kohabit bills in CAD with predictable pricing.

French Quebec support

Buildium has English-first support in US time zone. Kohabit has a Montreal team available in Quebec hours, in French.

Detailed feature by feature comparison

Sources: official websites and public Capterra / G2 reviews as of June 2026.

Criterion	Kohabit	Buildium
Hosting	Canada, exclusively	USA + Canada per plan, under CLOUD Act
Act 25 compliance by default	Yes, PIA file provided	No, fully self-built
Act 25 comparative analysis required	No	Yes, per board
Act 16 maintenance log	Native compliant module	Not available
Voting weighted by milliemes (divided co-ownership)	Native	No, built for US HOA
Quorum and proxies per CCQ	Compliant art. 1087+	US framework, non-compliant
AGM convocation per CCQ	Compliant built-in templates	No
Quebec French UI	Primary language	Limited, frequent anglicisms
Pricing	CAD, public, from $2.99/unit/month	USD, from ~$58 USD/month minimum (not viable small building)
French support	Montreal team	Limited, US time zone
Built for	Quebec divided co-ownership	US rental + HOA
Onboarding	Self-serve, ~30 min, seeded demo	Several days per public reviews

Choose Kohabit if:

You are a divided co-ownership board in Quebec, any size
You want Act 16 and Act 25 compliance without admin overhead
You want to pay in CAD with predictable pricing
Your co-owners are French-speaking or bilingual Quebec
You want local French support in Quebec hours
You vote by milliemes per your declaration of co-ownership

Buildium will be a better fit if:

You primarily manage US rentals (single-family, multi-units, student housing)
Your legal framework is US HOA, not Quebec divided co-ownership
You need US rent payment integrations (ACH, etc.)
You have no Act 25 nor Act 16 obligations
Your team and co-owners are comfortable in English

Frequently asked questions

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