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Rules and Regulations

Compliance

Each condominium corporation has its own specific set of rules and regulations, and every condo unit owner is required to abide by them.  A copy of the rules and regulations is included with your Status Certificate package.  If you do not comply with the rules, you may receive one or more warnings from the board of directors demanding compliance.  If you fail to heed the warning(s), your condominium corporation has the right to obtain a court order against you requiring you to comply, and you may be required to pay the corporation’s legal expenses for obtaining the order.

Know Your Rules Before you Buy

If your offer to purchase is conditional on you being provided with and being satisfied with the contents of a current Status Certificate and accompanying documents, it is very important for you to review the enclosed rules and regulations before waiving this condition.  There may be some rules that would affect your decision about buying, and claiming ignorance of those rules after your agreement to purchase is firm and binding will not entitle you to back out of the deal.

Typical Rules

If you have a pet, you will want to ensure that the condominium’s rules do not prohibit either pets in general or your type of pet in the building.  Also, if you plan on installing hardwood floors in a room where there is currently carpeting, you should ensure there is no rule requiring carpeting in that room (for the purpose of reducing sound transmission to the unit below).  Reviewing the condo’s rules before you commit to buying may prevent possible headaches after your purchase.  Some typical rules and regulations relate to the following issues:

          Typical Condo Rules:

1. No satellite dishes, flower boxes, or other attachments allowed to balcony railings or the building.
   
2. No pets allowed, or only small pets, or no dogs or cats allowed.  If pets are allowed, there may be a qualification related to non-disturbance of neighbours.
   
3. Hours and terms of use for swimming pool, recreational facilities, and other common elements.
   
4. No home offices or commercial uses of the units allowed.
   
5. No barbecuing allowed on balconies.
   
6. Booking elevators for moving, deposits for moving, and hours and terms related to moving in and out of units.
   
7. No alterations to walls without written consent of corporation.
   
8. No attachments or changes to unit’s front door.
   
9. No signs in unit’s windows, and restrictions on types or colours of window coverings.