Questions and answers
Questions Alberta condo boards ask, with sourced answers
Short answers for boards that have to decide something: how a special levy works, what a reserve fund can pay for, how to read bids and what happens on site. Every answer names the public document behind it. Pick a topic, or search every question.
Last reviewed . General information for condominium boards, not legal or engineering advice.
How these answers are written
Each answer gives the direct answer first, then what a board should check, then a next step. They are general information for boards, not legal or engineering advice.
- Every statement of fact points to a public source: Alberta legislation, Service Alberta, WCB-Alberta, the City of Edmonton, CMHC and similar organisations.
- Statements about how CK works come from CK's own website, and the answer says so.
- Each topic page shows the date it was reviewed and names the version of any law it relied on.
- Answers about the Condominium Property Act and Regulation were read from the King's Printer consolidations current to 14 May 2026 (the Act) and 15 February 2026 (the Regulation). A later amendment may not be reflected, so check the current text before relying on a section.
Topics and questions
Special levies
Who approves a special levy, what owners must be told, how shares and instalments work, and where leftover money goes. 20 answers.
- What is a special levy in Alberta, and is it the same as a special assessment?
- How is a special levy different from regular condo fees in Alberta?
- What can a special levy be used for under Alberta's Condominium Property Act?
- Can the board approve a special levy without an owners' vote?
- Is replacing stucco, windows or a roof a capital improvement that needs a special resolution?
- If the work is in our reserve fund report, is it still a capital improvement?
- What does it take to pass the special resolution for a capital-improvement levy?
- What is the difference between an owner vote and a unit factor vote?
- Can an owner who is behind on payments vote on a special resolution?
- How much notice must owners get of a meeting to vote on a capital-improvement levy?
- What should directors keep in mind before they pass a special levy?
- What must the notice to owners about a special levy say, and how soon must it go out?
- How is each owner's share of a special levy worked out?
- Can a special levy be paid in instalments, and how long do owners get to pay?
- Can a board reduce or cancel a special levy after passing the resolution?
- What happens if a special levy raises more money than the project needs?
- What can an owner do if they disagree with a special levy?
- Can the reserve fund pay for the work instead of a special levy?
- Can the corporation borrow money instead of passing a special levy?
- What approval does a condominium corporation need before it borrows money?
Unpaid levies and condo fees
Interest, a caveat, foreclosure and the mortgage lender: what the sources say when an owner does not pay. 14 answers.
- What can a condo corporation do if an owner does not pay a special levy or condo fees?
- Can a corporation use the same collection tools for unpaid monthly fees as for an unpaid special levy?
- Can a condo corporation charge interest on unpaid levies and condo fees, and what limits apply?
- What is a caveat on a condo unit, and when may the corporation file one?
- What does a caveat do to the unit, and what priority does the corporation's claim have?
- Can the corporation recover its legal and collection costs from an owner who does not pay?
- Can a condo corporation sue an owner for unpaid levies or condo fees?
- Can a condo corporation foreclose on a unit over an unpaid levy?
- Can the owner's mortgage lender pay an unpaid levy and add it to the mortgage?
- Can a condo corporation make an owner's tenant pay the rent to the corporation instead?
- When does the corporation have to remove a caveat?
- Can the board let an owner who cannot pay a special levy at once pay in instalments?
- What does an estoppel certificate say about unpaid levies, who can ask for one, and what can it cost?
- Besides interest and a caveat, what else changes for an owner who falls behind on contributions?
Reserve fund and budgets
What the reserve fund is for, when a study is due, who may prepare it, emergency transfers, and what owners must be given. 22 answers.
- What is a condominium reserve fund and what is it for in Alberta?
- What does "depreciating property" mean in the Alberta reserve fund rules?
- How often must an Alberta condo corporation get a reserve fund study?
- When must a new condominium corporation get its first reserve fund study and plan?
- What does an Alberta reserve fund study have to include?
- Who is allowed to prepare a reserve fund study in Alberta?
- Who is not allowed to prepare a reserve fund study, and can a contractor do it?
- Can a small condominium corporation prepare its own reserve fund study?
- What should a board ask before hiring a reserve fund study provider?
- Does the Alberta government review a reserve fund study?
- Can the corporation pay for the reserve fund study out of the reserve fund?
- What must the board do with the reserve fund report, and do owners get the plan?
- What must a reserve fund plan say about how the work will be funded?
- Can a board update its reserve fund plan, or order a study, before the 5 years are up?
- How much does an Alberta condominium corporation have to put into its reserve fund?
- What must the annual reserve fund report include, and when do owners get it?
- When must an Alberta condo corporation give owners the annual budget?
- Can the board move reserve fund money into the operating account?
- What conditions must be met before a board moves reserve fund money to the operating fund in an emergency?
- What steps must a board take before moving reserve fund money to the operating fund in an emergency?
- Can reserve fund money be used for a capital improvement?
- What can a board do if the reserve fund will not cover a project?
Meetings, voting and proxies
When meetings must be held, how quorum, votes, proxies and resolutions work, and what annual general meeting minutes must record. 18 answers.
- When must an Alberta condo corporation hold its annual general meeting?
- How much notice of an annual general meeting must owners get, and what documents must they receive before it?
- How is a special general meeting of an Alberta condominium called, and can owners require one?
- What is quorum at a general meeting or a board meeting of an Alberta condominium?
- What happens if there is no quorum when an Alberta condo general meeting is due to start?
- Can an Alberta condominium hold a general meeting or board meeting online?
- How can an Alberta condo corporation serve a notice on an owner, and when does service count?
- What are an owner vote and a unit factor vote at an Alberta condominium meeting?
- What is a unit factor in an Alberta condominium, and who decides how many a unit has?
- Can an owner be stopped from voting at an Alberta condominium general meeting?
- What happens if a vote at an Alberta condo general meeting or board meeting is tied?
- What is the difference between an ordinary resolution and a special resolution in Alberta?
- Can owners pass a resolution without holding a meeting in Alberta?
- What must a proxy contain to be valid at an Alberta condominium meeting, and how long does it last?
- Can a property manager or corporation employee hold an owner's proxy in Alberta?
- How long must an Alberta condo corporation keep the proxy forms from a meeting?
- What must the minutes of an Alberta condo annual general meeting record, and when do owners get them?
- Who keeps the minutes of an Alberta condo board's meetings, and can owners ask to see them?
Board duties, records and managers
Directors' duties, conflicts of interest, who may serve, signing authority, owner records and condominium manager licensing. 18 answers.
- What duty of care does a director owe a condominium corporation in Alberta?
- What is an Alberta condominium board responsible for?
- Can a director's company bid on work for an Alberta condominium corporation?
- Are an Alberta condo board's decisions still valid if a director's election turns out to be defective?
- Who can sit on an Alberta condominium board, and when does a member have to leave it?
- How long is a director's term, and who is eligible to be elected to an Alberta condo board?
- Do new Alberta condominium board members have to take training or acknowledge a code of conduct?
- Who can sign contracts and cheques for an Alberta condominium corporation?
- Can an Alberta condominium board hire employees or agents for the corporation?
- Can an Alberta condominium board delegate its work to a manager?
- Does a condominium manager in Alberta need a licence?
- Does a self-managed condominium or a corporation's own employee need a manager's licence in Alberta?
- What must an Alberta condo corporation file at the land titles office after its annual general meeting?
- What documents can an owner ask an Alberta condo corporation for, and how quickly must it respond?
- Can an owner copy the documents the corporation provides on request and give the copies to others?
- What can an Alberta condominium corporation charge an owner for documents?
- How long must an Alberta condominium corporation keep minutes, engineering reports and reserve fund plans?
- Does an Alberta condominium corporation need a privacy officer?
Insurance and deductibles
What the corporation must insure, how deductibles and chargebacks work, and what owners must be told. 19 answers.
- What insurance must an Alberta condominium corporation carry?
- Must an Alberta condominium corporation insure for replacement cost?
- Does an Alberta condominium corporation have to insure against flood, sewer back-up and escape of water?
- Does the corporation insure owners' improvements and personal belongings?
- What insurance must the corporation carry for directors and officers?
- What is a standard insurable unit description, and who must be told about it?
- Must an Alberta condominium corporation repair a unit after damage?
- When must owners be told about a change in the corporation's deductible or an addition to its permitted exclusions?
- What must an Alberta condominium corporation do if it receives a notice of cancellation of an insurance policy?
- How high can a condominium corporation's insurance deductible be?
- Can a condo corporation charge its insurance deductible to an owner, and is there a cap?
- Does an Alberta condo corporation have to prove an owner was negligent to recover its deductible?
- When is an owner not liable to the corporation for the insurance deductible under section 62.4?
- Can a condominium corporation require owners to buy insurance for the deductible?
- What is a chargeback under Alberta's Condominium Property Act?
- How much can a condominium corporation charge back to an owner in Alberta?
- What must a board do before levying a chargeback, and can the owner appeal?
- Are condo insurance rates and availability regulated in Alberta?
- Which insurance records can owners ask to see, and how long must the corporation keep them?
Bylaws, sanctions and disputes
Who bylaws bind, how they change, what sanctions a corporation may impose and where disputes go. 18 answers.
- Who is bound by a condo corporation's bylaws in Alberta?
- When do the default bylaws in Alberta's Condominium Property Regulation apply?
- How can an Alberta condominium corporation change its bylaws, and when does the change take effect?
- Can a condominium's bylaws make the corporation maintain part of a unit?
- What is the difference between a condo bylaw and a board rule, and can a rule carry a fine?
- What notice must owners get before a new condominium rule takes effect in Alberta?
- Can an Alberta condominium corporation fine an owner, and how much?
- What must a corporation do before it imposes a sanction on an owner?
- What can a corporation do if an owner does not pay a sanction?
- What disputes can the Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal hear in Alberta?
- How long does a party have to apply to the Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal, and what does it cost?
- Does a condominium corporation have to pay an annual fee to support the Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal?
- What happens if a corporation does not reply to an application made against it at the Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal?
- Are Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal decisions binding, and can they be appealed?
- Can a condominium dispute go to court or mediation instead of the Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal?
- What can an owner do if a condominium board acts improperly in Alberta?
- Can owners remove a board member before the end of the term in Alberta?
- Will the Alberta government step in to settle a dispute between owners and a condominium board?
Stucco and the building envelope
What the envelope is, who repairs windows and doors, warning signs, testing, engineers, and repair or replacement. 14 answers.
- What is the building envelope of an Alberta condominium?
- Who repairs windows and exterior doors in an Alberta condominium, the owner or the corporation?
- What are the warning signs that a stucco wall has a moisture problem?
- Why is caulking alone not enough to keep water out of a wall?
- Can stucco be repaired instead of replaced?
- What is the difference between repair, rehabilitation and renewal of a building envelope?
- What is a test unit or deconstructive test, and who should do the testing?
- What does a building envelope condition assessment cover?
- How can a board check that an engineer is licensed in Alberta?
- Is a reserve fund study the same as a building envelope assessment?
- What happens if rot is found when the wall is opened up?
- How long does stucco last on a multi-unit residential building?
- What do CMHC and Natural Resources Canada advise about moisture and air leakage in walls?
- Does a new-home warranty cover the building envelope of a new condominium?
Roofs, windows and balconies
Ice dams, attic ventilation, snow on roofs, roof and window permits, window installation and balconies, with sources. 16 answers.
- What causes ice dams on a roof, and what prevents them?
- Why does attic ventilation matter, and what does the Alberta Building Code say about it?
- What damage can attic moisture cause, and how can a board check an attic for it?
- Can spray foam under the roof replace attic ventilation?
- What are the signs that snow is overloading a roof?
- Should board members or maintenance staff clear snow off the roof themselves?
- Does re-roofing a condominium building in Edmonton need a permit?
- Does replacing windows in an Edmonton condominium need a City permit?
- Do replacement windows in an Alberta condominium have to meet current energy efficiency requirements?
- What do CMHC and Natural Resources Canada say about flashing and sealing replacement windows?
- Should the board have the first few replacement window installations tested?
- What does the Alberta Building Code require for devices that limit how far windows open?
- How long do condo balcony decks and railings last?
- What should a board look for when checking balcony railings and slabs?
- If a roof or window project has a permit, does that show the work was done properly?
- What do Health Canada and MyHealth.Alberta.ca say to do about mould from a roof or window leak?
Parking lots, concrete and grounds
What Edmonton, EPCOR and Alberta say about parking-lot permits, drainage, snow, lighting, EV chargers and landscaping. 14 answers.
- Does a parking-lot project in Edmonton need a development permit?
- Who is responsible for maintaining the parking lot and other common property?
- Does the City of Edmonton say anything about caring for concrete on condo grounds?
- Who is responsible for a condo's private drainage system and catch basins?
- Must a condo keep its lot grading after Final Grade approval in Edmonton?
- Does the City of Edmonton set a deadline for clearing snow from sidewalks?
- Who pays if the City clears our sidewalk snow and sends an invoice?
- What does Alberta's Occupiers' Liability Act say about hiring a snow-clearing or paving contractor?
- Who owns and maintains the lights and underground power cables on a condo site?
- What does the City of Edmonton ask for when a condo applies for an EV charger permit?
- Can an owner install an EV charger in an Alberta condominium?
- Do landscaping changes on a condo's grounds need a permit in Edmonton?
- What does Edmonton's Community Standards Bylaw require for elm trees and grass on condo grounds?
- What parking-lot, concrete and grounds work does CK say it oversees?
Contractor bids and contracts
How many bids, what to put in a contract, checking a contractor, conflicts of interest, bonds and warranties. 16 answers.
- Does Alberta law require a condo board to tender work or get several bids?
- How many bids should a condo board get for a repair project?
- Does a condo board have to accept the lowest bid?
- Does any guide say to get more bids for a bigger job?
- What does tender mean in construction, and who can be invited to bid?
- What should a board give contractors before asking them to bid?
- What should a written estimate from a contractor include?
- Can a condo board member's company bid on the corporation's project?
- Should a condo board ask a contractor for a WCB clearance letter?
- What insurance should a board ask a contractor to show before work starts?
- Does a contractor need a City of Edmonton business licence?
- Should a condo board's contract with a contractor be in writing?
- Should a lawyer review a contractor's contract before the board signs?
- Does a condo board need a performance bond from its contractor?
- What should the contract say about a contractor's warranty?
- Does Alberta's new home warranty law cover repair work on an existing condo?
Payment, holdback and liens
Invoices, holdback, liens and adjudication, from Alberta's Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act and related rules. 18 answers.
- What is a holdback under Alberta's Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act?
- How much must an owner hold back, and for how long?
- What happens to the holdback when the contract is finished?
- Is there a limit on what an owner can be liable for under the lien rules?
- What is a proper invoice under Alberta's prompt payment rules?
- Can our contract require approval before the contractor may give an invoice?
- How quickly must an owner pay a proper invoice in Alberta?
- Can an owner dispute a contractor's invoice, and what is a notice of dispute?
- What is a construction lien in Alberta, who has one, and is there a minimum amount to register it?
- How long does a contractor have to register a lien, and how long does it last?
- What can an owner do once a lien has been registered against its land?
- Can a lienholder or subcontractor demand to see an owner's contract and accounts?
- Does the Act say a condominium corporation is the "owner" for holdback?
- What does the Condominium Property Act say about liens when the corporation requests the work?
- If a lien is registered against the plan, who is notified, and can one owner clear only their unit?
- What is adjudication under Alberta's prompt payment rules, and when is it available?
- Is an adjudicator's decision under Alberta's prompt payment rules binding, and what role does a Nominating Authority have?
- Can an owner and a contractor agree that the holdback and lien rules do not apply?
Running a construction project
Prime contractor and owner safety duties, WCB clearance letters, inspections, overseeing the work, changes and warranties. 19 answers.
- What is a prime contractor, and when does an Alberta construction site need one?
- What counts as a construction work site under Alberta's OHS Act?
- Does an Alberta site need a prime contractor if the trades do not work at the same time?
- Who is the prime contractor on an Alberta condo repair project?
- Is an Alberta condominium corporation the prime contractor by default?
- What does an Alberta prime contractor have to do on a work site?
- Does an Alberta prime contractor have to post its name on site and name a person in writing?
- What duties does section 9 of Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act put on an owner?
- Does 'owner' mean the same thing in Alberta's OHS Act and its Safety Codes Act?
- What if the same person is both the owner and the prime contractor on an Alberta work site?
- What is a 'contracting employer' under Alberta's OHS Act, and is it the same as a prime contractor?
- When should an Alberta condo board get a WCB clearance letter for a contractor?
- How can an Alberta condo board get a WCB clearance letter, and does it need a WCB account?
- What can a condo board do if a contractor is exempt from WCB coverage?
- When do City of Edmonton inspections fall in a construction project, and who should the board ask?
- Who is responsible for overseeing the contractors and the contract once work is under way?
- Should the board call an engineer when rot or hidden damage turns up after work starts?
- How should changes to the construction contract be approved during the work?
- Does final payment end a contractor's responsibility for defects in the work?
Permits, codes and safety
Which permits exterior and site work may need, who is responsible for code compliance, and if a business licence covers permits. 16 answers.
- Does an exterior project at an Edmonton condominium, such as new doors, windows, walls or a roof, need a permit?
- What do development and building permits cover, and can work start before they are issued?
- Does re-roofing or re-siding need a permit in Edmonton, and is replacing stucco re-siding?
- What does the City of Edmonton ask for when a condominium applies to alter a building's exterior?
- Who applies for the building permit: the condominium corporation or the contractor?
- Who is responsible for code compliance on a condominium construction project in Edmonton?
- What does a building permit not assure, and does an inspection relieve the owner of responsibility?
- Who inspects the work on a permitted project in Edmonton, and who has to ask for the inspections?
- Does a contractor's City of Edmonton business licence mean the permits and inspections are taken care of?
- What does the Alberta Building Code say about altering or repairing an existing condominium building?
- If an owner alters their unit or the common property, who has to get the permits?
- What does the City of Edmonton say about Final Grade approval and lot grading, and do repair projects need them?
- Do parking-lot or landscaping changes at a condominium need a City of Edmonton permit?
- Do fences, sheds, retaining walls or garbage enclosures on condominium grounds need a City of Edmonton permit?
- Does an electrical permit apply to lighting retrofits or EV chargers in a condominium?
- What hours can construction work run at a condominium in Edmonton?
Working with CK
Who CK works for, how it is paid, how bids and contracts run and what it does on site, as CK describes them. 16 answers.
- Who does CK work for?
- Who pays CK, and does CK take money from contractors?
- Is CK a general contractor?
- How is CK's model different from hiring a general contractor?
- How do contractor bids work with CK?
- Who signs the contracts, and who holds the warranties?
- Does CK work with engineers?
- What does CK say about deconstructive testing and test-unit reporting?
- What does CK say it does once the contracts are finalized?
- Does CK help with the budget for a special assessment?
- Does CK deal with City of Edmonton permits?
- What size and type of condominium does CK work with?
- Does CK only do complete building-envelope projects?
- Which exterior and roofing services does CK's services page list?
- Will CK report to our property manager?
- Who is the prime contractor for occupational health and safety on a CK project?