A complete file makes seller disclosures easier to prepare, helps answer buyers more quickly and reduces avoidable delays after an offer. For a condominium, new rules in force since August 14, 2025 make early preparation even more important.
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Documents to gather
Quick checklist: which documents should you provide?
Start with the general list. If you are selling a condo, add both condominium sections.
For all properties
- Deed of acquisition
- Certificate of location reflecting the current condition
- Municipal and school tax bills
- Recent mortgage statement
- Recent electricity bill
- Renovation invoices, warranties, permits and plans
- Previous inspection, testing and expert reports
In addition, for a condominium
- Declaration of co-ownership, amendments and bylaws
- Meeting minutes for the previous three years
- Financial statements and current budget
- Syndicate insurance policy or certificate
- Common expenses, self-insurance fund and special assessments
- Parking, storage and phased co-ownership records
New condominium documents to verify
- Syndicate certificate — request it at the outset; the syndicate has 15 days to provide it
- Maintenance log — transition period until August 15, 2028
- Reserve fund study — transition period until August 15, 2028
General documents to prepare for a sale
The exact list varies with the property and transaction, but a core file generally includes the deed of acquisition, certificate of location, municipal and school tax bills, a recent mortgage statement and a recent electricity bill. The seller will also be asked for identification and the information required for the brokerage contract.
The certificate of location must describe the property’s current condition. A pool, shed, fence, addition, new servitude or cadastral change may make the existing document insufficient. Reviewing it early leaves time to order a new one if necessary.
Document renovations, expert reports and disclosures
Add renovation invoices and warranties, permits, plans and evidence of corrective work. Also gather previous inspection and expert reports, such as those concerning pyrite, asbestos, water quality, a septic system, structure or electrical systems.
These records help complete the seller disclosures accurately. They do not replace the duty to disclose a known relevant fact: a completed repair, past loss or reassuring report should be presented with its full context.
Documents specific to a divided co-ownership
When selling a condo, prepare the declaration of co-ownership and amendments, building bylaws, minutes from the past three years, financial statements, current budget, the syndicate’s insurance policy or certificate, and information on common expenses, the reserve fund, self-insurance fund and special assessments.
Add agreements or rights relating to parking and storage, communications about major work, assessment notices and loss information. A phased co-ownership may also require documents from both the vertical and horizontal syndicates.
What the new condominium rules add
Since August 14, 2025, divided co-ownership syndicates must have a maintenance log established and a reserve fund study produced. Existing syndicates generally have three years and one day to obtain their first documents, meaning until August 15, 2028; special rules apply notably to certain new condominiums and documents produced shortly before the rules came into force.
The maintenance log records the condition of common portions and completed or planned maintenance, major repairs and replacements. It must be updated at least annually. The reserve fund study relies on this log and estimates, over a period of at least 25 years, the amounts needed for major repairs and replacement of common portions; a new study must generally be obtained every five years.
During the transition period, the absence of one of these documents does not automatically mean the syndicate is already non-compliant. The seller should still verify availability and ask the syndicate about its progress, since buyers will be interested in this information.
The syndicate certificate when selling
When a co-owner sells a condo, the seller should promptly request a certificate concerning the condition of the co-ownership from the syndicate. The seller must deliver it to the prospective buyer in a timely manner, and the syndicate has 15 days after the request to provide it to the seller. Unlike the maintenance log and study, this delivery obligation already applies to covered sales since the regulation came into force.
The certificate must notably address the reserve fund, common expenses for the previous three years, cash on hand, surpluses or deficits, budget, insurance and self-insurance fund. It also summarizes recent assessments, losses and work, planned major work, ongoing litigation and recent amendments to the declaration of co-ownership.
If your syndicate does not have a template, you may contact me. I can provide a working model covering the minimum information prescribed by the regulation. The syndicate remains responsible for verifying the information, completing the document and having it signed by the authorized person.
Situations requiring additional records
An income property notably requires leases, renewal or modification notices, proof of income and expense information. An estate, undivided co-ownership, servitude, septic system, well, short-term rental or permitted work may also add documents to the file.
Identifying these circumstances before listing leaves time to obtain missing copies and consult the appropriate notary, land surveyor, tax professional or technical expert when confirmation is required.
When should you start gathering the documents?
Ideally, begin before photography and showings. Sort records by topic, track documents requested from the syndicate and prepare a short timeline of renovations, losses and work. This organization supports transparent marketing and more efficient handling of offer conditions.
I can build a checklist tailored to your house, condo or plex, identify missing items and coordinate requests before listing. A legal, technical or tax question must still be confirmed by the appropriate professional.