How Much Does a Status Certificate Cost in Ontario, and Who Pays for It?

Every resale condo purchase in Ontario should involve a review of the seller’s condominium corporation status certificate — but the certificate isn’t free, and buyers are often unsure who’s actually supposed to pay for it. Understanding the status certificate cost and who covers it helps you budget accurately and avoid confusion during a resale transaction.

The short version: the condominium corporation charges a fee to prepare and issue the certificate, and in practice, that fee is typically paid by whoever requests it — usually the buyer, through their lawyer, as part of the purchase process. It’s a small line item next to the overall cost of a resale purchase, but it’s not one to skip or forget to budget for.

What a Status Certificate Actually Costs

Condominium corporations in Ontario are permitted to charge a fee for preparing and issuing a status certificate. The exact amount can vary and figures change, so verify the current fee directly with the property management company or the condominium corporation, or ask your lawyer to confirm it when the request is made. Don’t rely on a number you’ve seen quoted elsewhere, including in older articles or forum posts — treat it as a modest, but real, out-of-pocket cost of the transaction rather than something to budget as zero.

Who Typically Pays

• Buyer’s lawyer requests the certificate during a resale purchase — the buyer usually pays, as a disbursement within their legal costs.
• Seller proactively orders a certificate to include in the listing package — the seller usually pays, since they initiated the request.
• Certificate requested for refinancing or another non-purchase reason — whoever is requesting it for their own purposes typically covers the cost.

In most resale purchases, it’s the buyer’s lawyer who formally requests the status certificate on the buyer’s behalf, as part of standard due diligence. That said, some sellers or listing agents choose to order a status certificate in advance and make it available to prospective buyers before an offer is even accepted, which can shift who initially pays. The specific arrangement can also be addressed in your agreement of purchase and sale.

Why the Fee Is Worth Paying

A status certificate gives you, through your lawyer, access to the condominium corporation’s financial position, reserve fund information, any outstanding legal proceedings involving the corporation, current rules and by-laws, and confirmation of whether the specific unit has any arrears or outstanding liens. Skipping this review to save a modest fee is a significant risk on a purchase of this size — it’s one of the most important due-diligence documents in a resale condo transaction.

Think of the fee less as a cost of the purchase and more as the price of information you genuinely need before committing to close. A well-run corporation with healthy reserves and no outstanding disputes is exactly the kind of thing you want confirmed in writing, not assumed from a friendly conversation with a neighbour or the listing agent.

How the Request Process Generally Works

1. Your lawyer, or the seller’s lawyer if requested in advance of listing, submits a written request to the condominium corporation or its property manager.
2. The fee is paid at the time of the request, typically alongside the request itself.
3. The corporation prepares and issues the certificate, along with required supporting documents, such as the current budget, financial statements, and governing documents.
4. Your lawyer reviews the certificate and flags anything of concern — financial red flags, pending litigation, upcoming special assessments, or unusual rule changes.
5. If needed, your lawyer can advise on next steps, including whether any purchase conditions related to the status certificate review should be exercised.

Frequently asked questions