Planet Fitness clubs run on a very different footprint from a boutique studio — commonly a large-format, staffed space with a big fleet of cardio and strength equipment plus ancillary amenities like tanning and recovery-therapy units, serving a high-volume membership base across dozens of Canadian clubs in six provinces. A resale here is less about a single service line and more about the equipment fleet, the lease on a large commercial space, and the recurring-billing membership base changing hands intact.
Planet Fitness resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
Price and terms, with conditions built in for franchisor consent, an assignable lease, and a clear picture of active membership numbers and equipment condition.
usually 1–2 weeks†Head office reviews the incoming buyer's application and can exercise its right of first refusal instead of letting the sale proceed as negotiated.
several weeks, typically†Courts read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, so a franchisor-facilitated Planet Fitness resale may still require a full Arthur Wishart disclosure document before you're bound.
assessed early†Getting to closing
The large-format lease is reviewed for assignment alongside the financed and leased cardio, strength, and ancillary amenity equipment across the club's full fleet, with PPSA searches for liens.
2–6 weeks†Front-desk and club staff continuity is addressed, alongside transfer of the recurring-billing membership accounts into the buyer's name.
2–4 weeks, around closing†Funds, keys, equipment, and signed documents change hands, alongside confirmation that landlord and franchisor consent are both in hand.
1 day, once conditions are met†CFA Look For A Franchise listing confirms an active Canadian franchise network with dozens of Canadian clubs across six provinces
Part of Planet Fitness's Canadian club network spanning six provinces (province-by-province club count not published)
This is the first real decision in a Planet Fitness resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The club's cardio and strength equipment fleet, ancillary amenity equipment, leasehold improvements, and the benefit of the existing franchise agreement, subject to consent. | The shares of the operating company — every club it holds under the Planet Fitness banner, and everything it owes. |
| Franchisor consent & ROFR | Required for this specific club, and typically the pacing condition on the whole deal. | Required for the change of control itself — the franchisor reviews who is actually taking over. |
| The lease | Needs landlord consent to assign — often a large-format commercial space with its own zoning and parking considerations distinct from a small studio. | Usually stays in place unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause. |
| Equipment financing | Confirm what's owned, leased, or financed across a large fleet — including ancillary amenity units like tanning or recovery equipment — with PPSA searches identifying liens. | Assessed the same way at the corporate level, since the equipment stays with the company. |
| Membership base & billing | Active membership agreements and recurring-billing accounts transfer with appropriate privacy handling under PIPEDA. | Stays with the corporation, with the franchisor typically notified of the change in ownership. |
| Tax angle | Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased. | Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares. |
The club's cardio and strength equipment fleet, ancillary amenity equipment, leasehold improvements, and the benefit of the existing franchise agreement, subject to consent.
The shares of the operating company — every club it holds under the Planet Fitness banner, and everything it owes.
Required for this specific club, and typically the pacing condition on the whole deal.
Required for the change of control itself — the franchisor reviews who is actually taking over.
Needs landlord consent to assign — often a large-format commercial space with its own zoning and parking considerations distinct from a small studio.
Usually stays in place unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause.
Confirm what's owned, leased, or financed across a large fleet — including ancillary amenity units like tanning or recovery equipment — with PPSA searches identifying liens.
Assessed the same way at the corporate level, since the equipment stays with the company.
Active membership agreements and recurring-billing accounts transfer with appropriate privacy handling under PIPEDA.
Stays with the corporation, with the franchisor typically notified of the change in ownership.
Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased.
Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single Planet Fitness club changing hands between one buyer and one seller, with an established membership base and a standard lease.
Start my file →A multi-club operator selling several clubs as one company, or a resale where equipment-fleet financing or a large-format lease assignment needs to be worked through before terms are final.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
Yes — with a large-format space and a big equipment fleet, diligence spends more time confirming what's owned versus financed across dozens of machines and ancillary amenities like tanning or recovery units, rather than the small handful of assets a boutique studio would carry.
On an asset sale, active membership agreements and the recurring-billing relationship typically transfer to the buyer with appropriate handling of member data under PIPEDA. We confirm what continuity members are entitled to before you take over.
Club staff generally continue under standard employment continuity principles on an asset sale, though individual employees can still choose to leave — worth factoring into your transition plan given the front-desk and floor-staffing model most clubs run.
They generally continue with the operating corporation, since the contracting party doesn't change on a structure built around the existing company — but confirming the billing platform's own transfer terms and any prepaid membership liabilities is a standard part of diligence before you rely on that continuing smoothly.
It's often financed or serviced under separate arrangements from the main cardio and strength equipment, so confirming which service contracts and liens attach to which pieces is its own diligence line item, not something to assume is bundled with the core fleet.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Planet Fitness or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Planet Fitness resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.