Condo maintenance log the file too many boards start too late
When a condo corporation waits too long before organizing the maintenance of its building, it usually ends up managing in emergency mode. Board members change, the history gets lost, contracts end up scattered, and major work arrives without real preparation. That is exactly why the maintenance log has become such a central issue for divided co ownership in Quebec.
Source https://www.quebec.ca/habitation-territoire/achat-vente/condos-coproprietes/mesures-coproprietes
Source https://www.condolegal.com/travaux/fiches-pratiques/carnet-dentretien-en-copropriete
Since August 14 2025, divided co ownership syndicates in Quebec have been required to have a maintenance log prepared and to obtain a reserve fund study. The Quebec government also states that syndicates have three years and one day to have their maintenance log prepared and to obtain their first reserve fund study. In practical terms, that means an August 14 2028 deadline for syndicates that already existed when the new framework came into force.
Source https://www.quebec.ca/habitation-territoire/achat-vente/condos-coproprietes/mesures-coproprietes
Source https://rgcq.org/actualites/petites-coproprietes-ce-que-la-nouvelle-reglementation-change-pour-votre-carnet-d-entretien
For a board of directors, the maintenance log should not be seen as a simple compliance box to tick. It is much more than a document for the file. When used properly, it becomes the building’s technical memory, the starting point for better planning, and often the tool that prevents board members from discovering major upcoming work too late.
Source https://www.condolegal.com/travaux/fiches-pratiques/carnet-dentretien-en-copropriete
Source https://rgcq.org/actualites/petites-coproprietes-ce-que-la-nouvelle-reglementation-change-pour-votre-carnet-d-entretien
Why the maintenance log now matters so much
Article 1039 of the Civil Code of Québec states that the syndicate exists to preserve the building, maintain and administer the common portions, and ensure that the work required for the conservation and maintenance of the building is carried out. The maintenance log fits directly into that mission. It gives structure to that duty instead of leaving repairs to be handled one issue at a time.
Source https://copropriete.bac-quebec.qc.ca/articles-du-code-civil/article-1039/
Source https://www.condolegal.com/syndicat/sousfiches/584-quels-sont-les-devoirs-et-obligations-d-un-syndicat-de-coproprietairesc
The new article 1070.2 of the Civil Code of Québec goes further and provides that the board must have a maintenance log prepared, keep it up to date, and have it revised periodically. The form, content, maintenance and revision rules, and the people authorized to prepare it are then determined by regulation. In other words, this is no longer just a best practice. It is now a legal obligation with a real regulatory framework.
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/version/lc/CCQ-1991?code=se%3A1070_2&historique=20230904
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
For a syndicate, that change is significant. For years, many boards knew they had to maintain the building but did not have a truly structured tool to track components, timelines, past costs, and future work. The maintenance log is meant to bring order to that responsibility.
Source https://www.condolegal.com/travaux/fiches-pratiques/carnet-dentretien-en-copropriete
Source https://rgcq.org/actualites/petites-coproprietes-ce-que-la-nouvelle-reglementation-change-pour-votre-carnet-d-entretien
What a condo maintenance log actually is
The Quebec regulation on divided co ownership states that the maintenance log must contain an inventory and description of the common portions of the building, along with the materials, equipment, and systems that make them up. It must also include certain materials, equipment, and systems installed in private portions where the syndicate is responsible for their maintenance.
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
The regulation also requires the log to include, for each covered component, information such as the installation date if known, the required maintenance work, the frequency of that work, the date the work was done, and current repairs with their dates. It must also include a section dedicated to the condition of those components and their remaining useful life. Major repairs and replacements, their dates, their costs, and supporting documents such as plans, specifications, and contracts must also be added.
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
In other words, a real maintenance log is not just a note saying roof in good condition or snow removal done every winter. It is a living document that should allow a new board to understand what the building contains, what has been done, what has not been done, what is coming next, and which documents support all of that.
Source https://www.condolegal.com/travaux/fiches-pratiques/carnet-dentretien-en-copropriete
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
Who is allowed to prepare it
The regulation does not allow just anyone to prepare the maintenance log. It states that the log must be prepared by a person who meets the regulatory conditions, including membership in certain professional orders. The RGCQ summarizes the authorized professionals as including architects, engineers, chartered appraisers, or professional technologists who meet the applicable regulatory requirements.
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
Source https://rgcq.org/actualites/petites-coproprietes-ce-que-la-nouvelle-reglementation-change-pour-votre-carnet-d-entretien
The regulation also states that the person who prepares or revises the log must sign a declaration confirming that the common portions and the covered components were examined on site by that person or under that person’s supervision and that the person reviewed the information and documents forming part of the log. That requirement makes it clear that the law expects a serious document based on actual observation of the building, not just a remote compilation with limited verification.
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
What the board has to do after that
The board’s job does not end once the initial maintenance log is delivered. The regulation provides that the log must be updated by the board at least once a year. That update consists of adding the new relevant information and documents. If some required or planned work was not done, the log must say so and indicate why it was not carried out.
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
This is a major point for condo boards. Many boards assume they will order the log once, save it in a shared folder, and be done. That is not the model the law sets out. The log has to remain current. Otherwise it quickly loses operational value and becomes more of a paper shield than a real management tool.
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/version/lc/CCQ-1991?code=se%3A1070_2&historique=20230904
Source https://www.condolegal.com/travaux/fiches-pratiques/carnet-dentretien-en-copropriete
How often does it have to be revised
The regulation provides that the maintenance log must be revised at least every five years. However, some smaller syndicates may benefit from a ten year interval when the building meets certain criteria, such as a limited number of private portions, no common portions located in a building, or a building with no more than three full storeys above ground under the regulation’s conditions.
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
Source https://rgcq.org/actualites/petites-coproprietes-ce-que-la-nouvelle-reglementation-change-pour-votre-carnet-d-entretien
For smaller syndicates, that nuance is very important. It avoids imposing exactly the same revision cycle on a small simple condo as on a larger or more complex property. That said, even where a ten year revision interval is allowed, the yearly board update is still required. A professional revision and an annual board update are not the same thing.
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
Source https://rgcq.org/actualites/petites-coproprietes-ce-que-la-nouvelle-reglementation-change-pour-votre-carnet-d-entretien
The direct link with the reserve fund study
The maintenance log does not stand alone. It is the foundation for the reserve fund study. The regulation states that the study must be based on the description contained in the log regarding the major repairs and replacements to be carried out over at least the next 25 years. CondoLegal puts it well by explaining that the maintenance log is the very foundation of the reserve fund study.
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
Source https://www.condolegal.com/travaux/fiches-pratiques/carnet-dentretien-en-copropriete
In practice, that means a weak, incomplete, or poorly maintained log can affect everything that comes after it. If your picture of the building’s components is blurry, your major repair planning will be blurry too. And if the planning is weak, the reserve fund calculation is more likely to be off as well.
Source https://www.condolegal.com/travaux/fiches-pratiques/carnet-dentretien-en-copropriete
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
Why boards are better off starting early
On the ground, the biggest risk is not only having no log at all. It is starting too late and trying to rebuild everything at speed. When invoices are poorly filed, service contracts are missing, old minutes do not clearly explain the work that was done, and no one knows exactly when certain equipment was replaced, the process becomes much heavier and often more expensive.
Source https://www.condolegal.com/travaux/fiches-pratiques/carnet-dentretien-en-copropriete
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
On the other hand, a syndicate that starts early can already gather contracts, warranties, major invoices, expert reports, plans, specifications, relevant minutes, maintenance history, and supplier details. Even before the final log is prepared by the authorized professional, that preparatory work saves time and usually improves the quality of the final result. That idea is practical management advice based on the content the regulation requires.
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
Source https://www.condolegal.com/travaux/fiches-pratiques/carnet-dentretien-en-copropriete
The right first reflex for a new board
A new board should start with one very simple question. Do we already have a credible documentary base for our maintenance log. If the answer is no, the next step should be to identify the available documents, the active contracts, recent work, the building’s major components, and the areas where information is still missing.
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/version/lc/CCQ-1991?code=se%3A1070_2&historique=20230904
Source https://www.condolegal.com/travaux/fiches-pratiques/carnet-dentretien-en-copropriete
For boards in Gatineau, Hull, Aylmer, Buckingham, Masson Angers, or the Plateau, this can also be a good opportunity to professionalize how the syndicate is run. At Gestion Immobilière Souleymane, this is exactly the type of mandate where a clear method, organized records, and consistent follow up can save a board a great deal of improvisation and stress when major work planning begins. That sentence reflects a local management approach rather than a stand alone legal requirement.
In summary
The condo maintenance log is now an important legal requirement for divided co ownership syndicates in Quebec. It must be prepared by an authorized professional, reflect the real condition of the building, be updated at least once a year, and be revised periodically. Most importantly, it should not be treated as a simple compliance document. It is the tool that allows the syndicate to preserve the building’s memory, plan its work more intelligently, and properly support its reserve fund study.
Source https://www.quebec.ca/habitation-territoire/achat-vente/condos-coproprietes/mesures-coproprietes
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/version/lc/CCQ-1991?code=se%3A1070_2&historique=20230904
Source https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/CCQ%2C%20r.%208.01
Source https://www.condolegal.com/travaux/fiches-pratiques/carnet-dentretien-en-copropriete
This article is general information only and not legal advice. Depending on the size of the condominium, its declaration, its work history, and the state of its records, it may be wise to get professional advice tailored to the syndicate’s specific situation.
Source https://www.quebec.ca/habitation-territoire/achat-vente/condos-coproprietes/mesures-coproprietes
Source https://rgcq.org/actualites/petites-coproprietes-ce-que-la-nouvelle-reglementation-change-pour-votre-carnet-d-entretien