Bill 16 and co-ownerships: the complete guide (maintenance logbook, contingency fund, syndicate attestation)

What is Bill 16?

“Bill 16” is the common name of the bill of that number, adopted by the National Assembly of Québec in 2019. Its official title is long, but its goal is simple: better regulate building inspection and divided co-ownership, so that buildings stop deteriorating for lack of planned maintenance and sufficient funds.

The law amends the Civil Code of Québec (C.c.Q.). The key provision for syndicates of co-owners is article 1070.2 of the Civil Code of Québec (LégisQuébec). It imposes two main obligations on the syndicate: keeping a maintenance logbook for the building and periodically obtaining a contingency fund study. The same law also created the attestation on the state of the co-ownership (art. 1068.1), which the syndicate must deliver within 15 days when a fraction is sold.

For several years, these obligations remained on hold, waiting for an application regulation to spell out the details: contents of the documents, qualified professionals, time limits. That regulation, the Regulation establishing various rules respecting divided co-ownership (CCQ, r. 8.01), enacted by Order in Council 991-2025, was published on July 30, 2025 in the Gazette officielle du Québec and has been in force since August 2025. It is this Regulation that makes the obligations concrete; combined with section 151 of Bill 16, it gives existing co-ownerships until August 15, 2028.

What this changes for your board of directors

Before Bill 16, many syndicates already kept a maintenance file and contributed to a contingency fund, but each in its own way. From now on, the contents, the authors and the review frequency of these documents are regulated. For a board of directors made up of volunteers, that mostly means: plan, budget and surround yourself with the right professionals before the deadline.

Is my co-ownership covered by Bill 16?

If your building is a divided co-ownership (that is, a declaration of co-ownership has been published and a syndicate of co-owners administers the common portions), then yes, your co-ownership is covered.

The stakes are far from marginal: Québec counted 366,527 divided co-ownership units on the assessment roll in 2022 and at least 28,573 syndicates, according to the documents filed by the ministère de l’Habitation with the draft regulation.

There is no size threshold. The obligations apply just as much to a duplex or triplex held in divided co-ownership as to a tower of several hundred units. The difference lies in the scope of the documents: the maintenance logbook of a small building will be much shorter than that of a large complex, but it is just as mandatory.

Conversely, undivided co-ownership (with no declaration of co-ownership and no syndicate) is not subject to these obligations. Housing co-operatives and rental buildings held by a single owner are not covered as such either. If you are unsure of your status, consult your declaration of co-ownership or a legal professional, and refer to the co-ownership pages on Québec.ca.

Newly created co-ownerships do not benefit from the same time limit as existing ones: the Regulation sets out specific terms for new syndicates. If your co-ownership was just created, check the time limits that apply to your situation with a professional or in the text of the Regulation.

What must the maintenance logbook contain?

The maintenance logbook is the building’s “memory”. It is a structured document that describes the common portions, records what has been done and plans what needs to be done. Kept properly, it lets a new board of directors, a manager or a professional understand the state of the building without starting from scratch.

The Regulation (art. 2 and 3) is precise. The logbook first contains an inventory and a description of the common portions (and of the elements of the private portions for which the syndicate is responsible), then, for each material, appliance or piece of equipment:

• the installation date, if known;
• the required maintenance work, its frequency and the date on which it was carried out;
• the routine repairs and their dates;
• the maintenance and repair contracts, the warranties in effect, the inspection or expert reports and the manufacturer’s maintenance manuals, where applicable.

Article 3 adds a requirement that is often underestimated: a dedicated section estimating the condition and remaining useful life of each component, with the planning of major repairs and replacements over at least the next 25 years, including the estimated year for each. And the person who establishes or reviews the logbook signs a declaration confirming that the premises were examined on site (art. 6): the logbook cannot be filled in from a distance.

If you have a doubt about a specific item, refer to the text of the Regulation or to the professional establishing your logbook. For a detailed picture (typical contents, a downloadable template, paper vs. Excel vs. software), see our maintenance logbook guide.

A document established by a professional, then kept current continuously

The logbook must be established by an authorized professional (see the table below). It must then stay current: the syndicate records maintenance and work as it happens, and a professional reviews it at least every five years. A logbook left in a filing cabinet quickly loses its value; keeping it current is exactly what our electronic maintenance logbook was designed for.

What is the contingency fund study?

The contingency fund is the syndicate’s collective savings, reserved for major repairs and the replacement of the common portions: redoing the roof, replacing the elevator, redoing the parking garage membrane. The fund itself is not new: it has been mandatory since 1994 (article 1071 of the Civil Code). What Bill 16 adds is the obligation to set its contributions on the basis of a professional study rather than a gut feeling. The contingency fund study answers a question every board of directors asks itself: “are we contributing enough?”

The Regulation (art. 8) requires precise minimum contents, calculated from the 25-year planning in the maintenance logbook:

• the contingency fund balance used for the study;
• an estimate of the cost of each major repair and each replacement in the year planned in the logbook;
• a recommendation on the amount that should be available in the fund at the start of each year and on the sums to contribute to it annually;
• an explanation of the calculations: the study must show its reasoning, not just its conclusions. It is signed and dated by its author (art. 9).

The Civil Code provides that the sums contributed to the contingency fund are set on the basis of the recommendations in this study. In other words, the study is not a decorative document: it directly guides the syndicate’s budget and the co-owners’ contributions. Like the logbook, it must be reviewed at least every five years.

The law also covers imperfect situations: until the syndicate has set its contributions on the basis of a study, it must pay into the fund at least 5% of the contributions to the common expenses (s. 153 of Bill 16); and if the first study reveals an insufficient fund, the board must set payments that make it sufficient within a horizon of at most 10 years (s. 154). In a new co-ownership, the developer contributes 0.5% of the reconstruction value until the study is obtained (art. 1071 C.c.Q.).

To visualize the effect of these recommendations on your contributions over time, see our contingency fund module and its scenario simulator. To dig deeper (costs, contents, preparation), read our contingency fund study guide; for a first order of magnitude, our free calculator projects your fund over 25 years, no account needed.

Who is allowed to prepare these documents?

This is one of the Regulation’s major contributions: the documents required by Bill 16 cannot be prepared by just anyone. They must be established by members of recognized professional orders, who put their professional liability on the line.

Before retaining a professional, check that they are duly registered on the roll of their order: the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ), the Ordre des architectes du Québec (OAQ), the Ordre des technologues professionnels du Québec (OTPQ) and the Ordre des évaluateurs agréés du Québec (OEAQ) all offer a directory of their members. The exact list of professionals qualified for each document is set by the Regulation: when in doubt, refer to the official text or ask the professional to confirm their qualification in writing.

What are the Bill 16 deadlines?

Here is the timeline to remember. The date that matters for most existing syndicates is August 15, 2028.

Where does August 15, 2028 come from? Section 151 of Bill 16 requires the documents to be obtained “no later than the day that follows the coming into force of the regulation by three years”, and Québec.ca confirms the interpretation: “a period of three years and one day”, which lands on August 15, 2028 (some industry sources cite a date one day earlier; do not gamble your compliance on a single day). Other useful time limits: in a new co-ownership, the developer must hand the logbook and the study to the syndicate within 30 days of the transition meeting (art. 1106.1 C.c.Q.); once obtained, the documents must be made available to the co-owners within 60 days (s. 152); and a logbook or study already obtained since August 2023 remains valid for its cycle if its author met the conditions of the Regulation (art. 14).

Three years may seem long, but demand for qualified professionals grows as the deadline approaches. A syndicate that waits until 2028 to look for a professional risks facing longer lead times and higher prices.

How much does it cost to comply with Bill 16?

There is no official fee schedule. The cost of the maintenance logbook and the contingency fund study depends mainly on three factors: the size of the building (number of units, area of the common portions), its age and condition, and the quality of the documents already available (plans, work history, invoices).

Sourced figures rather than impressions. The regulatory impact analysis from the Québec government (May 2024) uses an average cost of $4,000 to establish the logbook + study pair and $1,750 for their review (2023 survey of syndicates). On the market side, the RGCQ (November 2025) places the fund study between $2,500 and $3,500 for a small co-ownership, often $8,000 to $10,000 (with variations from $5,000 to $15,000) above 25 units, and $20,000 and up for complexes of 100 units or more. These ranges vary with the building and the file you provide: the only way to get a reliable price is to request several quotes, comparing what is included (site visit, report, horizon, follow-up support).

On top of these professional fees, you may want a tool to keep the logbook current day to day. The Carnet Condo software costs $3.50 per unit per month (minimum of $250 per year), with no setup fees. Full details are on our pricing page.

An expense… that prevents others

A well-prepared contingency fund study prevents unplanned special assessments, which often run to thousands of dollars per co-owner when a major repair arrives with no savings in place. Seen from that angle, Bill 16 compliance is less an expense than a tool of predictability for every co-owner.

What does a non-compliant syndicate risk?

Let’s stay factual: Bill 16 does not, to date, create a “co-ownership police” that would hand out fines to syndicates running late. The consequences of non-compliance are civil and practical instead — and they are very real.

Directors’ liability. Board members must act with prudence and diligence. Ignoring a legal obligation that is known, documented and tied to a deadline could be held against them, for example if a lack of maintenance causes damage. Complying also means protecting yourself as a volunteer director.

Unit sales. During a sale, the notary and the buyer ask the syndicate for an attestation on the state of the co-ownership, provided for in article 1068.1 of the Civil Code of Québec (introduced by Bill 16), and informed buyers (and their brokers) increasingly ask for the maintenance logbook and the contingency fund study. Missing documents can delay a transaction, scare off a buyer or weigh on the sale price of units. Our syndicate attestation guide details who signs it, what it contains and how to produce it quickly.

Insurance. Co-ownership insurers pay close attention to building upkeep. A syndicate able to demonstrate planned, documented maintenance presents itself in a much better light when renewing its policy or negotiating after a loss.

None of these risks justifies panic, but all of them justify starting now, while professionals’ lead times and prices are still reasonable. Our Bill 16 compliance page details how Carnet Condo helps your syndicate track every requirement.

Where to start? The syndicate’s checklist

Here is a simple action plan, scaled to a volunteer board of directors. Each step can be completed in a few weeks. For the detailed version to check off at a board meeting, use our free, printable Bill 16 checklist.

1. Take stock of what you already have. Plans, work invoices, inspection reports, maintenance contracts, declaration of co-ownership: the more complete your file, the fewer hours the professional will bill to reconstruct the history.
2. Put the August 15, 2028 deadline on the board’s agenda and budget for it starting with the next fiscal year. Inform the co-owners at a meeting: an obligation explained early always goes over better than a surprise bill.
3. Get quotes from authorized professionals (engineer, architect, professional technologist, chartered appraiser) for the logbook and the study. Compare at least two or three offers. Our quote form connects you with a professional in your area in 60 seconds, free of charge.
4. Have the maintenance logbook established and the contingency fund study carried out, then present the conclusions to the co-owners and adjust the contingency fund contributions accordingly.
5. Choose the tool that will keep the logbook current. A compliant logbook that is never updated loses its value within the first year. An electronic maintenance logbook lets you record every maintenance task, receive reminders and arrive prepared for the five-year review.
6. Plan the 5-year cycle. Write down now the date of the next review of the logbook and the study, and build it into your governance calendar (meetings, budget, insurance).