Your Rights as a Condo Owner: Meetings, Votes, and Records

Then something happens.

A meeting notice arrives. A proxy form is pushed under the door. A board election is coming. A special issue appears on the agenda. Owners start asking for records. Management says the board already decided. Nobody explains much.

This is the moment when owners need to know the basics.

Under the Ontario Condominium Act, 1998, owners have important rights around meetings, voting, proxies, requisitioned meetings, and access to records.

These rights do not let one owner run the building. But they do give owners tools to see what is happening, participate in decisions, and challenge silence with documents.

Quick Summary

Ontario condo owners should know five basic rights:

1. You can attend owners’ meetings, including the AGM.
2. You can vote, unless your voting rights are restricted.
3. You can appoint a proxy if you cannot attend.
4. Owners representing at least 15% of voting units can requisition an owners’ meeting.
5. You can request many condo corporation records under section 55 of the Condominium Act.

The painful truth is simple: if owners do not use these rights, the building can be controlled by a very small group of people.

1. The AGM Is Not Just a Formality

Every condo corporation must hold owners’ meetings. The most important regular meeting is the Annual General Meeting, usually called the AGM.

The AGM is where owners normally see the corporation’s financial picture, auditor information, board election process, and other major governance issues.

At a proper AGM, owners should be able to understand at least four things:

• who is running for the board;
• what the financial statements show;
• whether the corporation’s reserve and budget picture looks stable;
• what votes or decisions owners are being asked to make.

If the AGM feels rushed, confusing, or controlled, that is not a small issue. It means owners may be making decisions without understanding the consequences.

Owners should read the AGM package before the meeting. Not because it is exciting. Because it is one of the few times the corporation is required to put key information in front of owners.

2. Meeting Notices Matter

A meeting notice is not junk mail.

It tells owners what meeting is being held, when it will happen, how to attend, what business will be discussed, and whether voting will take place.

For important meetings, the notice package may include:

• agenda;
• proxy form;
• candidate information;
• financial statements;
• auditor’s report;
• proposed by-law or rule material;
• instructions for virtual or electronic attendance;
• voting instructions.

If the notice is late, incomplete, confusing, or missing key material, owners may lose the practical ability to participate.

A right to vote means little if owners do not know what they are voting on.

This is why notices matter. They are not paperwork. They are the owner’s warning that something is about to happen.

3. Owners Can Vote

Voting is one of the strongest rights an owner has.

Owners may vote at owners’ meetings, including AGMs and owner-requisitioned meetings, subject to the Condominium Act, the corporation’s documents, and any restrictions that apply.

Voting can affect:

• board elections;
• removal of directors;
• by-laws;
• certain rule issues;
• requisitioned meeting business;
• other matters brought properly before owners.

Before voting, owners should ask:

• What exactly is being voted on?
• Is this only a discussion, or is there a binding vote?
• What percentage is needed for the vote to pass?
• Are all owners voting, or only certain classes of owners?
• Are proxies being used?
• Will results be recorded clearly?

A vote should not be treated as a rubber stamp.

If you do not understand the motion, the candidate list, or the effect of the vote, do not guess. Ask for the document that explains it.

4. Proxy Forms Can Decide the Building

A proxy allows someone else to attend or vote for an owner who cannot attend the meeting.

This can be useful. It can also be abused.

In many condo elections, the real fight is not at the meeting. It happens before the meeting, when proxies are collected.

Before signing a proxy, check:

• who you are appointing;
• whether the proxy can vote for directors;
• whether the proxy can vote on all matters or only specific matters;
• whether the form is complete;
• whether your voting instructions are written clearly;
• whether you are signing a blank or partially blank form.

Do not sign a blank proxy.

Do not sign a proxy just because someone says, “It is only for quorum.”

If the proxy gives someone voting power, they may be able to use your vote in a way you did not expect.

A proxy is not a favour. It is control over your vote.

5. Owners Can Requisition a Meeting

Owners do not always have to wait for the board.

Under section 46 of the Condominium Act, owners can requisition a meeting of owners.

The usual threshold is important: the requisition must be signed by owners of at least 15% of the voting units.

That number matters. In a 300-unit building, 15% means 45 voting units. In a 100-unit building, it means 15 voting units.

A requisition should clearly state the purpose of the meeting. If owners want to remove a director, the requisition needs to be especially careful.

A weak requisition can fail before owners even reach the meeting.

A proper requisition should be:

• in writing;
• signed by eligible voting owners;
• clear about the business to be discussed or voted on;
• delivered properly to the corporation;
• free from careless accusations that could create legal risk.

After receiving a proper requisition, the board has strict response obligations under section 46 of the Condominium Act. In the usual board-response process, the CAO describes a 35-day timeline for calling and holding the meeting, with required notices to owners. Owners should still check the current CAO guidance and the Act, because the timing can depend on what step of the requisition process they are dealing with.

This is one of the strongest owner tools in the Act.

But it must be used carefully. If the wording is sloppy, if the wrong people sign, or if the purpose is unclear, the board may challenge it.

6. Owners Can Request Records

Section 55 of the Condominium Act deals with condo corporation records.

This is one of the most important rights owners have.

Owners may be able to request records such as:

• declaration;
• by-laws;
• rules;
• financial statements;
• budgets;
• auditor’s reports;
• board meeting minutes;
• owners’ meeting minutes;
• reserve fund studies;
• reserve fund plans;
• contracts;
• insurance information;
• record of owners and mortgagees;
• other corporation records, depending on the request and the law.

Records matter because they replace gossip with documents.

If someone says, “The board approved it,” ask for the record.

If someone says, “There is no money,” ask for the financial records.

If someone says, “The engineer recommended it,” ask for the report.

If someone says, “Owners voted for it,” ask for the meeting records.

A condo corporation is not supposed to run on verbal claims. It keeps records for a reason.

7. But Records Are Not the Same as Explanations

This is where many owners get frustrated.

You may be entitled to records.

You are not always entitled to force the board or manager to explain every decision in the way you want.

This is an important CAO point: the right is mainly a right to access records, not a general right to force the board or manager to provide personal explanations or justifications for every decision.

That sounds harsh, but it is important.

The practical move is this:

Do not start by demanding an argument.

Start by requesting the records.

Then read what the records actually show.

If the records are missing, incomplete, inconsistent, or do not support what owners were told, now you have something concrete.

That is much stronger than saying, “I do not like the answer.”

8. Some Records Can Be Refused or Redacted

A records right is not unlimited.

The corporation may refuse or redact certain records in some situations, including records involving privacy, litigation, insurance investigations, employees, or other protected material.

That does not mean management can simply say, “confidential” and end the discussion.

If a record is refused or redacted, owners should ask:

• What record was refused?
• What section of the Act or regulation is being relied on?
• Was a redacted version possible?
• Was the refusal explained in writing?
• Was the request made on the proper form?

A proper refusal should not be vague.

If the corporation is relying on confidentiality, the owner should ask for the specific reason and whether a redacted version can be provided.

9. Virtual Meetings Are Allowed, But Participation Still Matters

Virtual and hybrid meetings are now common.

They can help owners attend. They can also make meetings easier to control.

Owners should watch for practical problems:

• owners cannot speak;
• chat is disabled or ignored;
• questions are filtered;
• voting instructions are unclear;
• owners cannot tell whether quorum exists;
• technical problems are blamed on owners;
• results are announced without detail;
• proxy voting is mixed with electronic voting in a confusing way.

A virtual meeting is not automatically unfair.

But if owners cannot reasonably participate, ask questions, vote, or understand the process, then the format becomes a governance problem.

Convenience is not the same as transparency.

10. Red Flags Owners Should Not Ignore

Owners should pay attention when:

• the AGM is delayed without a clear reason;
• meeting packages are incomplete;
• proxy collection becomes aggressive;
• owners are pressured to sign blank proxies;
• voting results are unclear;
• the board refuses to provide minutes;
• financial records are hard to obtain;
• reserve fund information is missing or avoided;
• owners are discouraged from talking to each other;
• requisition efforts are treated as misconduct;
• owners who ask for records receive threats or legal letters.

One red flag does not prove wrongdoing.

But several red flags together usually mean owners should stop relying on verbal answers and start preserving documents.

11. What Owners Should Do When Something Feels Wrong

Do not argue by phone.

Do not rely on hallway conversations.

Do not send emotional emails.

Do three things.

First, save the notice, proxy, email, minutes, records response, or meeting package.

Second, identify the exact issue. Is it a meeting notice issue, voting issue, proxy issue, requisition issue, or records issue?

Third, ask for the specific record or legal basis.

For example:

• Please provide the meeting minutes where this decision was approved.
• Please provide the record showing the voting results.
• Please identify the section of the Condominium Act or governing document relied on.
• Please provide the records response form and explain any refusal or redaction.
• Please confirm whether this matter was voted on by owners or decided by the board.

Short questions work better than angry speeches.

Final Thought

Ontario condo owners have more rights than many people realize.

But those rights are only useful if owners know when to use them.

Meetings matter. Votes matter. Proxies matter. Records matter. Requisition rights matter.

A condo corporation can involve millions of dollars in property, repairs, contracts, insurance, reserve funds, and legal costs. Owners should not be treated as passive monthly payers who only receive bills and notices.

If something looks wrong, do not guess.

Check the notice. Check the vote. Check the proxy. Check section 46 if owners want a meeting. Check section 55 if records are being requested. Ask for documents before the story changes.

That is how owners protect themselves.

Need Help Understanding a Condo Notice, Proxy, Vote, or Records Issue?

If you received a condo notice, meeting package, proxy form, records response, legal letter, or lien warning, do not guess.

You can describe what is going on for free and get direction on what the issue appears to be.

If the situation involves several documents, a disputed vote, records refusal, legal letter, chargeback, or lien risk, you can also review the paid options for closer document analysis.

Educational explanation only. Not legal or engineering advice.