Your obligations

“The general message should be that enforcement will be expected and exceptions will be rare. This is to foster the result that people only move into the condominium if they are prepared to live by the rules of the community which they are joining. If they are not, they are perfectly free to join another community whose rules and regulations may be more in keeping with their particular individual needs, wishes or preferences. The provisions of the Condominium Act and the declaration, bylaws and rules are “vital to the integrity of the title acquired by” unit owners.  Unit owners are not only bound by the rules and regulations but are “entitled to insist that other unit owners are similarly bound.”
—Justice Penny

As Justice Penny states, buying a unit in a condo means that you are prepared to follow the provisions of the Condo Act and the condo's declaration, by-laws and rules. If you feel that you can't or you don't want to, then sell and get out.

All owners in a condominium corporation have obligations including:

1.	Paying your monthly common expenses on time.
2.	Pay all special assessments and loan payments on time.
3.	Be a "good" and thoughtful neighbour.
4.	Report any water leaks in your apartment, or any damage to the common elements, as soon as they occur. (Follow up the verbal report with one in writing so you have a record of what, when and to who you made the report.)
5.	If you rent your unit, you are financially responsible  if your tenant, their pets or their guests violates any of the corporation's rules and regulations or damage the property. You must also inform the corporation of your current mailing address.

There are more but these are the biggest ones.

Maintenance fees

Your monthly common expenses must be paid, no matter what.

If your unit gets burnt out and you lose everything, guess what: you may get a break from your municipality on your property taxes but you are still responsible to pay your mortgage and your monthly common expenses.

If a relative bought a unit in a retirement condo project and he has to leave to go in long-term care or dies, the fees must continue to be paid until the unit is sold and the heirs are no longer on title.

The only way you get off the hook is if you sell your unit.

Warning
If you get any written notices from the property manager, the board or the corporation lawyer saying that you have not been meeting your obligations, you should immediately get legal advice from a lawyer experienced in condominium law. I can't stress this too much.

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