Condominium Management

Periodic Information Certificates in Ontario Condos: PICs, ICUs and NOICs Explained for Boards

What Ontario condo boards need to know about periodic information certificates, information certificate updates and new owner certificates: required contents, deadlines, delivery options and common mistakes.

Glass condominium towers along Toronto's waterfront against a clear blue sky

By Eric Plant, Director, RCM, MBA

Why information certificates matter to your board

Ontario condominium corporations have to keep owners informed on a fixed schedule. Since November 1, 2017, section 26.3 of the Condominium Act, 1998 has required corporations to send owners information certificates, and section 11 of Ontario Regulation 48/01 sets out what goes in them, when they are due and how they can be delivered. There are three types: the periodic information certificate (PIC), the information certificate update (ICU) and the new owner information certificate (NOIC).

For boards, these certificates are not just paperwork. A PIC is a snapshot of the corporation's governance, finances, insurance and legal position, and owners rely on it. A late, incomplete or inaccurate certificate can become a records dispute, and it can undermine trust when the board later asks owners to accept a fee increase or a special project. Below we cover contents, deadlines, delivery and common mistakes. This is general information, not legal advice.

The three certificates at a glance

  • Periodic information certificate (PIC). The main certificate, sent to all owners twice a year. It covers directors, management, insurance, the budget, the reserve fund, legal actions and more.
  • Information certificate update (ICU). Sent to all owners between PICs when certain key facts change, such as the board members or the management company.
  • New owner information certificate (NOIC). Sent to a new owner after they notify the corporation of their name and unit, so they receive the most recent PIC and any later updates.

All three must use the mandatory forms that the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) publishes, under section 16.1 of the regulation. The CAO's mandatory condo forms page is the place to get the current versions; do not rely on an old template saved from a previous year.

Periodic information certificates: timing

Section 26.3(a) of the Act says a PIC must go out at least once every three months or at other prescribed times. The regulation replaces the quarterly default with two fixed deadlines. Under section 11.1(4), a corporation must send a PIC:

  • within 60 days after the last day of the first quarter of its fiscal year; and
  • within 60 days after the last day of the third quarter of its fiscal year.

A corporation can add more PICs by passing a by-law that sets additional times. The information in a PIC must be current as of the last day of the relevant quarter, or as of the date set in the by-law for any additional PIC.

For a January to December fiscal year, the first quarter ends on March 31 and the third on September 30, so the PICs are due by May 30 and November 29. Many corporations use other fiscal years, so put your actual dates on the board's compliance calendar.

What a PIC must contain

A PIC combines items from the Act with a longer list in section 11.1(1) of the regulation. From the Act, it must include the corporation's address for service, the names and addresses for service of the directors and officers, a statement of outstanding judgments against the corporation and the status of legal actions it is a party to, and a certificate or memorandum of insurance for each current policy. These are the same items described in clauses 76(1)(d), (e), (h) and (p), which also appear in a status certificate. Our article on status certificate red flags covers the status certificate side.

Section 11.1(1) of the regulation adds, among other things:

  • the name and address for service of the condominium management provider or manager, if any, and anyone else responsible for managing the property;
  • the information owners need to deliver material to the corporation, and the method of electronic communication the corporation will use for records requests;
  • a statement identifying any director who is a party to a legal action with the corporation, has an outstanding judgment in such an action, has common expenses in arrears for 60 days or more, or has not completed the prescribed director training within the required time;
  • the number of units the corporation has been told were leased during the current fiscal year under section 83 of the Act;
  • the financial implications of the judgments and legal actions, including whether insurance covers any damages or legal costs;
  • a description of any insurance deductible clause, the maximum amount that could be added to an owner's common expenses because of it, and a warning to owners about that liability;
  • a statement identifying any insurance the corporation was required to have but did not maintain during the current fiscal year;
  • copies of the ongoing disclosure statements directors gave the board during the current fiscal year under section 11.10, such as an interest in a contract with the corporation;
  • whether the corporation has passed a by-law under clause 56(1)(h), and its number;
  • the current budget and any amendments, and whether the budget may result in a surplus or deficit, with the projected amount;
  • the reserve fund balance, the balance at the start of the fiscal year, the planned annual contribution, the anticipated expenditures for the year and any current plan to increase the fund under section 94(8);
  • the status of any outstanding claims against the Tarion guarantee fund under the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act;
  • whether the corporation failed during the year to comply with the condominium authority provisions in Part II.1 of the Act, such as filing returns; and
  • any other information the corporation's by-laws require.

Two of these items deserve extra attention. First, the deductible disclosure is how most owners learn what they could be charged after an insurance claim; our guide to insurance deductibles and chargebacks explains why getting this right matters. Second, section 11.1(8) says a corporation that sends a PIC in accordance with the regulation is deemed to have complied with section 105.1 of the Act, which requires the board to give owners notice about the corporation's insurance. An accurate insurance section in the PIC therefore does double duty.

A change is coming on December 31, 2026. On that day, amendments made by O. Reg. 236/26 add a new clause requiring a PIC to identify any director who holds a board position reserved for voting by owners of non-leased voting units, and update the cross-references for delivering material to the corporation. Ask your manager to confirm the CAO forms you use reflect the version in force on the date each certificate is prepared.

Information certificate updates: what triggers one

ICUs keep owners informed between PICs. Under section 11.2 of the regulation, an ICU must state whether there has been a change in any of these matters and, if so, describe it:

  • the corporation's address for service;
  • the address for service of the directors or officers;
  • the directors or officers themselves;
  • the condominium management provider or manager the corporation has a management agreement with;
  • the information needed to deliver material to the corporation, or the corporation's method of electronic communication; or
  • the insurance deductible clause or the maximum amount that could be added to owners' common expenses.

An ICU is also required if insurance the corporation was required to maintain has been terminated, and if vacancies leave the board without quorum. Section 11.2(3) sets the deadlines:

  • within 30 days of a change to the addresses, directors, officers, manager or communication details;
  • within 30 days after the corporation learns of a change to the deductible information;
  • as soon as reasonably possible, and no later than 30 days, after the corporation learns that required insurance was terminated; and
  • within five days of losing quorum, with a statement of the number of vacancies and a request that anyone intending to run for the board notify the board in writing within five days.

The most common trigger is a change in directors, after an AGM, a resignation or a removal. If the board elects new officers at its first meeting after the AGM, that is also a change. Build the ICU into your post-AGM checklist alongside the board meeting minutes, so it is not forgotten. A change of management company also requires an ICU, which is worth remembering during any transition.

New owner information certificates

Section 46.1(2) of the Act requires a new owner to give the corporation written notice of their name and unit within 30 days of becoming an owner. Once that notice is received, section 11.3 of the regulation requires the corporation to send that owner a NOIC within 30 days. The NOIC contains a copy of the most recent PIC and any ICUs sent after it, unless the owner has already received them, plus anything the corporation's by-laws require.

A NOIC is only owed to owners who have given the section 46.1(2) notice. If there is nothing to include, for example because the corporation has not yet been required to send a PIC, no NOIC is required. In practice, the manager should send it as soon as the owner record is updated and log the date.

Delivery: paper, email or website posting

Information certificates can be delivered using the methods in section 54 of the Act, which include delivery to an owner's address for service and electronic delivery where the owner has agreed to it. Section 11.5 of the regulation adds another option: posting the certificate on a website and sending owners a notice of the posting. For the posting to count as proper service:

  • the notice must be in the CAO's prescribed form and sent to owners under section 54;
  • it must say whether the posted document is a PIC, ICU or NOIC and explain how to access it electronically;
  • it must tell owners they can request a paper copy under section 55(3) of the Act; and
  • the posting must remain accessible for at least 30 days and meet the regulation's requirements for electronic communication.

Whatever method you use, keep proof of delivery: the mailing list used, the date sent, the email log or the posting notice. If an owner later says they never received a certificate, those records answer the question quickly.

When certificates are not required

Section 11.4 provides a narrow exemption. A corporation must not send PICs, ICUs or NOICs for the rest of a fiscal year if the turn-over meeting has been held (and, for a phased corporation, a new board has been elected and a turn-over meeting held after that election), and the owners of at least 80 per cent of the units consent in writing to dispense with the requirement until the next fiscal year. Owners whose common expenses are 30 days or more in arrears cannot consent until the arrears are paid. The exemption has to be renewed each fiscal year, and in our experience most larger corporations simply send the certificates.

Information certificates are condo records

PICs sent, or required to be sent, within the 12 months before a records request are core records under Ontario Regulation 48/01. Owners can request them through the process explained in our article on owner records requests under section 55, and the corporation must provide core records within the regulated timelines.

The CAO's information certificates guidance notes that the Condominium Authority Tribunal has decided disputes about whether certificates were adequate records. The Tribunal has looked at whether the certificates included all the required information, whether they were issued on time and in line with the regulation, whether the information was reasonably accurate when made, and whether errors were corrected. A missing PIC or a PIC with stale insurance information is an easy point for an owner to win.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

  • Missing the deadline because of a fiscal year mismatch. Calculate the dates from your actual fiscal year, not the calendar year.
  • Stale reserve fund figures. The balance must be current as of the last day of the quarter. Reconcile it with the financial statements before the PIC goes out.
  • Vague insurance disclosure. State the deductibles and maximum chargeback clearly, confirmed with your broker at each renewal.

A simple board workflow

A dependable process usually looks like this. The manager prepares a draft PIC from the CAO form within a few weeks of quarter end, using the reconciled financials, the current insurance certificates and the director register. The board, or a director it designates, reviews the draft for accuracy. The certificate is delivered by the method each owner has agreed to, and proof of delivery is filed. Changes in directors, management, addresses or insurance trigger an ICU within the deadlines above, and the owner records process triggers each NOIC. Accurate, on-time certificates also support the wider communication and transparency owners expect.

How Brilliant Property Management can help

Brilliant Property Management has supported Ontario condominium boards since 2002. We prepare and deliver PICs, ICUs and NOICs on a compliance calendar built around each corporation's fiscal year, reconcile the financial and insurance figures before anything goes to owners, and keep delivery records that stand up if questions arise. Learn more about our condo property management in Toronto, review our management services, or request a proposal for your building.

Frequently asked questions

How often must an Ontario condo corporation send a periodic information certificate?

Under section 11.1(4) of Ontario Regulation 48/01, a periodic information certificate (PIC) must be sent within 60 days after the end of the first quarter and within 60 days after the end of the third quarter of the corporation's fiscal year, plus any additional times set out in a by-law. For a corporation with a calendar fiscal year, that means by the end of May and by the end of November.

When does an information certificate update have to go out?

Most changes, such as a new director or officer, a new address for service or a new condominium manager, require an information certificate update (ICU) within 30 days of the change. A change to the insurance deductible information is due within 30 days after the corporation learns of it. If the board loses quorum because of vacancies, the update must go out within five days.

Does every new owner get a new owner information certificate?

A new owner information certificate (NOIC) is only sent to a new owner who has given the corporation written notice of their name and unit under section 46.1(2) of the Condominium Act, 1998. It must be sent within 30 days after that notice and includes the most recent PIC and any later ICUs the owner has not already received.

Can a condo corporation post information certificates online instead of mailing them?

Yes, if it follows section 11.5 of Ontario Regulation 48/01. The corporation can post the certificate on a website and send owners a notice of the posting in the required form. The posting must stay accessible for at least 30 days, and the notice must tell owners how to access it and that they can request a paper copy under section 55(3) of the Act.

This article is general information about the Condominium Act, 1998 and Ontario Regulation 48/01, current as of October 2026. It is not legal advice. Your obligations depend on your declaration, by-laws, fiscal year and circumstances, and the regulation is amended from time to time. Consult your condominium lawyer about your corporation's situation.