Condo owners across Canada know that monthly strata (or condo) fees can vary wildly depending on where you live. But why exactly is a unit in Ontario shelling out nearly $200 more per month compared to BC and Alberta? Let’s dive into the numbers and unpack what’s driving the differences—and what it reveals about how buildings are managed across the provinces.
Snapshot: Average Monthly Condo Fees by Province*
| Province | Strata Fees | General & Admin | Insurance | Management Fees | Utilities | Repairs & Maintenance | Reserve Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | $480 | $60 | $85 | $25 | $105 | $135 | $110 |
| BC | $470 | $60 | $105 | $35 | $75 | $180 | $75 |
| ON | $650 | $100 | $35 | $40 | $130 | $165 | $210 |
* Last-known fees averaged per unit from ~8,000 high-rise, mid-rise, low-rise and townhouse condo communities across Canada, rounded to the nearest $5 by category. Learn more about condo data insights at www.octoai.com
The Ontario Premium: Reserve Requirements
The biggest reason Ontario leads the pack? Their reserve fund contributions. At over $200/month on average, they’re nearly double Alberta’s and almost triple BC’s. This isn’t an accident—Ontario condo corporations must contribute an amount that is reasonably expected to cover major repairs and replacements over a 30-year horizon, which is determined with a reserve fund study.
While this certainly raises condo fees, it reflects a proactive stance that will reduce special levies down the road. It also is fair to both current owners, who are enjoying the useful life of the common property, and future owners, who (often unknowingly) buy future liabilities in BC and Alberta that they have not properly understood…one of the reasons we started Eli Report!
Utilities: Why Are They So Pricey in Ontario and Alberta?
Utilities in Ontario ($130) and Alberta ($105) significantly outpace BC ($75). There are a few plausible explanations:
- Electricity Costs: Ontario’s electricity rates are high, roughly 30% higher than BC, and if buildings are not separately metered, these costs are passed onto condo fees. Alberta’s rates can be even higher, and are roughly double BC.
- Climate: Alberta’s winters can be brutal, meaning more heating. Ontario gets cold too—which adds costs, especially to older buildings with less efficient HVAC systems and poor insulation.
- Inclusion Choices: Buildings that include gas, water, and electricity in their condo fees will naturally show higher utility costs.
Repairs & Maintenance: BC leads the pack
At $180/month, BC condos are spending the most on repairs and maintenance. That’s more than Alberta and even more than Ontario, despite the latter’s larger reserve contributions. Why?
- Aging Stock in Urban Centers: Vancouver has a lot of older condo buildings that may be in constant repair mode.
- Maintenance Culture: There’s a case to be made that BC strata corporations are more hands-on with preventative maintenance, partially justifying the lower reserve fund contributions.
- Weather & Wear: The coastal climate is wet and, for those on the coast, corrosive. More money may go to maintaining building envelopes, roofs, and underground garages, even though most of the leaky condo issues have been long resolved.
Insurance: The BC Burden
BC tops the list in insurance costs at $105—more than triple Ontario’s $35.
- Insurance Crisis: While the market is now softening, BC condos saw skyrocketing insurance premiums and deductibles over the past five years due to rising rebuild costs, high reinsurance costs, and tighter underwriting practices.
- Catastrophic Risk: Buildings in seismically active or flood-prone zones (hello, Metro Vancouver!) face even steeper premiums.
These factors have forced condos in BC to pass on increases to owners, who then face a double-whammy of higher personal lines premiums to cover the larger deductibles. Alberta has suffered terrible fire losses but has not seen premiums rise as high as BC, while Ontario is at lower risk and thus saves on this line item.
General Expenses and Management Fees: ON Takes the Crown
Ontario spends more across the board on general expenses ($100) and management fees ($40). This could reflect:
- Professionalization: Ontario’s condo management industry is highly regulated, with licensing requirements (soon to have stricter “two years’ experience” requirements) that push costs higher.
- Service Level: More on-site staff and concierge services drive up costs.
- Bureaucratic Load: Stricter compliance and legal frameworks can mean more administration—and more overhead.
Final Thoughts: Is Higher Always Worse?
While Ontario condo fees are clearly the highest, that doesn’t automatically make them worse. In many cases, they reflect forward-looking governance (in the form of reserve funding), regulatory rigor, and comprehensive service models.
On the flip side, lower fees in Alberta or BC might sometimes be a mirage—especially if reserve funds are underfunded or if future special levies are lurking. And on that front, we know they are: in BC alone, we estimate that 135,000 BC condo owners will face a special levy that averages nearly $7,500 per unit this year!**
The real question, of course, isn’t just how much you’re paying—it’s what you’re getting in return.
So whether you’re buying, managing, or investing in a condo, don’t just look at the dollar figures. Dig into the breakdown, review the budget, and understand the why behind the number. It might be the difference between a well-run building and a ticking time bomb.
Want to learn more about your condo community and see how it compares? Run an Eli Report.
Looking for detailed information as a condo board member or property manager? Learn more about the Annual Benchmark Report. It gives you a scorecard and helps you better plan for the future.
** Based on ~4,000 strata corporations in BC; total number of owners scaled up to reflect the number of strata units in communities with +3 units.