Who Pays a Condo Special Assessment Before Closing?

Photo: ParsonsPhotographyNL, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Michael Smith, Michael Smith Team
Last updated: September 2026

The Michael Smith Team explains the rule for Calgary, Alberta condos. Who pays a special assessment before closing depends on when the board passed it, compared with completion day. On or before that day, it's normally the seller's cost. After it, it's normally the buyer's. This is general information, not legal advice. Ask your condo lawyer.

Who Pays a Condo Special Assessment Before Closing in Alberta?

Whoever owned the Alberta condo unit when the board passed the special assessment usually pays it, even if the bill arrives later. One passed on or before completion day is normally the seller's cost. One passed after is normally the buyer's. Confirm the wording and dates with your condo lawyer.

Here's the same rule as a quick table:

Confirm the exact clause and date with your condo lawyer. Your own purchase contract may word this differently. Your lawyer should check the resolution date with the condo corporation. Don't guess it from the sale date.

What Exactly Is a Condo Special Assessment?

In Alberta, a special assessment is a charge the condo board votes on, on top of regular condo fees. The vote sets the purpose, the total, each unit's share and the payment dates. The Condominium Property Act calls it a "special levy." "Special assessment" is the older, everyday name for the same thing.

This page uses the everyday name, because that's what Calgary buyers and sellers search for. If your lawyer or your documents say "special levy," they mean the same thing. A "chargeback" is different. It's a newer charge billed to one owner, not the whole building.

What Does the Standard Alberta Purchase Contract Say?

Alberta real estate lawyers describe the standard Alberta condo purchase contract as setting out one rule for Calgary condos. If the board resolves a special assessment on or before completion day, it's the seller's cost. If the board resolves it after, it's the buyer's. Wording can vary, so your own contract counts.

This page doesn't quote a clause number. We could not confirm the exact current wording of the standard form. This is general information, not legal advice. Have a condo lawyer review your contract and condo documents first.

I'm Selling a Calgary Condo, and There's a Special Assessment. Do I Still Pay It?

In Alberta, a seller usually still pays a special assessment if the board passed it before the sale completes. That holds even when the bill shows up after you've moved out. If it's only proposed, ask your condo lawyer how your contract wording and the timing apply, and what you need to tell the buyer.

For your full numbers, see the full breakdown of what it costs to sell a home in Calgary. It also covers the information statement as a seller cost.

Buying instead, and moving from BC or Ontario? Alberta's condo rules work differently, so see how closing costs compare if you're moving from BC or Ontario.

What Should I Check Before I Remove Subjects (or List)?

As of September 2026, an Alberta condo corporation must give you an information statement within 10 days of a request. It used to be called an estoppel certificate. It lists condo fees, arrears, pending special assessments, lawsuits and major contracts. Ask for it before you remove subjects or list.

Why read it closely? CBC News reported on a Calgary condo case. A written disclosure said the complex "had no structural deficiencies and there was no special assessment for this property." About a week after closing, owners were told about a special assessment of roughly $1.1 million. The departing owner's share came to approximately $25,000. This is one real case, not a typical one. The lesson is still plain. Review the documents closely, with your own condo lawyer, before you commit.

A pending chargeback must also appear on the information statement, once the owner has been told. So read the document itself, not just the board's quick answer. For the negotiating side, see our guide to how condo negotiation works in a buyer's market.

What Changed Under Alberta's 2026 Condominium Property Act Amendments?

As of September 2026, Alberta's condo rules changed in two steps in 2026. The first amendments took effect February 15, 2026. Regulation changes followed February 26, 2026. They touch disclosure documents, a new billing process for owners, and a new tribunal, which can matter when you buy or sell a Calgary condo.

That tribunal is the Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal (CDRT). It began hearing cases April 1, 2026. It's a streamlined alternative to court. But it covers only three things: money penalties on an owner, access to condo documents, and general-meeting disputes. It does not decide who pays a special assessment between a buyer and a seller. That still turns on your purchase contract.

The amendments also created a "chargeback" process. It bills one owner for a specific act or omission. The board must give written notice within 90 days after it becomes aware of the issue. The owner gets at least 10 days to respond. A chargeback cannot exceed the corporation's insurance deductible, and it is capped at $50,000. Filing at the CDRT has its own rules. You must apply within one year of when you knew or should have known about the dispute. Fees apply, and they can be reduced or waived for hardship. Read more about the CDRT at alberta.ca.

What Does a Special Assessment Actually Cost in Calgary?

As of September 2026, we found no government or news source that gives a typical special assessment amount for Calgary or Alberta condos. Treat any number you see, even the example here, as an illustration only. Your real figure depends on your building's repair bill, its unit count and how the board splits it.

Here's an example, not a real case. A building has a $500,000 repair bill, split evenly across 100 units. Each owner's share would be roughly $5,000. Your real number will differ.

Alberta condo corporations must complete a reserve fund study at least every 5 years, and the study should consider a 30-year timeframe. A new corporation must finish its first study within 2 years of registering its condo plan. The reserve fund is the building's long-term savings for major repairs. Ask to see the current study before you buy. Comparing overall buying costs? See the full cost breakdown of buying a home in Calgary.

How the Michael Smith Team Checks for a Looming Assessment Before You Commit

The Michael Smith Team reviews the condo document package for Calgary buyers and sellers, including the information statement. We look for signs of a pending or looming special assessment. Then we loop in your condo lawyer for the final legal read. This is general information, not legal advice.

Before you rely on anything here, have a condo lawyer read your contract and condo documents.

Want a second set of eyes first? Call us at 403-919-2247 or email Michael@mstrealty.ca and ask for a free condo document review. We'll help you see what your documents actually say, before you're locked in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who pays a special assessment when a Calgary condo is sold?
In Alberta, it's usually whoever owned the unit when the condo board passed the resolution. If the board resolved it on or before completion day, it's typically the seller's cost. If the board resolved it after, it's typically the buyer's. Confirm the exact wording and date with your condo lawyer.

I'm selling my condo. Am I responsible for a pending special assessment?
If the board already passed a resolution before your sale completes, yes. That cost is typically yours, even if the invoice arrives after closing. If it's only proposed or under discussion, ask your condo lawyer how your contract terms and the resolution date apply, and what to tell the buyer.

What is an information statement and why does it matter?
As of September 2026, an Alberta condo corporation must give you an information statement. It used to be called an estoppel certificate. It must arrive within 10 days of a request. It lists condo fees, arrears, pending special assessments, lawsuits and major contracts. Read it before you commit.

What is Alberta's Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal?
The Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal (CDRT) is an Alberta tribunal that began hearing condo disputes April 1, 2026. It handles only three kinds: money penalties on an owner, access to condo documents, and general-meeting disputes. It does not decide who pays a special assessment.

What does a reserve fund study tell me about future special assessments?
A reserve fund study is an Alberta condo corporation's long-range plan for major repairs. It's required at least every 5 years and should consider a 30-year timeframe. It's worth asking to see the current study before you buy, and asking your condo lawyer what it means for you.

Sources

• Government of Alberta, on reserve fund studies
• Government of Alberta, on the 2026 condominium amendments
• Government of Alberta, on the Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal
• CBC News, reporting on a Calgary condo special-assessment case
• Also consulted for corroboration only, not promoted: Giardino Law, Passgo Real Estate Law, Kahane Law Office, Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP, and the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta (CondoLawAlberta)

A condo special assessment can catch a buyer or a seller off guard. You don't have to sort out who pays it alone. The Michael Smith Team reviews the condo documents with you, then brings in your condo lawyer for the final word before you commit.