Alberta Landlord Compliance · Keep the right records
When a Tenant Breaks Condo Rules in Calgary, Is the Landlord Responsible?
A Calgary owner gets a copy of a notice addressed to their tenant: a bylaw breach for a Friday-night noise complaint, a $500 sanction, and three days to respond. Can the corporation really do that, can it bill the owner instead, and can the lease push the cost back? The answers are more specific than most owners expect, and they changed in 2026.
Written by PlatuniThe short answer
- 1.A corporation can impose a monetary sanction only if its bylaws provide for one and set a maximum. Sanctions apply to bylaw breaches, not rule breaches. [Service Alberta, condominium rules, bylaws and sanctions guide]
- 2.Service Alberta's guidance describes caps of $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for later violations of the same bylaw, and for a continuing breach $500 for the first week and $1,000 for each later week. [Service Alberta, condominium rules, bylaws and sanctions guide]
- 3.Before a sanction, the corporation must serve written notice with the unit, bylaw, date, maximum sanction, and required fix, and allow at least three days to respond. If the person is a tenant, the owner must also be notified. [Service Alberta, condominium rules, bylaws and sanctions guide]
- 4.Since early 2026, a corporation can charge an owner for damage caused by the owner, a tenant, or a guest, by board resolution and formal notice. [Government of Alberta, supporting Alberta's condominium communities]
- 5.Disputes over monetary sanctions can go to the new Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal, which began operating April 1, 2026. Chargebacks follow a separate appeal route to the Court of King's Bench. [Alberta, Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal fact sheet; Government of Alberta]
- 6.A board can end a tenancy for damage or a bylaw violation, but through its own notice process, and the owner keeps separate rights under the Residential Tenancies Act. [CondoLawAlberta, renting out your condo]
This Covers
- · What a corporation needs before it can sanction a Calgary tenant, and how much it can charge
- · How the 2026 chargeback rules put the owner on the hook for a tenant's damage
- · Where the eviction power sits, and which lease clauses help the owner recover costs
Usually Exempt
- · Rental restrictions and the short-term rental case law, covered in Platuni's separate Calgary rental-restrictions guide
- · Tenant registration and the owner's notice to the corporation, covered in Platuni's separate Calgary tenant-registration guide
- · Move-in fees, deposits, and parking
1. A sanction needs a bylaw behind it, and only a bylaw
A corporation cannot invent a fine. The bylaws must identify that non-compliance is subject to a sanction and set a maximum. The sanction has to be reasonable, and none can be imposed for breaking a rule, which sits below a bylaw.
A charge for breaking a posted "house rule" has no sanction behind it unless the bylaws contain the same requirement.
The caps in Service Alberta's guidance are $500 for a first violation of a bylaw and $1,000 for subsequent violations of the same bylaw. For a continuing breach the guide describes $500 for the first week and $1,000 for each later week. The guide is dated 2023, so confirm the current figures before quoting them.
Do this instead
When your tenant receives a sanction, ask for the bylaw number and check that it states a sanction and a maximum. If the charge rests on a "rule" or an unnumbered policy, challenge it in writing before anyone pays.
2. Notice comes first, and the owner is copied
The notice requirements decide whether a sanction stands. The notice must include the unit number, the name of the owner or person alleged to have breached, the bylaw provision, the date and time of the breach, the maximum sanction, and the corrective action required. The person must have at least three days after service to respond or fix the problem, excluding Sundays and holidays.
When the person on the notice is a tenant, the owner must also be notified, which is why the owner in the opening example received a copy. The same monetary limits apply to tenants and owners.
Do this instead
Forward the notice to the tenant the day you receive it, with the deadline and a request to confirm the fix in writing. Reply to the corporation yourself within the response period and keep copies of everything.
3. Chargebacks put the owner on the hook for damage
Chargebacks are a different tool. Under the amendments in force from early 2026, a corporation can recover costs from an owner for damage caused by the owner's actions, or by their tenant or guest. The board must pass a formal resolution, and written notice has to be issued within 90 days of discovery.
The notice must give the owner's name and unit number, the date and a description of the incident, the estimated amount, and a response deadline of at least 10 days. The amount is the lower of the actual repair cost or the insurance deductible, up to $50,000. An owner who disagrees can appeal to the Court of King's Bench within 30 days of the notice.
For a landlord, damage by a tenant is the owner's bill, and pending chargebacks can show up on an estoppel certificate when a unit is sold.
Do this instead
Diarise two dates for every chargeback notice: the response deadline and the 30-day appeal window. Ask for the repair invoice and the deductible figure before agreeing to any amount.
4. A new tribunal for sanction disputes
Alberta's Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal began operating on April 1, 2026. It hears disputes about monetary sanctions imposed by a corporation and the process used to impose them, as well as access to condominium documents and disputes over general meetings.
The fact sheet lists a $150 application fee covering guided negotiation and the first four hours of mediation, and a $350 adjudication fee. Decisions are binding and can be enforced like a court order. A dispute must be brought within one year of when the applicant knew or should have known about it.
Oppression claims under section 67 and special assessment challenges are outside the tribunal. The fact sheet does not say whether a tenant can apply, so a sanctioned tenant may need advice or the owner's help. Chargebacks are not on its published list, and their appeal route goes to the court.
Do this instead
If a sanction looks flawed (no bylaw, no stated maximum, fewer than three days to respond), calendar the one-year limit and consider a tribunal application. Ask a lawyer whether the owner or tenant should apply.
5. When the board moves to end the tenancy
According to CondoLawAlberta, a board can evict a tenant who has caused damage beyond normal wear and tear to common property or corporation property, or who has violated a bylaw. It serves written notice on the tenant with a copy to the owner, and the tenant has until the last day of the month after the month in which the notice is served to leave. If the tenant doesn't go, the board can apply to the Court of King's Bench.
In emergencies, such as excessive damage or a tenant who endangers or intimidates others, the board can go straight to court, with at least five days' notice of the hearing to tenant and owner.
The owner cannot stop the board's process but keeps separate eviction rights under the Residential Tenancies Act.
Do this instead
Treat a board eviction notice as urgent. Speak to the tenant the same day, ask a lawyer about your Residential Tenancies Act options in parallel, and keep every notice and warning you have sent.
6. Lease clauses that protect the owner
The owner carries the financial exposure and the bylaws bind the tenant, so the lease is where cost can be pushed back. A clause that obliges the tenant to follow the bylaws, to fix any breach promptly after notice, and to reimburse the owner for any sanction or chargeback caused by the tenant's conduct gives the owner a contractual claim. A clause that conflicts with the bylaws is unenforceable, so write the lease to match the building.
Whether a reimbursement clause holds up depends on its wording and Alberta tenancy rules, so have a lawyer review it.
Substantive review means an editor checked this article against Service Alberta and Government of Alberta guidance, the Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal fact sheet, and CondoLawAlberta guidance on tenants and bylaws. What a specific building's bylaws authorise, how the 2026 amendments apply to a particular incident, and whether a lease clause is enforceable depend on that corporation's registered bylaws and the facts of the case; verify current requirements with the property manager, the corporation's records, or an Alberta condominium lawyer before relying on this for a specific enforcement situation. This is general information, not legal advice. Corrections: compliance@platuni.com
Reading this as a tenant?
A condo corporation needs a bylaw, a written notice, and at least three days for you to respond before it can sanction you, and your landlord should be copied. Serious or repeated breaches can lead to a notice to end your tenancy. Act on any notice quickly and keep a copy of your reply.
Sources and review
- 1.Service Alberta, "Condominium Rules, Bylaws and Sanctions" guide (October 2023). open.alberta.ca. Checked 5 Oct 2026.
- 2.Government of Alberta, "Supporting Alberta's condominium communities" (chargebacks and tribunal, 2026 changes). alberta.ca. Checked 5 Oct 2026.
- 3.Government of Alberta, Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal general information fact sheet. alberta.ca. Checked 5 Oct 2026.
- 4.Witten LLP, "Alberta's Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal is now in force." wittenlaw.com. Checked 5 Oct 2026.
- 5.CondoLawAlberta, "Renting out your condo" and "Bylaws." condolawalberta.ca. Checked 5 Oct 2026.
Substantive review means an editor re-checked each cited section against the current code, not that the page was re-saved. Corrections: compliance@platuni.com.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Calgary condo board fine my tenant?
It can impose a monetary sanction for a bylaw breach if the bylaws authorise it and set a maximum, after written notice and at least three days to respond. Rule breaches can't be sanctioned.
Is the owner billed for damage a tenant causes?
Yes. Under the 2026 amendments a corporation can charge an owner for damage caused by a tenant or guest, through a board resolution and a notice with at least 10 days to respond.
Where do I dispute a sanction?
The Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal hears monetary sanction disputes and the process behind them, within one year of when you knew or should have known.
Can the board evict my tenant?
It can for damage or a bylaw violation, by written notice with the tenant leaving by the end of the following month, or through court in emergencies.
Can I make my tenant repay a sanction or chargeback?
You can add a lease clause that requires it. Its enforceability depends on the wording and the tenancy rules, so have it reviewed by an Alberta lawyer.