A divided co-ownership's maintenance logbook in Quebec, provided for in article 1070.2 of the Civil Code of Québec, cannot be improvised by the board or by a manager. Article 1 of the regulation adopted under decree 991-2025 strictly governs the professional's qualification — four technical orders that partially overlap with those authorized for the contingency fund study.
The four authorized professional orders
The maintenance logbook must be prepared and reviewed by an authorized professional, chosen from four categories:
- Engineer registered with the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ)
- Architect registered with the Ordre des architectes du Québec (OAQ)
- Professional technologist registered with the Ordre des technologues professionnels du Québec (OTPQ)
- Chartered appraiser registered with the Ordre des évaluateurs agréés du Québec (OEAQ)
These four orders impose on their members a code of ethics, mandatory professional liability insurance, and continuing education. A professional's registration is publicly verifiable on each order's website.
Important difference vs the contingency fund study: a chartered professional accountant (CPA) can produce the contingency fund study (art. 7 of the regulation), but not the maintenance logbook. The logbook requires building expertise — component inventory, physical condition, useful life — that the legislator chose to reserve for the four technical orders.
Principal-activities condition
The regulation adds a requirement: the mandated professional's professional activities must primarily concern real-estate management, construction, renovation, valuation, or inspection (Decree 991-2025, art. 1, par. 2°). A member of one of the orders who practices in a field unrelated to buildings does not meet this condition.
Logbook vs fund study: two deliverables, same orders
The maintenance logbook and the contingency fund study are two distinct documents, but deeply linked:
| Maintenance logbook | Contingency fund study | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Document component status and plan maintenance | Calculate required fund contribution |
| Main contents | Component inventory, maintenance schedule, history | 25-year financial projection, recommended contribution |
| Horizon | At least 25 years, adjusted at each review | At least 25 years, adjusted at each review |
| Review | At least every 5 years — at least every 10 years for some small buildings (art. 5 of the regulation) | At least every 5 years |
| Authorized orders | OIQ, OAQ, OTPQ, OEAQ | OIQ, OAQ, OTPQ, OEAQ, CPA |
The logbook feeds the fund study. The study prices what the logbook identifies as upcoming work. That's why the two deliverables coordinate naturally.
The independence requirement
As with the fund study, the chosen professional cannot have any conflict of interest with the syndicate. Excluded:
- Any current or recent director on the board
- The syndicate's manager
- Any co-owner of the building, even if professionally qualified
- Any resident or tenant of the building
Independence is what gives the logbook its credibility: a buyer, a mortgage broker, or a new board must be able to rely on it as an objective audit document.
Advantage of mandating the same professional for both
In practice, mandating the same professional for both the logbook AND the fund study offers three major advantages — provided they are authorized for both deliverables (so OIQ, OAQ, OTPQ, or OEAQ; not a CPA, who cannot produce the logbook):
- Financial saving — the physical inventory of common elements is done only once, reducing total cost by 30 to 40 % vs. two separate mandates.
- Consistent numbers — remaining useful lives, replacement costs, and work calendar are identical between the two documents. No discrepancies to explain to co-owners.
- Simpler combined review — the joint update is more efficient than two separate reviews with two different professionals.
Ask bidders for combined packages (logbook + study). Most professionals active in Quebec divided co-ownership offer this kind of mandate.
Choosing the right order based on size
The regulation doesn't impose a specific order. The choice depends on building size and complexity:
- Co-ownerships ≤ 20 units without complex mechanical systems: a professional technologist or chartered appraiser is generally sufficient and costs less.
- Mid-sized co-ownerships (20–80 units, elevator, centralized systems): an architect or experienced professional technologist.
- Complex co-ownerships (> 80 units, centralized ventilation, underground parking, pool): an engineer is generally the best choice for mechanical and structural systems.
Special case: very small co-ownerships
The regulation applies to all divided co-ownerships, with no size exception for the obligation itself. A duplex or triplex converted to divided ownership — even with only 2 or 3 units — must also have its maintenance logbook and fund study.
That said, the regulation provides a relaxed revision frequency for some small buildings (Decree 991-2025, art. 5, al. 2): the logbook revision can be done every 10 years instead of every 5 years where the building meets any of the following conditions:
- It has at most 8 private portions, excluding those accessory to them (storage, parking).
- No common portion of the building is situated in a building.
- It has at most 3 floors entirely above ground.
For these very small co-ownerships, the total cost of both deliverables can still represent a proportionally heavier per-unit burden. Three practical paths:
- Mandate a chartered appraiser or professional technologist rather than an engineer.
- Choose a combined package logbook + study.
- Pool together with other small co-ownerships from the same developer or neighborhood — some professionals offer reduced rates for grouped mandates.
Compliance deadline: August 14, 2028 for the first Bill 16-compliant maintenance logbook and fund study. Planning starts now.