Article 1044 CCQ - Presumption of common portions

Article 1044 does not state a general residual rule: it enumerates the elements presumed to be common portions, notably the ground, yards, balconies, parks and gardens, driveways, stairways and lifts, passageways and corridors, the premises for common services, parking and storage, cellars, the structural work, as well as common equipment and pipes, including those running through a private portion.

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What it means for your syndicate

The enumeration does the work: it settles concrete questions. A locker falls under storage premises and an indoor space under parking premises; both are therefore presumed common portions.

The presumption is rebuttable: the declaration of co-ownership may qualify the element otherwise. And "presumed a common portion" does not mean "for restricted use": as long as the declaration does not expressly qualify the element as a PCUR, the expense is general and all fractions contribute by relative value, even if in practice only some use it.

The board cannot requalify an element as a PCUR by mere decision or ordinary meeting resolution to have a subgroup pay for it: that requires amending the declaration (art. 1097 CCQ).

CondoAide reflects the qualification recorded in the declaration; it does not shift an expense to a subset based on actual use alone.

Official text of the article

The official, up-to-date text of article 1044 is published by the Éditeur officiel du Québec. CondoAide only provides a plain-language summary here.

Last verified on July 13, 2026. CondoAide is not a legal authority and does not replace professional advice. If there is any discrepancy, the official Civil Code text prevails.

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