The Condominium Authority Tribunal, commonly known as the CAT, is Ontario's online tribunal for resolving certain disputes between condo owners, residents, and condo corporations. It offers a faster and more affordable alternative to court proceedings for issues including condo records, nuisances, pets, parking, and compliance with governing documents.
The CAT was launched in November 2017 as Ontario's first fully online tribunal. Its jurisdiction is defined by Ontario Regulation 179/17 under the Condominium Act, 1998, and can only be changed through government amendments to that regulation. The tribunal initially handled only disputes about access to condo records. In October 2020, its scope expanded to include disputes about provisions in governing documents related to pets, vehicles, parking, and storage. A further expansion in January 2022 added disputes involving nuisances, annoyances, or disruptions such as noise, odour, light, vibration, smoke, and vapour. The Ontario government has also signalled a potential expansion into disputes related to owners' meetings, with changes anticipated as early as July 2026, though the final scope and timeline have not been formally confirmed.
The CAT uses a three-stage process. Stage one is negotiation, where the parties communicate through the tribunal's online system to try to resolve the issue themselves. If that fails, the applicant can pay to move to stage two, which is mediation guided by a tribunal-appointed mediator. If mediation does not produce a resolution, the case advances to stage three, adjudication, where a tribunal member issues a binding decision. The total cost for all three stages is $200, broken down into a $25 filing fee, a $50 mediation fee, and a $125 adjudication fee. The system is designed so that self-represented parties can navigate it without a lawyer, though either side may choose to retain legal representation.
The CAT's jurisdiction is not unlimited. It cannot deal with disputes that involve a risk of property damage or personal injury. It also cannot hear cases about electric vehicle charging station agreements or modifications to common elements. For disputes that fall outside its mandate, condo communities must pursue resolution through private mediation and arbitration under section 132 of the Condominium Act, or through the Ontario courts. When a dispute does fall within the CAT's jurisdiction, the tribunal is generally the only forum available, meaning the parties cannot bypass it and go directly to court instead. The CAT can award costs of up to $25,000 against a party, though cost awards beyond tribunal fees remain relatively uncommon. To better understand the governing documents that often form the basis of CAT disputes, read What is the difference between condo by-laws and condo rules in Ontario?
Related reading: What Is the Difference Between Condo By-Laws and Condo Rules in Ontario?, What Is the Difference Between Owned and Exclusive Use Parking in a Toronto Condo?, and Can Your Condo Corporation Restrict You from Renting Out Your Unit in Ontario?.
