Can You Paint Your Condo? Ontario Condo Renovation Rules and Board Approval, Explained

Renovating a condo in Ontario isn’t like renovating a house. You share walls, pipes, hallways, and elevators with hundreds of neighbours, and a condo board looks after all of it. So, can you renovate a condo? Yes, you can. Here’s the part many owners don’t know: if all you want is fresh paint inside your unit, you usually don’t need anyone’s permission at all.

This guide covers which projects you can start right away, which ones need condo board approval, and the paperwork your building will ask for.

What this guide covers:

• What you can change in your condo with no board approval
• What Ontario’s condo renovation rules say about common elements and Section 98
• When painting-adjacent work, like popcorn ceiling removal, needs board sign-off
• The paperwork buildings ask for, from insurance proof to elevator bookings
• Answers to the questions Ontario condo owners search for most

Can You Renovate a Condo You Own? The Short Answer

Yes, you can renovate a condo you own. In most Ontario buildings, you can update nearly everything inside your unit: paint, flooring, cabinets, and light fixtures are all fair game. The catch: your rights depend on where your unit ends and the shared parts of the building, called common elements, begin.

Every condo corporation has governing documents: a declaration, by-laws, and rules. The declaration typically defines your unit’s boundaries. Inside those boundaries, cosmetic updates are generally yours to make. Outside them, the corporation decides.

The Condominium Authority of Ontario recommends the same first step we give every client: read your governing documents before you plan anything. Ten minutes with your declaration can save weeks of back and forth.

What Can You Change With No Condo Board Approval?

Painting sits at the top of the list. In most Toronto buildings, painting inside your unit counts as a cosmetic change, so no board approval is needed. The same is usually true for:

• Painting your walls, trim, and interior doors, in any colour you like
• Painting over a smooth, untextured ceiling
• Swapping light fixtures, handles, and cabinet hardware
• Adding window coverings, shelving, or closet storage
• Refinishing or painting your kitchen cabinets

These changes stay inside your unit and don’t touch shared systems, so boards typically leave them alone. Professional interior condo painting falls squarely in this category. Check your building’s rules to be sure, but for most owners, paint is permission-free.

No approval doesn’t mean no rules, though. Your building still controls work hours, contractor sign-in, and elevator use. Our guide on how to prepare your condo for painting walks through the planning room by room.

Pro Tip: Tell your concierge anyway. Even when approval isn’t required, let your concierge or property manager know painters are coming. It speeds up contractor sign-in, avoids lobby holdups on day one, and keeps you in good standing with management. In busy downtown Toronto buildings, that goodwill matters.

Ontario Condo Renovation Rules: When the Board Must Say Yes

Condo renovation rules in Ontario come from two places: the province’s Condominium Act, 1998, and your corporation’s own declaration, by-laws, and rules. The general rule: changes to common elements need the board’s approval, usually in writing, before any work starts.

Section 98 of the Condominium Act deals with owner changes to common elements. If the board approves your change, you typically sign a Section 98 agreement. It sets out who owns, maintains, repairs, and insures the change going forward.

Some common elements surprise owners. In many buildings, the corridor-facing side of your front door is one, so you can’t repaint it without permission, even though it’s your door. Balconies, windows, and hallway walls usually count too.

Here’s a quick reference:

Bigger projects can also need a municipal permit. Structural, plumbing, and electrical changes typically trigger one, so check your city’s website before you start. Paint alone doesn’t.

When Does Painting Work Need Condo Board Approval?

Here’s the grey zone. Paint itself rarely needs approval, but the work that often comes with a painting project can.

Popcorn ceiling removal. Textured ceilings are common in Toronto condos built between the 1970s and early 1990s. Removal creates dust, so most buildings want notice, and many ask for a formal request with containment details. Ceilings from before the early 1990s may also need a lab test first, since older texture can contain asbestos. A popcorn ceiling removal specialist handles testing, containment, and your building’s requirements. Not sure whether to remove it at all? Our guide to removing, skim coating, or painting over popcorn ceilings compares the options.

Drywall alterations. Patching nail holes and smoothing rough walls is cosmetic, and it’s a normal part of drywall repair and preparation before painting. Moving, removing, or cutting into a wall is different. It can affect structure, wiring, or fire separations, so it needs board review and often a permit too.

Pro Tip: Bundle it into one request. If your painting project includes ceiling or wall work, submit everything to the board in a single package. Many Toronto boards meet monthly, so two requests can mean two waits.

What Paperwork Do Buildings Ask For Before You Renovate a Condo?

Even when the work itself needs no approval, most Toronto buildings screen contractors before letting them past the lobby. Expect your building to ask for:

• Proof of liability insurance. Many buildings ask for $2 million or more. Paint My Condo carries $5 million, which clears the bar in any building we’ve worked in.
• A WSIB clearance certificate. It confirms the crew is covered by Ontario’s workplace insurance system, so an on-site injury isn’t your problem.
• A work-hours plan. Most buildings limit noisy work to weekdays, roughly 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays and holidays are almost always off limits.
• An elevator booking. Supplies and equipment usually travel in the service elevator, which has to be reserved through management.
• A scope of work. For formal approvals, boards want a plain description of what’s being done, by whom, and when.

Can Tenants Paint a Condo They Rent?

Renting instead of owning? The rules are different. As a tenant, you don’t get the same free hand an owner does, even for something as simple as paint. The short answer: ask your landlord first, and get the yes in writing.

Here’s why. When you rent a condo, the landlord owns the unit, and your lease sets out what you can change. Most leases in Ontario ask for the landlord’s written consent before a tenant paints or makes other changes. Some leases say no to painting at all. Others allow it if you agree to put the walls back to a neutral colour before you move out.

Your landlord answers to the condo’s rules too. Painting inside a unit almost never needs condo board approval, but that was never the tenant’s call to make. The landlord’s permission is the part that matters for you. And the usual building logistics still apply: work hours, contractor sign-in, etc.

So before you open a can of paint, get three things in writing: that you’re allowed to paint, which colours are okay, and whether you need to repaint a neutral colour when you leave. A short email now can save you a repainting charge later and keep things easy with the owner.

Pro Tip: Landlords, hand turnover painting to a pro. If you own a rental condo, fresh paint between tenants is one of the quickest ways to lift its appeal and your rent. Our residential condo painting crews turn units around fast, on your building’s schedule, so the unit’s ready for the next tenant without the wait.

How Condo Painting Specialists Handle Board Rules for You

Generic painters treat building rules as a surprise. Condo painting specialists treat them as part of the project. Paint My Condo works in condos across Toronto and the GTA every day, so the paperwork is routine for us. We send insurance certificates and WSIB clearance straight to your property manager, schedule crews within your building’s approved hours, and protect corridors and shared spaces along the way.

Our painters are background checked, our work carries a 3-year warranty, and more than 300 five-star reviews back it up. You pick the colours. We handle the building.

Frequently Asked Questions