What your MCST actually needs before you start

Every condominium's Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) has its own house rules on renovation — permitted working hours, a refundable renovation deposit, required insurance, and in many buildings, a cap on how many units can be renovated at once.

The paperwork itself is usually simple: a renovation application form, your contractor's PE endorsement if hacking is involved, and proof of contractor's all-risk insurance. What trips projects up is timing — most MCSTs meet monthly to approve applications, so submitting a week after the cutoff can cost you the better part of a month before work can legally begin.

We submit MCST paperwork in parallel with the main permit application, not after, specifically to avoid this gap.