The verdict in three sentences
A condo management firm in Toronto running 45 condominium corporations and 3,200 units on accounting software and spreadsheets spends its days chasing arrears and preparing owners' meetings by hand. A custom condo management application costs 70,000 to 160,000 CAD with a Toronto agency (2026 market estimate) and ships in 12 to 16 weeks, with levies and budgets, arrears collection, virtual meetings and an owner portal. The real gain is capacity: managing 10 more corporations without hiring another property manager.
Options for a 3,200-unit portfolio: 3-year costs
Ontario's Condominium Act, 1998 requires each corporation to keep separate accounts, an annual budget, a reserve fund backed by studies every 3 years, and status certificates delivered within 10 days for a capped fee. Generic tools handle these duties poorly. Here are 2026 orders of magnitude.
| Option | Upfront cost | Recurring cost | 3-year cost (estimate) | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting software and spreadsheets | 0 | 30 to 40 h of re-keying a week | high hidden cost | Manual reminders, no portal |
| Condo management SaaS, per unit | 5,000 to 15,000 CAD | 1 to 3 CAD per unit per month, or 3,200 to 9,600 CAD | 120,200 to 360,600 CAD | Cost grows with every unit |
| Property management suite adapted to condos | 3,000 to 10,000 CAD | 1,500 to 4,000 CAD per month | 57,000 to 154,000 CAD | Rental-first logic, weak meeting tools |
| Custom build, Toronto agency | 70,000 to 160,000 CAD | 1,000 to 2,500 CAD per month | 106,000 to 250,000 CAD | Large upfront budget |
| Kolonell application (complex) | 7,000,000 to 15,000,000 FCFA (10,670 to 22,870 EUR) | maintenance 120,000 FCFA per month (180 EUR) | 17,150 to 29,350 EUR | Remote team, video workshops |
Vendor and agency prices are 2026 market estimates, not published rate cards. A first scope limited to levies and arrears can stay within Kolonell's 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA band (6,100 to 10,670 EUR).
The modules that drive the budget
| Module | Scope | Share of budget | Indicative timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Units and proportions | Corporations, buildings, units, common expense percentages, owners and tenants | 10 % | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Budget and levies | Approved budget, monthly common expenses, reserve fund contributions, special assessments | 20 % | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Arrears collection | Automatic reminders at 15, 30 and 60 days, lien notice workflow, file handed to the lawyer | 15 to 20 % | 2 weeks |
| Owners' meetings | Notices, proxies, quorum, electronic voting, minutes | 15 % | 2 weeks |
| Owner portal | Statements, documents, pre-authorized debit and card payments, service requests | 20 % | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Work orders and contractors | Elevator, security, cleaning tickets, contract tracking, status certificate pack | 10 to 15 % | 1 to 2 weeks |
Ontario allows virtual meetings and electronic voting when the corporation's by-laws or the Act permit them, so the meeting module is configured corporation by corporation, with minutes generated automatically. To scope a custom web application, start from your 5 corporations with the highest arrears: they will measure the return.
Mini case study
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Daniel, president of a condo management firm in Toronto (illustrative scenario), manages 45 corporations, or 3,200 units, with 4 property managers.
- Average common expenses of 650 CAD per unit per month: 2,080,000 CAD levied every month for the corporations.
- Current arrears rate: 6 %. With automatic reminders and online payment, a 3-point drop brings back about 62,400 CAD a month to the corporations' accounts.
- For the firm, each manager saves about 10 h a week. That makes room for 10 more corporations of 70 units without hiring: at 30 CAD of management fees per unit per month, 252,000 CAD of extra annual revenue.
- Investment with a Toronto agency: 120,000 CAD plus 1,500 CAD a month of support, or 138,000 CAD in year one, covered in about 13 months if half of the new contracts are signed in year one and the rest early in year two.
FAQ
Does the software follow the Condominium Act? Yes, it keeps separate accounts per corporation, the approved budget, reserve fund contributions and each unit's proportion. Rules specific to each declaration and by-law are configured during 2 to 3 weeks of scoping.
Can we run owners' meetings online? The tool handles notices, proxies, quorum and electronic voting, with a video option. Remote voting is enabled corporation by corporation, according to its by-laws and the Act.
How long does it take to migrate 45 corporations? Migrating units, balances and history usually takes 2 to 4 weeks. The overall project stays within 12 to 16 weeks.
Can owners pay online? Yes, by pre-authorized debit or card, with fees from about 0.5 % for debit to 2.5 % for cards. Each payment is matched to the unit's account automatically.
How is owner data protected? The application enforces role-based access and logs every view, in line with PIPEDA. Secure Canadian hosting costs 150 to 400 CAD a month.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many corporations, units and managers you run: we will price your condo management software within Kolonell's 7,000,000 to 15,000,000 FCFA range (10,670 to 22,870 EUR), delivered in 12 to 16 weeks, through our quote form. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
