Home › COFSAB Forum › Condo Owners Forum Q&A › Is the problem Alberta Law or our Condo Bylaws? › Reply To: Is the problem Alberta Law or our Condo Bylaws?
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It depends on your bylaws.
Do you have to add a water line to install the washer? If so, you will likely need a permit from the city (call your city to confirm). If you do need to add a water line to install the washer then this would be a mechanical change to the common property and will likely require approval from the condo board. Check your bylaws to see if you need approval from the board to make a mechanical change. If you do not need to install a water line, then arguably there is no mechanical change.
A washer changes the insurance risk profile of the corporation because washers can cause damage to the common property if they leak. Check your bylaws to see if there is a restriction of increasing risks to the corporation. Most bylaws say that owners cannot make any changes that will increase the risk of damage. You could install a metal supply line instead of a plastic supply line to reduce the risk of water leaks.
And if you do not pay your water or electricity bill directly, then adding a washer and dryer can cost the corporation more money (likely not by a significant amount, but still). I haven’t seen any bylaws that limit utility usage, but you can check.
That’s all I can think of!