ExamPassHow to study Course 3: additional residential real estate topics
To study Course 3, treat it as five specialties, each built on the Course 2 sale: condominiums (Modules 1 to 3), new construction (Module 4), rural property (Module 5), multi-unit dwellings (Module 6) and residential leasing (Modules 7 to 9). For each one, learn what changes from an ordinary freehold resale: which statute takes over, which documents you must read, and which deadlines apply. Most marks are lost where a specialty rule is confused with the general rule, so study the differences, not just the facts.
Course 3 has fewer modules than Course 2, but it is not lighter. Each module brings a different statute and set of documents, and the exam switches between them: a condominium declaration in one question, the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) in the next.
The approach that works is comparative. You already know how a freehold house sale runs from Course 2. In Course 3, keep asking one question: what is different here, and why?
How should you split Course 3 into a study plan?
Study the five specialties in order, because condominium governance returns in condominium leasing, and multi-unit tenancies lead into the leasing modules.
| Group | Modules | What changes from a freehold resale | The trap that costs marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Condominiums | 1 to 3 | Ownership is a unit plus a share of common elements; the declaration, by-laws, rules and status certificate govern | Treating exclusive use as ownership |
| 2. New construction | 4 | A builder's form, warranty coverage, deposit protection, the pre-delivery inspection | Assuming a delay or a missed item at the inspection ends the buyer's rights |
| 3. Rural property | 5 | Access, wells, septic systems, waterfront, severances and conservation rules | Treating physical access as legal access |
| 4. Multi-unit dwellings | 6 | Legal status of units, tenants in place, income-based value | Marketing an illegal unit as a unit |
| 5. Residential leasing | 7 to 9 | The RTA sets rights that no clause can remove; condominium rules add a layer | Believing a signed waiver of RTA rights works |
Give Groups 1 and 5 the most time. They are the largest and hold the most look-alike numbers.
Which Course 3 deadlines and figures should you know cold?
Course 3 is full of short periods that look alike. Learn each one with its trigger, because the exam tests the trigger as often as the number.
| Rule | What the law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New condominium cooling-off | Written notice must reach the declarant within 10 days of the latest of three receipts: the disclosure statement, the condominium guide and the signed agreement | Condominium Act, 1998, s. 73(2) |
| Status certificate delivery | Within 10 days after the corporation receives the request and the fee | Condominium Act, 1998, s. 76(3) |
| Status certificate fee | No more than $100, including all applicable taxes | O. Reg. 48/01, s. 18(4) |
| Notice of a lease to the corporation | The owner notifies the corporation within 10 days of entering into or renewing a lease | Condominium Act, 1998, s. 83(1) |
| Rent deposit | No more than one month's rent (or one rent period, if less) | RTA, s. 106(2) |
| Entry with notice | At least 24 hours' written notice, with a time of entry between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. | RTA, s. 27(1) and (3) |
Three of these are "10 days", and each starts from something different. The cooling-off runs from the latest receipt, not from signing. The status certificate runs from the request plus the fee. The lease notice runs from signing the lease, not from move-in. For a closer look at the certificate itself, see the guide to the status certificate in Ontario.
What are the traps that cost the most marks in Course 3?
Each specialty has its own near misses. These come up again and again.
Condominiums. Common elements are held by the owners as tenants in common, never as joint tenants. An exclusive-use parking space is still a common element, so the seller cannot keep it or sell it separately. The reserve fund pays for major repair and replacement, never operating costs. A special assessment disclosed on the status certificate stays with the unit after the sale. And there is no statutory cooling-off on a resale condominium.
New construction. The unit warranty starts at possession. A defect missed at the pre-delivery inspection is not lost. A late closing that does complete is a delay claim, not a deposit claim. And a spoken promise from the sales office is not in the agreement.
Rural property. A driveway, a long-used lane or an unopened road allowance does not give legal access. Waterfront does not automatically mean ownership to the water's edge. A clean water test does not clear the septic system, and a clean bacteria test does not clear the chemical one. A condition deadline shorter than the lab's turnaround defeats the condition.
Multi-unit dwellings. Occupied and rented does not mean legal. A sale does not end a tenancy. The purchaser's own-use notice is only available where the residential complex has no more than three units (RTA, s. 49(1)), so a fourplex buyer cannot use it. On value, the mortgage payment never comes off net operating income; the cap rate guide shows why.
Leasing. A provision in a tenancy agreement that is inconsistent with the RTA is void (RTA, s. 4(1)), whatever the tenant signed. An overholding residential tenant becomes a monthly tenant. A damage deposit is not allowed, even if it is called refundable. Paying the arrears in time voids a notice for non-payment; the N4 guide covers that notice in detail.
What does a worked Course 3 example look like?
Rana Dhillon buys a resale condominium apartment, Unit 1406 at a Kingston building, for $468,000. Her offer is conditional on her lawyer's review of the status certificate.
Rana's salesperson requests the certificate on Monday, October 5, and pays the $100 fee the same day. The corporation must deliver it within 10 days after receiving the request and payment. The certificate shows a special assessment of $6,200 against the unit, levied last month for window replacement. An assessment disclosed on the certificate stays with the unit after the sale, so her lawyer will look at who pays it and her salesperson can raise it before the condition is removed. It is a reason to negotiate, not to waive early.
Two years later, Rana leases the unit at $2,150 a month. She may ask for a rent deposit of up to $2,150 and no more, and no separate damage deposit. Within 10 days of signing the lease she must notify the corporation, give it the tenant's name, her own address and a copy or summary of the lease, and give the tenant the declaration, by-laws and rules. Her tenant is bound by those rules just as an owner is.
How does Course 3 come back in Simulation 1?
Simulation 1 is the residential simulation, and Course 3 shows up wherever the file leaves the plain freehold house. Expect a condominium purchase where the status certificate and its review decide what the buyer should do, and a residential lease where the registrant must apply RTA rules, deal with a self-represented tenant and manage clients on both sides.
The simulation will not tell you which statute applies. You must notice that the property is a condominium unit or that the trade is a lease, then switch to the right rules. Practise that switch: read a scenario, name the specialty, then name the rule. The Simulation 1 preparation guide covers the format.
Where does the course differ from current law?
The course teaches that only new condominiums bought from a declarant carry a statutory cooling-off. That is right today. From January 1, 2027, the New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017, s. 53.2 adds one for new freehold homes: the buyer may rescind by written notice the vendor receives within 10 days after the latest of three events. Answer exam questions as the course teaches, and watch for the change on real files.
How does ExamPass help you practise this?
ExamPass Course 3 prep gives you hundreds of original scenario questions across all nine modules, each with every option explained, so you learn which specialty rule you mixed up. The Study notes set out each module's traps and deadlines, the Mock Exam gives you a timed run, Drill Wrong Answers brings back the questions you missed, and the AI Tutor helps with the rules that will not stick. See courses and pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Course 3 easier than Course 2? It is shorter, but not necessarily easier. Each module brings its own statute and documents, and the exam mixes them, so switching quickly between rules is the main challenge.
How much condominium law do I need for Course 3? A lot. Condominiums take three modules and come back in the leasing modules. Know the governing documents, the status certificate, the reserve fund and the new condominium cooling-off.
Does the Residential Tenancies Act apply to a basement apartment? Generally yes, whoever the landlord is. One exemption to watch: the RTA does not apply where the occupant must share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner or the owner's close family living in the building (RTA, s. 5(i)).
Do I need to know Tarion dollar limits? Know what the warranty covers, when coverage starts and how claims are made. Learn the figures the course gives, but focus first on how they apply to a scenario.