55+ and Adult-Only Condos in Edmonton

Can an Edmonton condo be age-restricted?

Since January 1, 2018, Alberta's Human Rights Act has protected adults (18 and older) from age discrimination in housing, including condos. A condo's minimum age for occupancy is allowed in only two cases:

A building that is neither cannot turn away a buyer's household, or an owner's tenant, because of age. The same exemptions apply whether a unit is owner-occupied or rented out (s.5(2)–(3); Alberta Human Rights Commission).

The rule is about who lives in the unit, not who owns it. Under the Condominium Property Act, a bylaw cannot stop or restrict the sale or lease of a unit (s.32(5)), but bylaws bind everyone in possession of a unit (s.32(2)), so an owner who doesn't meet the age rule can own the unit but may not be able to live in it.

The 2032 deadline for adult-only (18+) condos

The grandfather clause for pre-2018 adult-only buildings is repealed on December 31, 2032 (Human Rights Act s.46). The Alberta Human Rights Commission describes it as a 15-year transition period. After that date, an 18+ or 21+ rule can no longer be relied on. A building that wants to stay age-restricted has to become a 55+ building.

• Changing the bylaw takes a special resolution: at least 75% of the owners entitled to vote and at least 75% of the unit factors, at a meeting or in writing (Condominium Property Act ss.1(1)(x), 32(3)).
• It counts only once filed. A new or amended bylaw takes effect when it is registered at Land Titles (s.32(4)).
• Current residents are protected. When a building adopts a 55+ rule, people already living there who don't meet it can stay (Human Rights Act s.4.2(4)).
• Doing nothing means all ages. CCI North Alberta, the condo industry association, reminded boards in June 2026 that a building that doesn't act becomes open to all ages once the exemption ends.

If you are buying in an 18+ building now, ask whether the board has discussed what happens in 2032, and look for it in the minutes.

Who can live in an age-restricted condo anyway

Even in a 55+ or grandfathered adult-only building, the age rule must not prevent these people from living in a unit (Human Rights (Minimum Age for Occupancy) Regulation, AR 252/2017, s.1):

• someone providing home-based personal or health care to an occupant;
• a related minor whose primary caregiver the occupant became, after moving in, because of an unforeseen event;
• a surviving spouse or adult interdependent partner who was living with an occupant when the occupant died.

The bylaws may also allow anyone else whose occupancy is "reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances" (s.2). Check what your building's bylaw says, because that discretion varies.

Visitors: Alberta's rules cover who lives in a unit, not who visits. Any limits on guests, such as how long grandchildren can stay, are set by the building's own bylaws.

What to check before you buy a 55+ or adult-only condo

1. Get the bylaws. Buyers can request them from the corporation, which must provide them within 10 days (Condominium Property Act s.44; Regulation s.20.52). Find the exact age wording.
2. Which type is it? A 55+ rule has no end date. A pre-2018 18+ rule ends December 31, 2032. Ask when the age bylaw was registered.
3. Read the exemptions: caregivers, family members and surviving partners, plus any discretionary "reasonable and appropriate" occupants.
4. Read the minutes and resolutions for any planned vote to change the age rule (Regulation s.20.52 lists both as documents you can request).
5. Check guest and visitor rules if family will stay with you.
6. Think about resale. An age rule narrows who can live in the unit, and so who can buy it to live in. A condo lawyer quoted by CCI North Alberta (June 2026) listed marketability and resale among owners' key considerations.
7. Do a full document review, as with any condo, so you can walk away while your offer is still conditional. See our condo document review guide.

No government or industry body publishes a list of Edmonton's age-restricted condos, so confirm each building from its bylaws. One example on this site is Top of the Valley on Jasper Avenue, an adult (18+) building.

Who is buying: Edmonton's age profile

About 14% of people in the Edmonton region were 65 or older in 2021, according to the federal government's Edmonton economic profile; Alberta Health's Edmonton Zone figure for the same year is also 14.0%. The province expects Alberta's 65+ population to pass one million by 2034 (Alberta Treasury Board and Finance projection, July 2026; single source). That steady growth is why many buyers ask about age-restricted buildings. Location, condition and condo fees still matter more to value than the age rule itself.