Dollar ranges below reflect typical Ontario rates as of August 2026 and will vary by lawyer, lender, and property — confirm exact numbers with your own lawyer before budgeting your cash-to-close.
Usually the single largest closing cost. Ontario charges a provincial land transfer tax on a marginal bracket system, and first-time buyers get up to $4,000 back. See our land transfer tax calculator for your exact number — Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington and Milton buyers only pay the provincial tax, with no Toronto-style municipal add-on.
A real estate lawyer is required to close on an Ontario property, typically charging $1,200 to $2,000 for a standard residential purchase. This covers reviewing the agreement, conducting a title search, handling mortgage registration, and — for a condo specifically — reviewing the status certificate on your behalf.
Typically $250 to $500, occasionally up to $800 depending on the property and policy. Virtually every mortgage lender requires it even though it's technically optional, since it protects against title defects, fraud, and survey issues that a title search alone might miss.
$400 to $600 for a standard inspection. Less commonly waived on a resale condo than a house, but still worth doing — a status certificate tells you about the building's finances, not whether the specific unit's plumbing or appliances are in good shape.
$300 to $1,000, charged by your lender if they require an independent appraisal to confirm the property's value supports your mortgage amount. Not every lender charges this separately, and some cover it internally.
On top of the costs above that apply to any purchase, condo buyers specifically budget for:
Buying directly from a builder adds a few line items resale buyers don't see: Tarion new home warranty enrollment (typically built into the purchase price by the builder), development levies or education fees the builder may charge on closing, and — if you don't qualify for the new first-time-buyer GST rebate covered in our first-time buyer programs guide — GST on the purchase price itself.
Two costs are easy to forget because they aren't part of the legal closing at all: moving costs (movers, truck rental, or your own time and vehicle), and if you're financing more than 80% of the purchase price, mortgage default insurance — this gets added to your mortgage principal rather than paid in cash, but it does increase your monthly payment.
Budget 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price for a typical Ontario condo purchase, with the exact figure depending mainly on whether you qualify for the first-time buyer land transfer tax rebate and whether your lender requires a separate appraisal.
No — new construction adds items resale doesn't have (potential GST, development levies, Tarion enrollment) while sometimes skipping others a resale purchase requires (like a full home inspection, though many buyers still get one).
Generally no — closing costs are paid in cash on closing day, separate from your mortgage and down payment. The one exception is mortgage default insurance premium, which is added to your mortgage principal rather than paid upfront.
Sellers have their own separate set of closing costs — primarily real estate commission and their own legal fees — which are different from a buyer's closing costs and not covered on this page.
Budget 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price for a typical Ontario condo purchase, with the exact figure depending mainly on whether you qualify for the first-time buyer land transfer tax rebate and whether your lender requires a separate appraisal.
No — new construction adds items resale doesn't have (potential GST, development levies, Tarion enrollment) while sometimes skipping others a resale purchase requires (like a full home inspection, though many buyers still get one).
Generally no — closing costs are paid in cash on closing day, separate from your mortgage and down payment. The one exception is mortgage default insurance premium, which is added to your mortgage principal rather than paid upfront.
Sellers have their own separate set of closing costs — primarily real estate commission and their own legal fees — which are different from a buyer's closing costs and not covered on this page.