Real Property Reports and Compliance: What Alberta Sellers Should Check Early

Find the documents before an offer arrives

An old envelope from your home purchase may contain one of the most useful documents for your next sale: the Real Property Report, or RPR. Locate it before listing, together with any municipal compliance response and documents for later construction. Waiting until closing is close leaves less room to resolve questions.

RECA's Home Buyer's Guide describes an RPR as a legal document prepared by an Alberta Land Surveyor showing property boundaries and the position of improvements relative to those boundaries. It helps identify what is physically on the parcel. Ask your representative and lawyer what your particular sale agreement requires you to provide, and by when.

Sources: RECA, Home Buyer's Guide, URL identifies April 2019

Separate the survey from municipal review

The City of Grande Prairie describes its Certificate of Compliance as written confirmation that development meets the Land Use Bylaw. The City also expressly says this certificate is a service rather than a legislative requirement. That distinction matters: a municipality's general rules and a seller's contractual promises are separate questions.

Do not assume an RPR alone proves municipal compliance. Equally, do not treat a compliance response as a general inspection of the home's condition. Ask what was reviewed, what the response actually says and whether additional permits or professional reports need attention.

Sources: City of Grande Prairie, Certificate of Compliance, includes 2026 fee notice

Compare the drawing with today's property

Walk around the lot with a copy of the report. Note additions, removed structures, rebuilt decks, relocated fences and new garages or sheds. Make a list of changes instead of altering the survey yourself. Send the questions to the surveyor so the correct professional can determine what needs updating.

The report's age is only one issue. A newer report may still omit a subsequent change. An older report should not be assumed acceptable merely because you remember no major construction. Confirm the surveyor's requirements, municipal submission rules and the buyer's contractual entitlement.

Grande Prairie currently says an RPR older than six months requires a statutory declaration for its compliance application. Confirm the current process with the City or your lawyer before signing anything. The City's page also warns that some forms may not reflect updated 2026 fees, so obtain a current quote rather than relying on an old form.

Sources: City of Grande Prairie, Certificate of Compliance, includes 2026 fee notice

Use the correct municipality

A Grande Prairie mailing address does not, by itself, tell you which local authority administers the property. Confirm whether the parcel is within the City, County or another municipality before requesting compliance. Avoid borrowing an application checklist from another Alberta city.

For example, Edmonton has its own process under which a development planner reviews the RPR against zoning requirements and development permits. Its compliance report can identify outstanding permits or encroachment agreements. This illustrates why a local process must be checked rather than assumed to be province-wide.

Sources: City of Edmonton, Compliance Certificates, includes 2026 fee references

Deal with gaps before making promises

If a structure raises a setback, permit or boundary question, bring the actual documents to your lawyer, surveyor and municipality. Ask which issue must be resolved first, what evidence will establish resolution and how the timing affects the proposed sale.

If title insurance is suggested, ask your lawyer to explain the particular policy and contract implications. Do not assume buying a policy changes your promises to the buyer or physically corrects an encroachment. Any proposed alternative needs to be evaluated for this transaction.

Create one folder with the RPR, municipal response, relevant permits, agreements and correspondence. Share the status early with Marian Dycoco so the listing and negotiation plan can reflect what is ready and what still needs professional attention.