How to Manage a Condo Conversion Project with a Gantt Chart

The Problem: Condo Conversions Combine Real Estate Law, Construction, and Sales Under One Timeline

Converting an existing apartment building into individual condominium units is not simply a legal exercise. It involves physical inspection and remediation work to meet condo-quality standards, complex regulatory approvals (many jurisdictions have tenant protection laws that gate the conversion), HOA formation and governance documentation, individual unit marketing and sales, and lender qualification for each buyer. All of these workstreams must run in coordination on a timeline bounded by your acquisition financing and market conditions.

The regulatory piece alone is more complex than most developers anticipate. Cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington DC have conversion ordinances that require mandatory tenant notification periods (often 12 months or more), right-of-first-refusal for existing tenants, and in some cases lottery systems for conversion permits. Missing a tenant notification deadline or violating a tenant protection requirement can invalidate your entire conversion process and expose you to significant legal liability.

gantt-chart.io gives condo conversion developers a single timeline to coordinate the legal, physical, marketing, and sales workstreams from acquisition through final unit closing.

Prerequisites

Before building your condo conversion Gantt chart:

Building details: Number of units, building age, current condition, existing tenant occupancy
Jurisdiction: State and local condo conversion regulations; tenant notification requirements
Acquisition structure: Whether you're buying a tenanted building or a vacant one
Physical condition: Property condition assessment results; expected remediation scope
Financing: Acquisition bridge loan terms; conversion financing structure
Sales strategy: In-house vs. brokered sales; pricing strategy; presales required by lender
HOA attorney: Specialized attorney for CC&Rs, HOA formation, and public report
State DRE/DRP filing: Department of Real Estate public report requirement timeline

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Set Up the Condo Conversion Timeline

Open gantt-chart.io
Title it "[Property Address] Condo Conversion — [Unit Count] Units — Target Sales Start [Month/Year]"
For a typical condo conversion, set the view to cover 18-48 months depending on tenant protection requirements
Use Month view for regulatory and tenant phases; Week view for construction and sales
Add Final Unit Closing and First Unit Closing as red milestones. Add DRE Public Report Issued and Construction Complete as orange milestones.

Step 2: Regulatory Compliance and Tenant Notification

Create a task group: Regulatory & Tenant Compliance
Add:

Conversion permit application (if required by jurisdiction) — check local ordinance; may involve lottery
Tenant notification — initial — milestone; many jurisdictions require 12+ months' written notice
Right-of-first-refusal period — often 90-180 days after initial notice
Tenant relocation assistance (if required) — concurrent with notice period
Building permit for conversion work — submit after conversion permit approved
Tenant notification — final — often required 60-180 days before construction disruption
Regulatory compliance complete — milestone

Step 3: Physical Due Diligence and Remediation

Create a task group: Physical Inspection & Remediation
Add:

Property condition assessment — 2-4 weeks; comprehensive; must identify all deferred maintenance
Structural inspection — 1-2 weeks; required for lender qualification of buyer financing
MEP systems inspection and report — 1-2 weeks
Asbestos and lead paint survey — 1-2 weeks; required for most pre-1980 buildings
Remediation work — asbestos/lead — 2-8 weeks if present
Common area renovations — 4-16 weeks; lobby, corridors, amenities
Individual unit upgrades — 2-6 weeks per unit (can be phased)
Building systems upgrades (elevator, roof, HVAC) — 4-16 weeks
Construction / remediation complete — milestone

Step 4: Legal Documentation and HOA Formation

Create a task group: Legal & HOA Formation
Add:

Condominium plan survey — 4-8 weeks; professional surveyor prepares condo map
Condo plan recorded — milestone; legal basis for individual unit ownership
CC&Rs and bylaws drafted — 4-8 weeks; HOA attorney
HOA formation — milestone; board appointed, accounts established
Budget preparation — HOA operating and reserves — 2-4 weeks; reserve study required in many states
DRE public report application filed — milestone; requires condo plan, CC&Rs, budget, and PCA
DRE public report issued — milestone; units cannot be sold without this in states that require it (CA, CO, FL, etc.)

Step 5: Presales and Marketing

Create a task group: Marketing & Sales
Add:

Pricing analysis and unit pricing — 2-4 weeks
Sales office / model unit setup — 2-4 weeks
Marketing materials and website — 3-5 weeks
Broker outreach — begins concurrent with presales launch
Presale reservations (before public report) — often allowed with deposit and cancellation rights
Public report issued — sales contracts can close — milestone
First unit closing — milestone
Presale minimum achieved (if required by lender) — milestone; often 50-70% presold
Final unit closing — milestone

Step 6: Closing Coordination

Create a task group: Closing & Loan Payoff
Add:

Buyer financing pre-qualification — ongoing from first reservation
HOA approval for FHA/VA financing (if applicable) — 30-90 days; extends buyer pool significantly
Individual unit closings — phased as buyers are ready
Acquisition loan payoff — triggered when sufficient units closed
Final unit closing — milestone
HOA transitioned to owner control — after 75% of units sold in most states

Key Milestones

Milestone	Typical Timing
Building acquired	Month 0
Tenant notification sent	Month 1
Conversion permit approved (if required)	Month 3-18
Construction / remediation started	Month 6-18
Condo plan recorded	Month 12-24
DRE public report issued	Month 18-36
Construction complete	Month 12-30
First unit closing	Month 20-40
50% of units closed	Month 26-48
Final unit closing	Month 36-60

Common Mistakes

Missing tenant notification deadlines: Tenant protection ordinances are strict. Failing to provide proper written notice in the right format at the right time can restart the notice period or void the conversion permit. Use a legal checklist and track notification milestones on the Gantt chart.
Not accounting for DRE public report timeline: In California and other states, the DRE review process takes 3-9 months after filing. You cannot close a single sale until the public report is issued. This is almost always on the critical path.
Underestimating HOA approval for FHA financing: If buyers want FHA loans, the HOA must be FHA-approved. This takes 30-90 days and requires specific documentation. Without FHA approval, you lose a significant portion of the buyer pool.
Not budgeting for tenant relocation: Many jurisdictions require relocation assistance payments to displaced tenants—sometimes 2-4 months' rent per household. This is a real cost that affects project economics and schedule.
Starting sales marketing before DRE approval: Pre-selling units before the public report can expose the developer to rescission liability. Know your jurisdiction's rules on reservation agreements vs. binding sales contracts.

Template

gantt-chart.io includes a condo conversion project template with regulatory, construction, legal, and sales tracks pre-loaded. Open it, adjust for your jurisdiction's tenant protection timeline, and share with your legal team, contractor, and sales broker.