Understanding BC Strata Form B and Form F

What each form is for

Two different certificates, two different jobs, and both come up in almost every sale.

Form B — Information Certificate. The snapshot of a strata lot's financial and legal position: what the owner pays, what they owe, what levies are coming, what is in the contingency reserve fund, what is unfiled or unresolved. Under section 59 of the Strata Property Act, the strata corporation must give one within one week of a request by an owner, a purchaser, or a person either of them authorises.

Form F — Certificate of Payment. The document that lets a transfer register. Under section 115, the strata must give a Form F within one week of a request if the owner owes nothing — or owes, but the money has been paid into court or to the strata in trust under section 114, or satisfactory arrangements to pay have been made. A Form F is current for 60 days for the purposes of section 256, which is why conveyancers care about its date as much as its contents.

The three required attachments

This is where most strata writing goes wrong, so it's worth being exact. Section 59(4) requires three things to be attached to a Form B:

1. the rules of the strata corporation
2. the current budget
3. the most recent depreciation report, if the strata has obtained one

That is the whole required list. The bylaws are not a Form B attachment. Neither are minutes, financial statements or the depreciation report's supporting documents. Those are separately requested records under section 36, on their own timeline — two weeks, or one week for the bylaws and rules.

An older version of the form also called for the Rental Disclosure Statement. That item was repealed, so do not treat it as a required attachment.

The attachments people forget

Separate from those three, the form itself asks a series of yes/no questions, and a "yes" carries its own attachment. Copies must go with the Form B for:

• agreements under which the owner takes responsibility for expenses relating to alterations to the strata lot, common property or common assets
• bylaw amendments not yet filed in the land title office
• resolutions passed by 3/4 or unanimous vote that must be filed but have not been
• winding-up resolutions
• notices given for resolutions not yet voted on
• details of any court, arbitration or tribunal proceeding, and any judgments or orders against the strata
• notices or work orders received
• documents relating to how a parking stall was allocated
• any electrical planning reports obtained under section 94.1

The form also requires a summary of the strata corporation's insurance coverage on a separate sheet.

Note the distinction that catches people out: the bylaws themselves are not attached, but unfiled bylaw amendments are. A strata that has passed amendments and not registered them has to disclose them here.

What it costs, and what it costs to get wrong

The Regulation caps both fees. A Form B is a maximum of $35 plus reproduction costs of up to 25 cents per page. A Form F is a maximum of $15. A strata corporation cannot invent a higher administration fee for either.

Getting a Form B wrong is expensive in a different way. It is a certificate the purchaser is entitled to rely on, and an inaccurate one — an understated special levy, a missing alteration agreement, an unmentioned proceeding — is a recurring subject of disputes at the Civil Resolution Tribunal. Fill it in from the records rather than from memory.

Practical notes for councils

• Diarise the week. The one-week clock runs from the request, not from the next council meeting.
• Answer every question. "N/A" on an item that needs a yes-or-no is what turns a Form B into a dispute.
• Keep the alteration agreements findable. Item (c) is the one most often missed, because the agreement was signed years ago by a different council. Our guide to owner alteration requests covers keeping those on file.
• Check the budget you attach is the current one, not last year's.
• Have the insurance summary ready rather than rebuilding it each time.

Tools like SearchStrata can pull the answers out of minutes and past reports when a request arrives, and a system like ManageStrata that keeps the budget, agreements and reports in one place turns a Form B from an afternoon into a few minutes.

Questions councils ask

Do we attach the bylaws to a Form B? No. Only the rules, the current budget and the most recent depreciation report are required. Unfiled bylaw amendments must be attached, and the bylaws themselves are available as a records request.

Can we refuse a Form B if the owner is in arrears? No. Form B is a disclosure document and must be provided within one week regardless. Form F is the one that turns on whether money is owed.

Who can request one? An owner, a purchaser, or a person authorised in writing by either.

What if we miss the week? The obligation stands, and a delayed certificate that costs a sale is the kind of thing that ends up at the tribunal.

This article is general information about BC strata law, not legal advice; verify against the current Strata Property Act and Regulation or consult a BC strata lawyer.