Strata Council Roles & Responsibilities in BC

The strata council is the elected group of owners that runs the strata corporation between general meetings. Whether your strata is professionally managed or self-managed, understanding who does what — and the standard the law holds council to — keeps the building running and out of disputes.

What is the strata council and what does it do?

The council is elected by owners at the AGM and exercises the powers and performs the duties of the strata corporation. Its day-to-day job is to:

• Administer the strata's finances — budget, fees, and the contingency reserve fund.
• Maintain common property and arrange repairs.
• Enforce the bylaws and rules fairly and consistently.
• Call and run general meetings, and keep proper records.
• Manage insurance and risk.

Council acts by majority at council meetings; no single member can bind the strata alone unless authorized.

What standard of care must council members meet?

The Strata Property Act holds each council member to a clear standard: act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the strata corporation, and exercise the care, diligence, and skill of a reasonably prudent person in comparable circumstances.

In plain terms:

• You don't have to be an expert — you have to be reasonable, diligent, and act in the strata's interest, not your own.
• Conflicts of interest must be disclosed, and a conflicted member should not vote on the matter.
• Good-faith decisions are protected, even if they later turn out imperfect.

This standard is why documenting decisions and getting professional advice on big questions matters.

What do the officer roles actually do?

Stratas typically elect officers from among council. Direct descriptions:

• President — chairs council and general meetings, provides leadership, and often signs documents on the strata's behalf. Keeps meetings orderly and on agenda.
• Treasurer — oversees the books, the budget, fee collection, arrears, and the operating and reserve funds; presents financials at the AGM.
• Secretary — handles notices, the AGM notice package, correspondence, and minutes, and maintains the records.

Smaller councils often combine roles, but every one of these jobs still has to get done.

How should a council share the workload?

Burnout sinks more volunteer councils than incompetence. Spread the load:

• Assign clear owners to finance, maintenance, communications, and records so nothing falls between chairs.
• Use a shared system, not one member's inbox, so work survives turnover. A platform like ManageStrata gives every council member access to the calendar, finances, and documents in one place.
• Set a meeting rhythm and keep meetings short and decision-focused.
• Onboard new members by handing over current bylaws, financials, and recent minutes.

When a new council inherits a building, getting up to speed on years of history is daunting. To quickly analyze a strata's documents (minutes, depreciation report, bylaws), tools like SearchStrata use AI to surface the key facts — open issues, past decisions, and financial health — so a fresh council starts informed.

The bottom line

The council runs the strata, acts to a standard of reasonable diligence and good faith, and divides the work across president, treasurer, secretary, and engaged members. Clear roles plus shared systems make the volunteer job sustainable — and keep your strata compliant year after year.