Frequently asked questions

Getting started

Do we need an accountant or a bookkeeper? No. The finance section is built for a volunteer treasurer. If you can use online banking you can keep these books. Start with finances overview.

How long does setup take? About 45 minutes for the essentials — corporation, lots, council. A week to do it properly including documents and opening balances. See your first week.

Do we have to enter years of history? No, and it's rarely worth it. Pick a clean start date, enter opening balances, and record accurately from there. Your old statements live in the document library.

Can we try it before paying? The Starter plan is free forever for up to 2 lots. Larger corporations need a paid plan — see plans and billing.

Compliance

When is our depreciation report due? It depends where you are. Every BC strata corporation with 5+ lots needs one, but the first deadline is regional: July 1, 2026 for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the Capital Regional District — now passed — and July 1, 2027 for the rest of BC. Then every 5 years. There is no waiver. Depreciation report →

We have 4 lots — does it apply? No. In BC the requirement starts at 5 lots.

Does ManageStrata produce the report? No. You engage a qualified provider; ManageStrata tracks the deadline, records the report, and turns it into a reserve projection.

Can we skip it if owners vote to? The BC waiver mechanism has been narrowed considerably. Don't rely on an old waiver — check current requirements.

Meetings

How much notice for an AGM? 14 days in BC. Your bylaws may require longer, and if they do, your bylaws govern. ManageStrata calculates the statutory floor. Notice and agenda →

Can owners vote electronically? Yes, on the Small strata plan and above, with a live tally. Owners without a login have their vote recorded on their behalf. Voting →

Which vote threshold do we need? BC has four, and the Act names them directly — "ordinary resolution" and "special resolution" are Ontario/Alberta terms that appear nowhere in it. Majority vote for budgets and routine business. 3/4 vote for bylaw amendments, levies allocated by entitlement, and significant alterations. 80% vote for winding up and certain dispositions of common property. Unanimous vote to change the fee formula, or for a levy allocated on any basis other than unit entitlement. Note that majority and 3/4 count votes cast, while 80% and unanimous count all eligible votes — so reaching for "the higher threshold" of 3/4 does not cover you on an 80% matter. Voting →

Does the AI write our minutes? It drafts them from the agenda and recorded results. A council member reviews, edits and approves before anything is distributed. Minutes →

Money

Can owners pay by card? Yes, where you've connected Stripe — Small strata plan and above. Payments post to the owner's ledger automatically. Billing →

I recorded a payment against the wrong lot. Use Move to another lot, with a reason. The cash stays in the fund; only the lot credited changes. Fixing mistakes →

Can I delete a transaction? No, deliberately. Corrections are posted beside the original with a reason, which is what keeps your ledger answerable to an owner later.

How do we charge late fees? You don't — BC has no statutory late fee. What you can charge is interest on overdue strata fees and special levies, and only if your own bylaws set a rate, capped at 10% per annum compounded annually (SPR 6.8). Record your bylaw rate under SettingsFinancial controls, then use the interest panel above the owner-ledger list on Finances — it states your rate, when interest was last charged, and previews the run before anything posts. With no bylaw rate on file there's no button at all, because nothing can be charged. Arrears →

Can it bill fees automatically each month? Billing is a deliberate action, and it takes about two minutes. With a budget adopted, FinancesBudget works out each lot's share and bills the next unbilled month in one press; without one, Charge all units bills a flat amount. Either way the review that comes with it catches things an automatic run would miss.

How does the strata fee get calculated? From the adopted budget: each lot's share of the operating budget and the CRF contribution together, by unit entitlement (s.99). It's not a setting — s.100 needs a unanimous vote and a Land Title Office filing to use any other formula. Budgets →

Documents and AI

Where do AI answers come from? Only your corporation's own records and uploaded documents, with the source page cited. Not the internet. How AI works →

The AI can't find something I know we have. Check it's uploaded and finished processing. Then try different wording — your bylaws may say "animals" where you said "pets".

Will AI do things without asking? No. It drafts, proposes and flags. Every action is taken by a person, recorded against their name.

Can owners use the document search? Yes, on the documents published to them. It's one of the most useful things in the product — an owner who can look up the pet bylaw doesn't email the council.

Access and roles

Can we have one shared council login? You can, and you shouldn't. It destroys the audit trail — "who approved this?" stops having an answer. Individual logins cost nothing.

Someone signed up and sees an empty account. They almost certainly used a different email than the one you invited. Re-invite them at the address they actually used. Invitations →

Can owners see our finances? No. Owners see their own account only. It's enforced at the database, not just hidden in the menu. Roles →

A council member resigned. What do I do? Change their role to Owner — don't remove them if they still own a lot. Do it the same week. Roster →

The business

Is our data in Canada? Hosted in a Canadian region under PIPA/PIPEDA. Some AI processing occurs outside Canada under contract. Privacy →

Can we cancel? Any time. Your data stays available through the period you've paid for — export what you need before it ends.

Does it work on a phone? Yes. It's a progressive web app — add it to your home screen and it opens like an app.

Can a property manager use it across several buildings? Yes. One account, several corporations, completely separate data. Portfolio views are a Pro plan feature.