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Guide

Strata property management in BC

Updated June 2026 · 10 min read

Everything a British Columbia strata corporation needs to operate well — whether you hire a management company or self-manage. This guide covers the council’s duties, Strata Property Act compliance, finances, and the tools that make self-management practical.

In short

Strata property management is the operation and administration of a strata corporation: maintaining common property, managing the operating fund and contingency reserve fund (CRF), enforcing bylaws, holding annual general meetings, and meeting obligations under BC’s Strata Property Act. In British Columbia it can be done by a hired strata management company or self-managed by the owners’ elected strata council.

What is strata property management?

When you own a unit (a “strata lot”) in a condo, townhouse complex, or duplex in BC, you automatically belong to a strata corporation — the legal entity that owns and runs the shared parts of the property. Managing that corporation well means looking after five things at once: maintenance of common property, money (two separate funds), governance and meetings, bylaw enforcement, and statutory compliance.

Those responsibilities sit with the elected strata council. The council can delegate day-to-day work to a professional strata management company, or handle it themselves — what’s called a self-managed strata.

Self-managed vs. professional management

Most small BC stratas can be self-managed. Roughly two-thirds of the province’s strata corporations have 10 units or fewer (see BC strata statistics), where a management company’s monthly fee is hard to justify. The trade-off is time and organisation — which is exactly what good software removes.

ConsiderationSelf-managedManagement company
Monthly costSoftware only ($0–$99)$25–$60+ per unit
Control & transparencyFull — owners run itDelegated to a third party
Response timeImmediate (you decide)Depends on the firm
Compliance expertiseTooling + guides fill the gapProvided by the manager
Time commitmentA few hours / monthMinimal for the council
Best fitDuplexes & small/mid stratasLarge or complex buildings

What strata management involves

Whether self-managed or not, the corporation must keep the governance machinery running. The core recurring duties are:

Strata Property Act compliance in BC

Compliance is where self-managed councils feel the most pressure — and where the stakes have risen. The headline item: BC’s depreciation report requirements, with a July 1, 2026 deadline that affects most strata corporations of five or more lots. Alongside that sit the contingency reserve fund contribution rules and a calendar of meeting and notice obligations.

Finances: fees, reserves & levies

A strata runs two funds: an operating fund for day-to-day costs and the CRF for major repairs. Owners contribute through strata fees, and when the CRF can’t cover a big project, the council raises a special levy. Clean, auditable books for both funds are a legal expectation — not a nicety.

Software for self-managed stratas

The right platform turns the list above into a manageable routine: tracked compliance deadlines, dual-fund financials, AGM and minutes tooling, a searchable document library, and AI that drafts the work for the council to approve. For a feature-by-feature breakdown, see what to look for in self-managed strata software and our comparison of the leading options for BC.

ManageStrata is purpose-built for self-managed BC stratas.

Compliance deadlines, dual-fund financials, AGMs, and page-cited AI document search — free for duplexes.

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Frequently asked questions

Can a strata in BC be self-managed?
Yes. The Strata Property Act lets owners self-manage through their elected strata council instead of hiring a strata management company. It's most common in smaller corporations — roughly two-thirds of BC stratas have 10 units or fewer — where management fees are hard to justify.
What does strata property management cost in BC?
A professional strata management company typically charges $25–$60+ per unit per month. Self-managed stratas pay only for software, which ranges from free for duplexes to around $99/month for larger corporations — a large saving that goes back into the reserve fund.
What are a strata council's main responsibilities?
Maintaining common property, managing the operating fund and contingency reserve fund, enforcing bylaws and rules, holding annual general meetings with proper notice and quorum, keeping records, and meeting Strata Property Act obligations such as the depreciation report.
Is a depreciation report mandatory for BC stratas?
BC strata corporations of five or more lots are required to obtain a depreciation report, with a July 1, 2026 deadline for many corporations. The report projects the cost and timing of major repairs and informs contingency reserve fund planning.

Self-manage your BC strata with confidence

ManageStrata tracks your compliance deadlines, AGMs, and dual-fund finances — with AI that drafts the work and you approve it.

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Strata Property Management in BC: The Complete Guide · ManageStrata