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525 - Building & Land Management

Last updated on April 19, 2024

Records relating to ministry/agency building and land management responsibilities, including parking requirements and requests, real estate purchases and sales, easements and rights-of-way through property owned by ministries and agencies, leasing arrangements with prospective and existing landlords, indoor air quality (IAQ) testing, hazardous substance and environmental contaminant testing and remediation, and day-to-day property management activities (e.g., cleaning, ground maintenance and landscaping, snow removal, and mechanical, electrical, elevator, plumbing and utility system inspection, repair and maintenance).

Record types include correspondence, lease and sales agreements, land title documents, work orders, equipment maintenance logs, drawings, diagrams, plans, reports, and manuals.

For asset inventories, see secondary 705-20.
For construction projects, see primary 545.
For contracts, see primary 1070.
For disaster and emergency response planning, see primary 275.
For equipment operating manuals and warranties, see primary 700.
For insurance claims, see primary 450.
For occupational accidents and incidents, see primary 1560.
For occupational health and safety site assessments and inspections, see primary 1560.
For property damage incidents and investigations, see primary 470.
For vehicle parking permits, see primary 877.

The ministry or agency OPR is the facilities management offices or equivalent unless otherwise specified below.

non-OPR NOTE: Offices will retain non-OPR copies of records for: SO nil DE

Primary-Secondary Records Series OPR
  A SA FD
525-00 Policy and procedures SO nil DE
525-01 General
(covers vending machines, mobile vendors, price lists and menus)		 FY+1y nil DE
525-04 Building and space standards SO nil DE
525-06 Design/specification manuals - not centrally created
(covers building design and specification manuals solely created by a ministry or agency, as opposed to the central real estate agency)
FR = The government archives will fully retain building design and specification manuals created by a ministry or agency because they document government standards, guidelines, and requirements for the design of public buildings.		 SO nil FR
525-07 Property management work orders
2y = The retention period is based on the two-year limitation period for commencing an action with respect to a personal injury under the Limitation Act (RSBC 1996, c. 266, s.3
NOTE: These records document routine maintenance and repairs on leased and owned properties.		 FY+2y nil DE
525-30 Building and land case files - centrally managed
(covers properties managed by the central real estate agency)
(includes reports and case files relating to accommodation; building acquisition, disposal, inspection, and repair; client project status; elevator inspection; facility management; fire prevention; HVAC, garbage disposal and waste, lighting and electrical, natural and propane gas, and water and plumbing systems; flood control; land acquisition, appraisal, and disposal; parking; and property development and maintenance)
SO = when ministry/agency vacates the property
DE = Centrally managed building and land case files will be destroyed because records documenting these functions are fully retained from the central agency through the Accommodation and Real Estate Services (ARES) ORCS.		 SO 2y DE
525-40 Building and land case files - not centrally managed
(covers property solely owned and/or managed by the ministry or agency, as opposed to the central real estate agency)
(includes reports and case files relating to building repair; building and elevator inspections; fire prevention, HVAC, garbage disposal and waste, lighting and electrical, natural and propane gas, and water and plumbing systems; flood control; land appraisal and disposition; property development and maintenance; and parking)
SO = when property is disposed of or no longer used by government
NOTE: This secondary does not include the following records, which must be classified as follows:
  • As-built drawings under secondary 510-02
  • Building design and specification manuals under secondary 525-06
  • Construction and renovation projects under secondary 545-40
  • Contaminated sites and hazardous substance testing and remediation under secondary 525-45
  • Leases under secondary 525-50
  • Real estate projects under secondary 525-60
 SO 2y DE
525-45 Contaminant files - not centrally owned properties
(covers contaminant and hazardous substance [e.g., asbestos, mould, and radon gas] testing and remediation in properties owned solely by the ministry or agency, as opposed to the central real estate agency)
SO = when property is sold
FR = Contaminant files will be fully retained because they document hazards to the public for which the government has long term obligations and accountability.  This disposition is consistent with the retention of related records in real estate and acquisition and disposal files (secondary 77000-30) in the ARES ORCS (schedule 140666).
NOTE: Classify contaminated sites and hazardous substance testing and remediation in properties that are centrally owned (e.g., by ARES) in the appropriate property file under secondary -30.		 SO 2y FR
525-50 Leases - not centrally managed
(covers leases negotiated and managed solely by the ministry or agency, as opposed to the central real estate agency)
(includes case files relating to building and land acquisition and disposal)
SO = upon termination of lease or upon expiry of indemnity granted to the Province, whichever is later
7y = The retention period is based on the six-year limitation period for commencing an action arising from economic loss under the Limitation Act (RSBC 1996, c. 266, s. 3).
NOTE: Classify leases that are centrally managed (e.g., by the central real estate agency) in the appropriate property file under secondary -30.		 SO 7y DE
525-60 Real estate projects - not centrally managed
(covers properties purchased and sold solely by the ministry or agency, as opposed to the central real estate agency)
(includes case files relating to building and land acquisition and disposal)
SO = when property is sold, or upon abandonment of the real estate project
7y = The retention period ensures that sales agreements included in these files are retained for the six-year limitation period for commencing an action arising from economic loss under the Limitation Act (RSBC 1996, c. 266, s. 3).
FR = The government archives will fully retain real estate project files for their significant evidential and informational values.  They provide a comprehensive source of information on ministry and agency-owned properties.
NOTE: Classify real estate projects that are centrally managed (e.g., by the central real estate agency) in the appropriate property file under secondary -30.		 SO 7y FR

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OPR – office of primary responsibility

A – active
SA – semi-active
FD – final disposition

CY – calendar year
FY – fiscal year
nil – no retention period
SO – superseded or obsolete
y – year
DE – destruction
FR – full retention

Resources

Learn how government records are managed:

Contact information

For general inquires, contact the Government Information Management (GIM) Branch at:

Office
250 387-3387
Email
GRS@gov.bc.ca