Information and record keeping in stratas

Strata corporations, and strata property managers acting on their behalf, must follow the record-keeping provisions in the Strata Property Act and Regulations as well as the privacy rules contained in the BC Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

Learn more on this page:
Required strata records
Record retention in stratas
Strata record-keeping roles and responsibilities
Privacy
Obtaining and inspecting strata records

Required strata records

The records that must be kept current and up to date by the strata corporation are:

• a list of strata council members, including either a phone number or other method by which the council member may be contacted at short notice (as long as the method is not prohibited in the bylaws)
• a list of owners, with their strata lot addresses, mailing addresses if different, strata lot numbers as shown on the strata plan, parking stall and storage locker numbers, if any, and unit entitlements
• the names and addresses of mortgagees who have filed a “Form C: Mortgagee's Request for Notification”
• the names of tenants, and any assignments of voting or other rights by landlords to tenants
• the Strata Property Act, regulations, bylaws and rules

Strata record retention

Records must be kept for a certain period of time as outlined below.

Records to be kept for two years:

The only record the strata corporation must be keep for at least two years is any correspondence sent or received by the strata corporation and strata council.

Records to be kept for six years:

The strata corporation must keep the following records for at least six years:

• minutes of annual and special general meetings and strata council meetings, including the results of any votes
• books of account showing money received and spent and the reason for the receipt or expenditure
• any waivers of general meetings, waivers of notice period for general meetings, and written consents to the related resolutions
• the budget and financial statement for the current year and for previous years
• income tax returns, if any
• bank statements, cancelled cheques and certificates of deposit
• any "Form B: Information Certificates" issued
• financial records obtained from the Owner Developer

Strata records to be kept permanently:

The strata corporation must keep the following records permanently:

• any resolutions that deal with changes to common property, including the designation of limited common property
• any decision of an arbitrator or judge in a proceeding in which the strata corporation was a party
• any legal opinions obtained by the strata corporation
• any depreciation reports obtained under section 94 of the Strata Property Act
• any repair or maintenance reports (e.g., an engineer’s report) related to major items in the strata corporation, unless the item has been disposed of or replaced
• the electrical planning report

Strata records obtained from the owner developer to be kept permanently:

The strata corporation records that must be delivered by the Owner Developer at the first annual general meeting and kept permanently by the strata corporation are:

• the registered strata plan and any strata plan amendments registered at the Land Title Office
• plans required to obtain building permits and any amendments to the building permit plans
• disclosure statements and amendments, if any. (Disclosure statements may also be obtained from the BC Financial Services Authority for a fee.)
• the names and addresses of all contractors, subcontractors and persons who primarily supplied labour or materials to major components of the project;
• the name and address of the project manager, if any
• the names and addresses of technical consultants, including any building envelope specialists, if any and
• as outlined in Strata Property Act Sections 20 and 23:
  - all manuals, schematic drawings, operating instructions, service guides, manufacturers' documentation respecting the construction, installation, operation, maintenance, repair and servicing of any common property or common assets for as long as the strata corporation retains the common property or common asset to which they relate
  - all warranties for as long as the strata corporation retains the common property or common asset to which they relate or until the warranty expires (whichever comes first)
• any document that indicates the actual location of a pipe, wire, cable, chute, duct or other facility for the passage or provision of systems or services, if the Owner Developer believes they are not shown on the plan submitted to obtain the building permit

Strata records to be obtained from owner developer to be kept for limited periods:

The Owner Developer must deliver records to the strata corporation at the first annual general meeting which strata corporations must keep are:

• contracts to which the strata corporation is a party, including insurance policies for at least six years after the contract or policy ends

Note: The owner developer may be required to deliver other documents to the strata corporation at the first annual general meeting, which are not described above. For more information please see first time strata owners and new strata developments.

Strata record-keeping roles and responsibilities

The strata council is responsible for keeping records on behalf of the strata corporation but may delegate record keeping to a strata manager.

A strata manager:

• must keep records in accordance with the Strata Property Act, regulations, the Real Estate Services Act and Rules, and the strata property management contract
• must return all strata corporation records that are in their possession or control within four weeks of the strata management contract ending and
• who fails to return all records to the strata corporation within the required time must pay to the strata corporation $1,000. This fine may be enforced through the courts

The owner developer also has record-keeping responsibilities:

• must keep records in the same manner as the strata corporation when acting for the strata corporation
• must provide the strata corporation with certain records (described above) at the first annual general meeting of the strata corporation, and if the owner developer fails to provide the documents, and the strata corporation must pay money to obtain any missing documents, the owner developer will owe that sum of money to the strata corporation. This sum can be collected by the strata corporation registering a lien against one of the owner developer’s strata lots, if the owner developer still owns one or more strata lots
• must keep all financial records, which relate to the strata corporation's finances while they acted for the strata corporation, for two years following the transfer of control of the strata corporation to the owners, and during this two year period must:
  - make these records available for inspection, free of charge to the strata corporation and
  - allow the strata corporation to copy or audit the records at the expense of the strata corporation

Privacy

Strata corporations in B.C. must comply with the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) which regulates privacy in the private sector. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (“OIPC”) has an updated May 2022 guide (pdf) for strata corporations to understand and apply PIPA.

Obtaining and inspecting strata records

The following parties can inspect, at no charge or request copies of strata corporation records:

• strata lot owners
• tenants who have been assigned an owner's rights to the records
• tenants who are family members, as defined in the Regulations
• former owner (for the period during which the former owner was an owner in the strata corporation)
• former tenant (for the period during which the former tenant was a tenant and who had been assigned owner’s rights to access strata corporation records)
• a person authorized in writing by the former owner or a former tenant (who has been assigned owner’s rights to access records) for the period during which the former owner or tenant was an owner or tenant in the strata corporation;
• tenants who have leases of three years or greater and
• persons authorized in writing by a strata lot owner or tenant (who has been assigned owner’s rights) to access the records

Tenants other than the tenants noted above, cannot have access to strata corporation records, except for the bylaws and rules.

Parties must be permitted to inspect or receive any requested copies of:

• the bylaws and rules within one week of the request
• all other records within two weeks of the request.

The costs that apply for copies of the strata corporation’s records are up to 25 cents per page.

References:
Strata Property Act: Sections 5, 20, 22, 23, 35-37
Regulations 4.1 – 4.3

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