Form F: the Certificate of Payment

The "Form F: Certificate of Payment" provides information on whether the owner of a strata lot owes money to the strata corporation. The Form F is required by the Land Title Office when transferring a strata property to a new owner.

A buyer or seller should review the Form F well in advance of the completion of a sale to verify there are no monies owed to the strata corporation by the strata lot. BC Laws has all the Strata Property Act Regulation forms including the actual Form F: the Certificate of Payment.

Learn more on this page:
Issuing the Form F
Fees 
Preparing the Form F
Withholding the Form F
Effect of the Form F

Issuing the Form F 

A strata corporation must issue a "Form F: Certificate of Payment" when requested to confirm

• the owner does not owe money to the strata corporation or
• money is owed and the owner has:
  • paid the disputed amount into court if court proceedings have been started and payment into court is permitted
  • paid the disputed amount to the strata corporation to hold in trust if the matter has been referred to arbitration or if court proceedings have started or
  • made satisfactory arrangements with the strata corporation to pay the money

An owner, purchaser or person authorized by the owner or purchaser may request a Form F.  The strata corporation is required to provide the "Form F: Certificate of Payment" within 7 days of the request. 

An owner under the Strata Property Act is:  

• a registered owner of a strata lot, and includes trustees who hold title for the benefit of someone else
• a registered owner of a leasehold strata lot in a leasehold strata plan (who is referred to in the Strata Property Act as a "leasehold tenant"), and includes trustees who hold title for the benefit of someone else
• a person registered on title as a holder of an agreement for sale of a strata lot, and in this case, the registered owner will not be an owner under the Strata Property Act
• a registered holder of a life estate (which is referred to in the Strata Property Act as a "tenant for life") and in this case, the registered remainder owner will not be an owner under the Strata Property Act

A purchaser under the Strata Property Act is a person who enters into an agreement to purchase a strata lot or to acquire a strata lot lease in a leasehold strata plan, but to whom the strata lot or strata lot lease has not yet been conveyed or assigned.

The Strata Property Act does not provide that the agreement to purchase a strata lot be unconditional or free of subjects. 

Fees  

The maximum a strata corporation can charge for a Form F is $15. Sometimes a rush fee is charged by the strata corporation or the strata property manager if the Form F is requested with less than 7 days notice.

Preparing the Form F 

The strata corporation is responsible for providing the Form F. Under the Strata Property Act, the strata council carries out the duties of the strata corporation.

If a strata corporation has employed a strata property manager, it is often the strata property manager who has the information necessary to complete the form. However, the strata council is responsible for directing the strata property manager. The information disclosed in the Form F is binding on the strata corporation and the requestor. 

If a strata corporation has sections created by the strata's bylaws, the person making the request for the Form F should request the Form F from both the strata corporation and the relevant section to which the strata belongs. 

Withholding  the Form F

A strata corporation may withhold completing the Form F if there are monies owing to the strata corporation by the strata lot.

The strata lot can owe money for a number of reasons:

• fines for violating strata bylaws or rules
• costs of remedying a contravention of a bylaw or rule for which the owner is responsible
• strata fees
• special levies
• a reimbursement of the cost of work performed as a result of an owner failing to comply with an order from a public authority for work to be done on the strata lot
• a strata lot’s share of a judgment against the strata corporation

The "Form F: Certificate of Payment" must not include claims of damages against an owner that have not been determined by a court or by arbitration. 

Effect of the Form F 

The Form F is current for sixty days and is required by the Land Title Office for the registration of the following pertaining to a strata lot:

• a lease or assignment of a lease
• an agreement for sale 
• a conveyance of title

References:
Strata Property Act: Sections 59, 114-116, 256
Regulations: 4.4, 6.10

Find it fast: a handy site map listing all the strata housing pages.

The information on this website about strata housing is provided for the user’s convenience as a basic starting point; it is not a substitute for getting legal advice. Learn more about the site’s purpose and limits. The content on this website is periodically reviewed and updated by the Province of British Columbia as per the date noted on each page: April 17, 2023.