Strata Documents to Read Before You Buy
Before you commit to a strata home in BC, read six documents: the Form B information certificate, the bylaws, the budget and financial statements, recent minutes, the strata plan and, in a building of 5 or more homes, the depreciation report. A buyer can ask the strata directly for the Form B, which it must provide within one week. For the other records, the seller authorizes the request in writing. Here is how to get each one and what to look for.
Questions about this guide: Gary Paul, REALTOR®, Personal Real Estate Corporation, Grand Central Realty, 778-828-7476
Key Topics
Start with the Form B
The information certificate sums up the strata's money, votes and legal matters for the home you want. An owner, a purchaser or a person they authorize can ask for it, and the strata has one week.
The seller unlocks the rest
Bylaws, budgets, minutes and reports are open to owners and to people an owner authorizes in writing. Ask the seller to sign that authorization so you or your realtor can request them.
Bylaws as filed
Read the bylaws that apply today, including any change filed at the land title office. The Form B also lists bylaw changes passed but not yet filed.
Budget and savings
Check that at least 10% of the operating budget goes to the contingency reserve fund, and compare the savings balance on the Form B with the repairs the minutes mention.
Minutes show the future
Minutes record every vote and are kept for at least 6 years. They show repairs the owners are planning, levies they have discussed, and how they handle disagreement.
Make your offer subject to them
Write your offer subject to reading these documents within a set time, so you can cancel if they show a problem. Your realtor and lawyer can set the wording.
Six Documents, Who Gives Them, and What to Look For
| Document | Who can ask | How fast, and cost | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form B information certificate | Any owner, purchaser, or person they authorize can request it | Within one week; up to $35 plus 25 cents a page | Monthly fee, approved levies, savings balance, unfiled bylaw changes, pending votes, legal claims, parking and storage, insurance summary |
| Bylaws and rules as filed | Owner, or someone the owner authorizes in writing | Within one week | Pets, changes to your home, use of the yard and parking, any change to the standard bylaws |
| Budget and financial statements | Owner, or someone the owner authorizes in writing | Within 2 weeks; copies up to 25 cents a page | At least 10% of the operating budget going to savings, the insurance cost, and how fees have changed |
| Minutes of owners' and council meetings | Owner, or someone the owner authorizes in writing | Within 2 weeks; kept for at least 6 years | Repairs discussed, levies proposed, disagreements between owners, insurance claims |
| Strata plan | The land title office, usually ordered by your lawyer or realtor | When ordered | Which parts are your home, which outdoor space and parking are yours to use, and your unit entitlement |
| Depreciation report (5 or more homes) | Owner, or someone the owner authorizes in writing | Within 2 weeks; kept permanently | Repairs expected and the funding plan; a strata of 4 or fewer homes does not have to have one |
Sources: Strata Property Act, sections 35, 36 and 59; Strata Property Regulation, sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.4; BC government depreciation report requirements. Read October 2026.
How to Get the Documents in Time
- 1
Write the condition into your offer
Make the offer subject to your review of the strata documents within a set number of days. Your realtor and lawyer can set the wording.
- 2
Request the Form B
The seller, you or your realtor asks the strata for the information certificate. The strata has one week.
- 3
Get the seller's written authorization
Ask the seller to authorize your request for the bylaws, budget, financial statements, minutes and any depreciation report. The strata has 2 weeks, or 1 week for bylaws.
- 4
Order the strata plan
Your lawyer or realtor orders it from the land title office. It shows what is your home and what is shared.
- 5
Read them with your lawyer
Compare the savings balance with the repairs in the minutes, and the bylaws with how you plan to live.
- 6
Remove the condition, or cancel
If the documents look sound, remove the condition. If they show a problem, you can cancel within the time your contract allows.
The bottom line
Reading six documents sounds like a lot, but the law sets short deadlines: the strata must answer within one or two weeks, and copies cost at most 25 cents a page. A buyer who reads them knows the building before they own it.
In a small multiplex these documents matter even more, because a few owners share every decision and every repair. We can help you gather and read them. Talk to our team about a home you are considering, or browse more guides in the Playbook.
Where these rules come from
- Strata Property Act, Part 4: Governance (sections 25 to 65), BC Laws. Current consolidation, accessed October 8, 2026.
- Strata Property Regulation (fees for certificates and copies, record retention), BC Laws. Current consolidation, accessed October 8, 2026.
- Strata Property Act, Schedule of Standard Bylaws (bylaw 9, council size), BC Laws. Current consolidation, accessed October 8, 2026.
- Strata Property Act, Part 7: Bylaws and rules (sections 119 to 138), BC Laws. Current consolidation, accessed October 8, 2026.
- Strata depreciation report requirements, Government of British Columbia. Published November 12, 2025, accessed October 8, 2026.
- Strata owner and tenant insurance, Government of British Columbia. Published July 23, 2025, accessed October 8, 2026.
General information only. The timelines, fees and record rules on this page are as published in BC's Strata Property Act and Strata Property Regulation on the dates noted. None of this is legal advice. Ask a BC real estate lawyer to review the strata documents for any home you plan to buy.
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Key Takeaways
- Read six documents: Form B, bylaws, budget, minutes, strata plan and any depreciation report.
- The strata must provide a Form B within one week, for at most $35 plus copying.
- Other records go to owners and people they authorize in writing, within 2 weeks.
- Minutes are kept at least 6 years and show planned repairs and levies.
- A strata of 4 or fewer homes does not have to have a depreciation report.
- Make your offer subject to reading the documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
What strata documents should I get before buying in BC?
Get the Form B information certificate, the bylaws and rules as filed, the current budget and recent financial statements, the minutes of recent owners' and council meetings, the strata plan, and, if the building has 5 or more homes, the depreciation report. Together they show what you own, the rules you live by, what the strata spends and saves, and what the owners are planning.
How do I find the strata agreement or bylaws for a home?
The rules for a strata home are its bylaws: the standard bylaws in BC's Strata Property Act plus any changes filed at the land title office. Under section 36 of the Act, the strata must provide the bylaws within one week to an owner or a person the owner authorizes in writing, so ask the seller to authorize your request.
What is a Form B information certificate?
It is a certificate the strata must give within one week to an owner, a purchaser or a person they authorize, under section 59 of BC's Strata Property Act. It lists the home's monthly strata fee, any amount owing, approved special levies, the savings fund balance less approved spending, bylaw changes not yet filed, pending votes, legal claims, the parking and storage allocated to the home, and a summary of the strata's insurance.
How much does a Form B cost in BC?
Under section 4.4 of the Strata Property Regulation, the most a strata can charge for an information certificate is $35, plus the cost of copying at up to 25 cents a page. Copies of other records, such as minutes or budgets, cost at most 25 cents a page under section 4.2. In a purchase, ask your realtor to arrange the request.
Can a buyer get the strata minutes directly?
Only with the seller's written permission. Under section 36 of BC's Strata Property Act, the strata's records, including minutes, are open to owners, certain tenants, and people an owner or tenant authorizes in writing. A buyer is none of those until the sale closes, so ask the seller to authorize your request in writing. The strata then has 2 weeks to provide the records.
How many years of minutes should I read?
The strata must keep minutes for at least 6 years under section 4.1 of the Strata Property Regulation, so several years are usually available. In our view, two years of minutes is the least to read, and more is better in a building with an older roof or a history of disagreement. Look for repairs discussed, levies proposed, insurance claims and how votes went.
What if the building has no depreciation report?
If it has 4 or fewer homes, that is allowed: BC requires a depreciation report every 5 years only for a strata of 5 or more homes. In a duplex, triplex or fourplex, read the savings balance on the Form B, the budget and the minutes, and ask the seller how the owners plan for large repairs. In a building of 5 or more homes, a missing report is a question to ask before you go further.
How long do I have to read the strata documents?
As long as your contract allows. Buyers usually make the offer subject to reading the strata documents within a set number of days, agreed with the seller. Ask for the Form B and the seller's authorization early, since the strata has one week for the Form B and 2 weeks for other records. If the documents show a problem before that condition is removed, you can cancel.
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