How Much Are Strata Fees on a Multiplex Home?
Most half duplexes and fourplexes for sale in Vancouver and Burnaby list no strata fee: 366 of 442 homes in buildings of 2 to 4 show $0. In buildings of 5 to 8 homes, 75 of 90 list a fee, and the median is $384 a month. We counted these from MLS® listings on October 17, 2026. Below: what the fee pays for, how your share is set, and what to check before you buy.
Questions about this guide: Gary Paul, REALTOR®, Personal Real Estate Corporation, Grand Central Realty, 778-828-7476
Key Topics
What the fee pays for
The fee pays for the parts of the building all owners share: insurance on the building, upkeep of the roof, outside walls and grounds, savings for future repairs, and a manager if the owners hire one. Your mortgage, property tax and costs inside your home are separate.
How your share is set
The yearly budget is divided among the homes by unit entitlement, a number fixed in the strata plan. The BC government says it is often based on the size of each home, so a larger home in the same building usually pays a larger share.
Who decides the amount
The owners approve the budget, and with it the fee, by majority vote at the annual general meeting. BC sets no limit on how much the fee can rise from one year to the next.
At least 10% goes to savings
Since November 1, 2023, every BC strata must put at least 10% of its yearly operating budget into its contingency reserve fund, the savings account for large repairs such as a new roof.
Small buildings skip one report
A strata of 5 or more homes must get a depreciation report, a professional estimate of future repair costs, every 5 years. A strata of 4 or fewer homes does not have to, so a duplex, triplex or fourplex may give you less written information about future costs.
A $0 fee needs questions
A $0 fee means no money is collected each month for the shared parts. Before you buy, ask how the building insurance is paid, how a shared repair would be split, and whether the building is a strata at all.
What Homes for Sale List as Their Strata Fee
We counted the monthly strata fee on every multiplex home for sale on MLS® in Vancouver and Burnaby, grouped by how many homes are in the building. The median and the middle half use only listings with a fee above $0.
| Building | For sale | Fee above $0 | $0 | Blank | Median fee | Middle half | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half duplex (2 homes in the building) | 304 | 7 | 246 | 51 | Too few | ||
| Buildings of 3 or 4 homes | 138 | 8 | 120 | 10 | Too few | ||
| Buildings of 5 to 8 homes | 90 | 75 | 15 | 0 | $384 | $322 to $448 | $0.25 |
Source: MultiLiving count of MLS® listings for sale in Vancouver and Burnaby on October 17, 2026, refreshed at most once an hour. Building size is the number of homes the listing gives for its development. The fee is the monthly strata fee on the listing. Sold homes are not included. Where fewer than 10 listings state a fee, we show the count only, because a median of so few homes would not describe the group.
If the Listing Says $0
A $0 fee means no money is collected each month for the shared parts of the building. Those costs still come. Ask these three questions before you make an offer.
How is the building insurance paid?
The building still needs insurance on its structure. Ask who holds the policy, what it costs each year, and how that cost is split between the owners.
How would a shared repair be paid?
A new roof or a leak in an outside wall affects every home. Ask whether the owners keep any savings for it, and how they would split the bill.
Is the building a strata at all?
Some duplexes are owned another way, with no strata. Our guide to strata and fee simple duplexes explains how each one works for an owner.
Read more: Strata or not: what fee simple means when you buy a duplex in BC
What Strata Fees Cover, and What They Do Not
Paid from strata fees
- ✓ Insurance on the whole building
- ✓ Upkeep of the roof, outside walls and shared grounds
- ✓ Shared services the building pays for, such as outside lighting
- ✓ The yearly payment into the contingency reserve fund
- ✓ A strata manager, if the owners hire one
Paid by you separately
- ✗ Your mortgage payment
- ✗ Property tax, billed by the city to each owner
- ✗ Your own insurance for the inside of your home and your belongings
- ✗ Hydro, gas and internet in your home
- ✗ Repairs and upkeep inside your home
- ✗ Special levies, which are one-time charges on top of the fee
What to Check Before You Buy
A low fee is good news only when the budget behind it is complete. These are the items to read in the strata documents.
Savings below 10% of the budget
Since November 1, 2023, a BC strata must put at least 10% of its yearly operating budget into the contingency reserve fund. A budget that saves less is a warning sign.
Special levies in the minutes
Read the meeting minutes for the last two years. Repeated one-time charges show that the monthly fee has not covered the costs.
The first budget of a new building
In a new building, the first budget is set before any owner lives there. If first-year costs come in higher, the company that created the strata must pay the difference (Strata Property Act, section 14). Ask what the owners changed at their first annual general meeting.
The insurance line and the deductible
Insurance on the whole building is part of the fee. Ask for the current policy and its deductible, the amount paid before the insurance pays a claim.
The depreciation report, in buildings of 5 or more
BC requires a strata of 5 or more homes to get a depreciation report every 5 years. Ask for the latest one and compare its savings plan with the budget.
Your share of the costs
Check the unit entitlement of the home you want. It sets your share of the yearly budget, so two homes in one building can pay different fees.
Where these rules come from
- Budgeting and strata fees, Government of British Columbia. Published April 22, 2024, accessed October 8, 2026.
- The contingency reserve fund (CRF) in strata corporations, Government of British Columbia. Published April 22, 2024, accessed October 8, 2026.
- Strata depreciation report requirements, Government of British Columbia. Published November 12, 2025, accessed October 8, 2026.
- Strata Property Act, Part 3: Duties of the company that created the strata (sections 5 to 24), BC Laws. Current consolidation, accessed October 8, 2026.
- Strata fee counts: MultiLiving, from MLS® listings for sale in Vancouver and Burnaby, October 17, 2026.
General information only. The strata fee counts on this page describe listings for sale on the date shown and change as homes are listed and sold. The rules on savings and depreciation reports are as published by the BC government on the dates noted. None of this is legal or financial advice. Before you buy, read the Form B information certificate, the budget and the minutes for the home you want, and ask a BC real estate lawyer about anything that concerns you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much are strata fees for a multiplex in Vancouver?
It depends on the size of the building. On October 17, 2026 we counted the strata fee on every multiplex home for sale in Vancouver and Burnaby on MLS®. In buildings of 5 to 8 homes, 75 of 90 listed a fee, with a median of $384 a month and a middle half between $322 and $448. In buildings of 2 to 4 homes, 366 of 442 listed $0. No public body publishes a strata fee figure for multiplex homes, so these counts are our own.
Do duplexes have strata fees?
Most half duplexes for sale in Vancouver and Burnaby list no fee. On October 17, 2026, 246 of the 304 half duplexes we counted on MLS® listed a strata fee of $0, 51 left the fee blank, and 7 listed a fee above $0. A $0 fee means no monthly money is collected for shared costs, so ask how the two owners pay for the building insurance and for repairs to the roof and outside walls.
Do townhouses in a multiplex have strata fees?
Townhouse homes in larger buildings usually do. On October 17, 2026, 75 of 90 homes for sale in Vancouver and Burnaby buildings of 5 to 8 homes listed a monthly strata fee, with a median of $384. In buildings of 3 or 4 homes, 120 of 138 listed $0. The number of homes in the building tells you more about the fee than the word townhouse in the listing does.
What do strata fees pay for?
Strata fees pay for the parts of the building that every owner shares. That covers the insurance on the whole building, upkeep of the roof, outside walls, paths and gardens, shared water and garbage service where the building pays for them, a manager if the owners hire one, and the yearly payment into the contingency reserve fund, which BC sets at no less than 10% of the operating budget. Costs inside your own home are yours to pay.
Are strata fees paid monthly or yearly?
The owners approve the strata budget once a year, at the annual general meeting, and each home's share of it is the strata fee. MLS® listings in BC state the fee as a monthly amount, which is how it is shown on this page. The strata's bylaws and budget say when payments are due, so check them, along with any change to the fee approved at the last annual general meeting.
Do strata fees include water and other utilities?
Only the services the strata pays for as a building. If the strata pays a shared bill, such as water, garbage or outside lighting, that cost is in the budget and so in your fee. Services billed to your own home, such as hydro, gas and internet, are separate. Read the budget lines for the building you are considering to see exactly which bills the strata pays.
How is each home's share of the strata fee worked out?
Each home pays a share of the yearly budget set by its unit entitlement, a number recorded in the strata plan. The BC government says unit entitlement is often based on the habitable size of each home, so in the same building a 1,600 sq ft home usually pays more than a 1,200 sq ft one, while both owners still get one vote each. Ask to see the unit entitlement of the home you are buying.
Can strata fees go up, and is there a limit?
Yes, strata fees can go up every year, and BC sets no limit on the increase. The owners approve the yearly budget, and with it the fees, by majority vote at the annual general meeting. Fees go up when the budget goes up, for example when the building insurance costs more. A large repair can also bring a special levy, which is a one-time charge on top of the monthly fee.
What is the contingency reserve fund?
The contingency reserve fund is the strata's savings account for large repairs that do not come every year, such as a new roof or new paint on the outside. Since November 1, 2023, BC requires every strata to put at least 10% of its yearly operating budget into this fund. A healthy balance means a large repair can be paid from savings. A small balance means the owners may face a special levy when the repair comes.
Does a duplex, triplex or fourplex need a depreciation report?
No. Under BC rules in force since July 1, 2024, a strata with 5 or more homes must get a depreciation report every 5 years, and a strata with 4 or fewer homes does not have to get one. A depreciation report is a professional estimate of what the main parts of the building will cost to repair or replace over time. In a small strata, ask the seller how future repairs are planned and how much is in the savings fund.
Do strata fees include property tax?
No. Property tax is billed by the city to each owner and is not part of the strata fee. You pay your own property tax bill even though you share the building with other owners. Your mortgage, your own insurance for the inside of your home and your belongings, and your own hydro, gas and internet are also outside the strata fee, so add all of them when you work out your monthly cost.
Can I back out of a purchase after reading the strata documents?
Yes, if your contract gives you that right. Many buyers make the offer subject to their review of the strata documents, such as the Form B information certificate, the current budget and recent meeting minutes. If the documents show a problem within the time the contract allows, the buyer can cancel. Once the buyer removes that condition, the purchase goes ahead. Ask your realtor and lawyer to set the condition and the time before you sign.
Living Articles
Cost of Owning
Every running cost of a multiplex home: property tax, insurance, utilities, repairs and the monthly total.
Strata for Multiplex Homes
Who decides what in a small strata, and the documents to read.
Strata Documents to Read Before You Buy
How to get the Form B, bylaws, budget, minutes and strata plan.
Strata Insurance Guide
Insurance is the biggest piece of your fees
Depreciation Reports & Reserve Funds
What the savings fund is for, and which buildings need a report
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