Stratify Your Plex | Bare Land Strata
Bare Land Strata in BC
A bare land strata is a strata whose lots are pieces of land, with boundaries set by survey markers on the ground. Each owner owns their lot and the house on it, insures that house themselves, and shares the common property, such as a road, with the other owners through a strata corporation. This page covers how a bare land strata is created, how it differs from a building strata, insurance, depreciation reports and who runs it.
The short answer
- 01A bare land strata is a strata where the lot lines are set by survey markers on the ground (Strata Property Act s.1). Each strata lot is a piece of land, and the owners share common property such as a road.
- 02An approving officer must approve a bare land strata plan before it is deposited at the Land Title Office (s.243).
- 03You own your lot and the house on it, and a share of the common property. The owner insures, repairs and maintains the house; the strata insures the common property (s.149(3), s.161(2)).
- 04Unit entitlement is the same whole number for each lot, or a number the Superintendent of Real Estate approves (s.246(6)).
- 05Standard Bylaw 5 (owner changes need approval) and Standard Bylaw 8(d) (the strata repairs the outside of the buildings on a lot) do not apply.
- 06Depreciation reports follow the same lot count as any strata: required at least every 5 years from 5 lots, not required under 5 lots.
What the law says a bare land strata is
The Strata Property Act defines a bare land strata plan as one where the boundaries of the strata lots are defined by survey markers (s.1). In a building strata, by comparison, a lot's boundary sits halfway through the wall, floor or ceiling it shares with the next lot (s.68).
The owners still form a strata corporation, pay strata fees into an operating fund and a contingency reserve fund, follow bylaws, elect a council and hold an annual general meeting (AGM). The Province's page on kinds of stratas says a bare land plan usually does not show the houses, and you cannot tell by looking at a property whether it is strata-titled. A title search shows a strata plan number in the legal description.
For a shorter overview of strata law that also covers bare land, see our strata legal guide.
How a bare land strata is created
A BC land surveyor prepares the plan, and an approving officer must approve it before it is deposited at the Land Title Office (s.243). The Act requires an approving officer's endorsement on a strata plan only when it is phased or bare land (s.244). That is the main difference from a new building strata, which needs no city or approving officer sign-off under the Act if nobody has lived in it.
Unit entitlement, the number that sets each lot's share of the common property and of the costs, is one of two choices: the same whole number for every lot, or a number the Superintendent of Real Estate approves (s.246(6)). The Superintendent charges $200 per schedule it examines (Regulation s.14.8). With equal unit entitlement, 4 lots each pay 25% of the budget (our arithmetic). The unit entitlement page covers the formula.
Selling 5 or more bare land strata lots brings in the Real Estate Development Marketing Act (REDMA): a disclosure statement filed before marketing, deposits held in trust and a 7-day right for the buyer to cancel.
Bare land strata vs building strata
| Bare land strata | Building strata | |
|---|---|---|
| Lot boundary | Survey markers on the land | Halfway through the walls, floors and ceilings between lots |
| Houses on the plan | Usually not shown | Buildings shown |
| Who insures the house | The owner. The strata insures common property such as a clubhouse or water system. | The strata insures the buildings on the plan at full replacement value |
| Approval before filing | Approving officer (s.243) | None for a new building nobody has lived in; city approval for an occupied building (s.242) |
| Unit entitlement | Same whole number for each lot, or approved by the Superintendent (s.246(6)) | Habitable area in square metres, the same whole number for each lot, or approved by the Superintendent |
| Standard Bylaw 5 (changes to a building need approval) | Does not apply | Applies |
| Standard Bylaw 8(d) (strata repairs the structure and exterior on a lot) | Does not apply | Applies |
| REDMA disclosure statement | 5 or more bare land strata lots | 5 or more strata lots in a stratified building |
| Depreciation report | Every 5 years from 5 lots | Every 5 years from 5 lots |
| Liability insurance | At least $2,000,000 | At least $2,000,000 |
Sources: Strata Property Act s.1, s.68, s.149, s.243, s.246; Standard Bylaws 5 and 8; Regulation s.6.21, s.9.2; and the Province's pages on kinds of stratas and strata insurance.
Insurance in a bare land strata
Every strata must insure its common property, its common assets and the buildings shown on the strata plan at full replacement value against major perils, and carry at least $2,000,000 of liability insurance (s.149; Regulation s.9.2). In a bare land strata, the strata does not insure the fixtures on the lots (s.149(3)), and each owner may insure the buildings on their own lot (s.161(2)). The Province says the owner of a bare land strata lot is responsible for the insurance, repair and maintenance of the buildings on it.
The strata's policy covers its common property, such as a clubhouse or a water system, and you buy your own home insurance for your house. The Province's insurance page notes that in a bare land strata the houses are usually not on the plan, so the strata policy usually does not cover them.
The warning sign is a plan that shows the houses. The Province says that if the houses are drawn on the plan, it may not be a bare land strata, and the strata should get legal advice. If it turns out to be a building strata, the strata must insure those buildings itself. The strata insurance page covers deductibles and owner policies.
Bylaws: what the owner decides alone
Two Standard Bylaws do not apply in a bare land strata. Standard Bylaw 5 requires an owner to get the strata's written approval before changing the structure or exterior of a building, outside doors and windows, fences and similar items. Standard Bylaw 8(d) has the strata repair the structure and exterior of the buildings on a lot. With both turned off, the house is the owner's to change and to repair under the Standard Bylaws.
The rest of the Standard Bylaws still apply unless the strata filed its own bylaws: fees due on the first of the month, pet limits, 48 hours' notice before the strata enters a lot, and fines of up to $50 per bylaw breach. A strata can file different bylaws by a 3/4 vote, and a bylaw change has no effect until it is filed at the Land Title Office on Form I (s.128). See the bylaws page.
Depreciation reports
A depreciation report is a study by a qualified professional of the expected life and repair and replacement cost of the strata's shared items, so owners can plan the reserve fund. The Regulation sets the same lot count for a bare land strata as for a building strata.
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who needs one | A strata of 5 or more lots, at least every 5 years. Exempt while it has fewer than 5 lots. | Regulation s.6.21(2), s.6.22 |
| No vote to skip it | The 3/4 vote that let owners defer the report was repealed on July 1, 2024. | B.C. Reg. 88/2024 |
| Older stratas | A strata with no report since December 31, 2020 needed one before July 1, 2026 in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the Capital Region, and before July 1, 2027 elsewhere. | Province of BC, depreciation report requirements |
| New stratas | Formed from July 1, 2024 to before July 1, 2027: within 2 years of the first annual general meeting (AGM). Formed on or after July 1, 2027: within 18 months. | Province of BC, depreciation report requirements |
| Owner developer's payment | For a strata formed on or after July 1, 2027, the owner developer pays the lesser of $5,000 plus $200 per lot, or $30,000, by the first AGM. For 6 lots that is $6,200 (our arithmetic). | Regulation s.6.23 |
| Who may prepare it | For reports obtained on or after July 1, 2025: a professional engineer or engineering licensee; an architect or architectural technologist; an applied science technologist or certified technician; an AACI appraiser; a Certified Reserve Planner; or a Professional Quantity Surveyor. | Regulation s.6.2(0.1); B.C. Reg. 187/2025 |
Every report must say which common property and limited common property the owners, and not the strata, must repair. The Regulation's inventory list includes parking and roads, water and sewer, and landscaping and fences. The Province publishes no price for a report.
Who runs a bare land strata
The owners elect a council at each AGM. Under the Standard Bylaws the council has 3 to 7 members, or every owner if there are fewer than 4 lots or fewer than 4 owners. Quorum at a general meeting is 2/3 of the votes in a strata of fewer than 4 lots or owners, and 1/3 otherwise (s.48(2)).
The Province says a strata may be self-managed. If the strata hires a manager instead, that person needs a licence from the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA), and a strata management company must be a licensed brokerage with a managing broker. An owner can manage their own strata without a licence, for up to 2 strata corporations. A strata can end a management contract on 2 months' notice after a 3/4 vote, and the manager must return all records within 4 weeks.
Best For
- ✓ Separate houses on one property that share a road, water system or other services.
- ✓ Owners who want to insure, repair and change their own house without strata approval under the Standard Bylaws.
- ✓ A project where an approving officer will approve lots defined by survey markers.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ Owners expect the strata to repair their houses. Standard Bylaw 8(d), the strata's repair duty for buildings on a lot, does not apply.
- ✕ The plan shows the houses. The Province warns it may then not be a bare land strata, and the strata should get legal advice.
- ✕ Owners assume the strata policy covers their house. In a bare land strata it usually does not.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The strata plan itself: whether it is labelled bare land and whether it shows the houses.
- → Your own home insurance policy, since the strata does not insure fixtures on your lot.
- → Any bylaws the strata filed in place of the Standard Bylaws.
Common questions
What is bare land strata? +
A bare land strata is a strata where each lot is a piece of land whose boundaries are set by survey markers. The owners also share common property such as roads, and together they form a strata corporation under the Strata Property Act.
What is a bare land strata in BC? +
In BC law it is a strata plan whose lot boundaries are defined by survey markers (Strata Property Act s.1). It needs an approving officer's approval before the plan is deposited (s.243), its unit entitlement is an equal whole number or one the Superintendent approves (s.246(6)), and Standard Bylaws 5 and 8(d) do not apply to it.
What does bare land strata mean? +
It means each strata lot is a piece of land marked by survey markers. The plan shows the land boundaries, and the houses on the lots are usually not shown. The owners still have a strata corporation, strata fees and bylaws.
Is bareland strata the same as bare land strata? +
Yes. Both spellings are used for the same thing. The Strata Property Act uses "bare land strata plan".
Do you own the land in a bare land strata? +
Yes. Your strata lot is the land inside its survey markers, and you also own a share of the common property, such as shared roads, as a tenant in common with the other owners. The Province says the owner of a bare land strata lot is responsible for the insurance, repair and maintenance of the buildings on it.
Bare land strata vs strata: what is the difference? +
In a bare land strata the lot boundaries are survey markers on the land and the owner insures their own house. In a building strata the boundaries are halfway through the walls, floors and ceilings, and the strata insures the buildings. A bare land plan also needs an approving officer's approval, and Standard Bylaws 5 and 8(d) do not apply to it.
Who insures the house in a bare land strata? +
The owner. The strata does not insure fixtures on a bare land strata lot (s.149(3)), and owners may insure the buildings on their own lots (s.161(2)). The strata still insures its common property and common assets, such as a clubhouse or water system, and must carry at least $2,000,000 of liability insurance.
Our strata of detached homes is run like a bare land strata. Is our insurance wrong? +
Check the strata plan. If the houses are drawn on the plan, the Province warns it may not be a bare land strata and says the strata should get legal advice. In a building strata, the strata must insure the buildings shown on the plan at full replacement value (s.149).
Does a bare land strata need a depreciation report? +
Yes, if it has 5 or more lots: at least every 5 years, with no vote to skip it since July 1, 2024. A bare land strata with fewer than 5 lots is exempt (Regulation s.6.22).
Do bare land strata owners pay strata fees? +
Yes. Every strata corporation must have an operating fund and a contingency reserve fund paid for by strata fees, and at least 10% of the operating budget goes to the reserve fund each year. In a bare land strata the fees cover the common property, not the houses.
Who repairs the outside of my house in a bare land strata? +
You do. Standard Bylaw 8(d), which has the strata repair the structure and exterior of buildings on a lot, does not apply in a bare land strata, and the Province says the owner is responsible for repair and maintenance of the buildings on the lot. Check whether your strata filed different bylaws.
Do I need strata approval to change my house in a bare land strata? +
Not under the Standard Bylaws: Standard Bylaw 5, which requires approval for changes to a building's structure and exterior, does not apply in a bare land strata. Your strata may have filed its own bylaws on changes, and city permits still apply.
Does a bare land strata need a strata manager? +
No. A strata may be self-managed by its council. Anyone paid to manage a strata for someone else must hold a licence from the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA), but an owner can do the work for their own strata, for up to 2 strata corporations, without one.
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