Stratify Your Plex | Can I Stratify?
Can I Stratify My Property?
You can stratify a BC property that has 2 or more principal homes, and how hard it is depends on one fact: whether anyone has ever lived in it. A new, empty building needs only a surveyor's certificate, while a lived-in building needs the city's approval. This page sorts every owner into one of four starting points and gives the path, the blockers and the city rules for each.
The Short Answer
- 01You can stratify a building with 2 or more principal homes. A strata plan must create at least 2 strata lots (Strata Property Act s.239), so a house on its own cannot become a strata.
- 02A new building that nobody has ever lived in needs no city approval under the Act. A surveyor's Form S is enough (s.241).
- 03A building that anyone has lived in, at any time and for any purpose, needs the city to approve the plan on Form T (s.242; Regulation s.14.1).
- 04A secondary suite cannot be its own strata lot in Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, the City of North Vancouver or Nanaimo. Laneway homes and coach houses are blocked in at least six cities.
- 05A rental exemption from home warranty bars the sale of any unit for 10 years from first occupancy (Homeowner Protection Act Regulation s.2).
Answer Five Questions Instead
The strata readiness check asks about your city, your building, whether anyone has lived in it, and how many units you have. It returns your path, the 2026 city fee and the rules that apply at your size. The four cases below explain what sits behind each answer.
The Four Starting Points at a Glance
| Starting point | Who approves | Government fee | Main blocker |
|---|---|---|---|
| New, never occupied | None under the Act; surveyor's Form S | LTSA $105.30 | Keep it empty until deposit |
| New, but someone moved in | City, Form T (s.242) | City conversion fee | Tenant rules, rental covenant |
| Older duplex or plex | City, Form T (s.242) | City conversion fee plus reports | Building code, fire and sound separation |
| House with suite or laneway | Usually refused | Not applicable | Suite or laneway cannot be its own lot |
Every plan that reaches the Land Title Office pays the Land Title and Survey Authority $105.30 to deposit the plan (fee listing, April 1, 2026), plus surveyor and legal fees, which are quoted per job.
1. A new building nobody has lived in
Never-occupied path: surveyor's Form S, no city approval under the Act.
This is the shortest path. A BC land surveyor prepares the strata plan and signs Form S to certify that the building was never occupied. Form S must be dated no more than 180 days before the plan is tendered at the Land Title Office (s.241). The plan goes in with the unit entitlement schedule (Form V), the strata's mailing address (Form X) and any custom bylaws (Form Y), signed by you and every lender. The Land Title and Survey Authority (LTSA) charges $105.30 to deposit it.
The Strata Property Act sets no city step for a new building. Cities can still add one at permit stage. The City of North Vancouver asks you to note the plan to stratify when you apply for the building permit. Vancouver registers a covenant at development permit that limits strata lots to the number of principal units when a new duplex or multiplex has suites or lock-offs. Burnaby says a new building registers "directly with the Land Title Office".
What can stop you
- Moving in, or renting a unit, before the plan is deposited moves you to the conversion path (Regulation s.14.1).
- The rental exemption covenant bars the sale of any unit for 10 years from first occupancy.
- Parking stalls and storage spaces cannot be strata lots (s.244(2)); give them out as limited common property.
- In Vancouver's R1-1 zone a strata multiplex can have at most 6 units; 7 or 8 units must be 100% rental.
- An owner builder authorization cannot be used for a multiplex, so the building needs a licensed builder and home warranty to be sold (HPA Regulation s.19; HPA s.22).
All cities we checked: no extra step found beyond those named above.
2. A new building where someone moved in or a unit was rented
Conversion path: city approval on Form T under section 242.
"Previously occupied" means occupied at any time, for any purpose. The only exception is a unit the developer uses as a display lot (Regulation s.14.1). So if you moved into one unit, a family member stayed in another, or you rented one for a month, the building is previously occupied, even if it is brand new.
The approving authority is the city council, or an approving officer it names for that kind of building (s.242(10)). It must refuse unless the building substantially complies with the city's bylaws and the building regulations, and it weighs rental housing supply, tenant relocation, building life and expected repair costs. Its decision is final, and you pay the city's conversion fee and meet its tenant rules.
Burnaby says it plainly: once occupied, the units "can only be stratified through a Strata Conversion application". Nanaimo says stratification "must also occur at the time of construction, before the units are occupied, and all units must be stratified at the same time."
What can stop you
- If units were rented under the rental exemption, the 10-year no-sale covenant still applies after conversion.
- Tenant rules: Vancouver needs written consent from at least two thirds of the households; Victoria needs a Tenant Plan signed by all tenants.
- Vacancy rules: Surrey approves rental to strata conversions only at a 4% vacancy rate or higher; Coquitlam (3 or more rental units), Saanich (3 or more units, except small-scale multi-unit housing) and Victoria (more than 4 rental units) also use 4%; the City of North Vancouver needs 4% for 12 months in a row for rental apartments of 3 or more units.
- Burnaby does not permit conversion of purpose-built rental housing, except duplexes and semi-detached homes.
See the conversion fee and rules for each city on the strata conversion page.
3. An older duplex, triplex or plex
Conversion path: city approval on Form T, with a building report.
An older building with two or more principal homes can usually be converted, but it has to meet the building standard the city sets. The Act says the city must refuse unless the building substantially complies with its bylaws and the building regulations (s.242(5)). Each city reads that its own way.
Burnaby asks for full compliance with the current Zoning Bylaw and current BC Building Code. Saanich asks for an engineer and architect report on substantial compliance with the BC Building Code 2024, including fire and sound separation, and a building life of at least 35 years. Victoria asks that the walls between duplex units meet current fire separation and sound ratings. In a 2014 Surrey duplex case, the fire separation wall was upgraded to the current Code. Vancouver asks for a report that the building is "of a reasonable quality for its age".
Richmond asks a duplex owner to prove the building is used as a two-family dwelling only, for example by sworn affidavit, building plans or a two-family dwelling covenant. Vancouver says the number of strata lots must equal the number of principal units.
What can stop you
- A building that does not conform to zoning can be refused (Vancouver guideline 1(c)).
- Unpermitted work, exits, seismic and the building envelope are the common issues in Victoria's duplex bulletin.
- Port Coquitlam registers a covenant on a converted duplex that stops either unit from adding a secondary suite.
- Conversion fees in 2026 run from $200 in Victoria (for under 3 units) to $7,640 proposed in Vancouver, plus inspection fees.
Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, Coquitlam, City of North Vancouver, Victoria and Saanich each have a page below.
4. A house with a secondary suite or a laneway home
Usually blocked: suites and laneway homes cannot be their own strata lot in most cities we checked.
A strata plan needs 2 or more strata lots, and in most cities a suite or a laneway home cannot be one of them. Vancouver's policy says "a secondary suite cannot be defined as a separate strata lot under any circumstances", and the City "will not entertain any applications to convert" a house with a secondary suite or a laneway house. A new Vancouver house with a suite or laneway house gets a covenant at development permit that "prohibits registration of a strata plan".
Burnaby says secondary suites "cannot be stratified". Coquitlam's FAQ says secondary suites and accessory dwelling units "cannot be stratified or subdivided". The City of North Vancouver's Zoning Bylaw says an accessory coach house "shall not be stratified", and neither can an accessory unit in a duplex or a lock-off. The District of North Vancouver says "a coach house cannot be stratified or sold separately". New Westminster says laneway and carriage houses "cannot be strata-titled". Nanaimo says only principal units can be stratified.
Surrey's small-scale housing page treats a house and its suite as a single real estate entity. For Richmond, Saanich and Victoria, we did not confirm a written suite rule, and Victoria's garden suite page could not be opened.
What can stop you
- The suite or laneway home would have to be a principal unit under the zoning, which usually means a new design and permit.
- A duplex or multiplex with 2 or more principal units can be stratified, with the number of strata lots equal to the number of principal units (Vancouver policy 6.1).
The suites and laneway page lists the rule in each city.
Your City's Rules
Each page lists who approves a conversion, the 2026 fee, the tenant rules, the building standard and the suite and laneway rule, read from the city's own documents on October 29, 2026.
Other Ways to Split Ownership
A building strata is one of several ways to give each household its own share. Fee simple separate lots need the approving officer to approve a subdivision plan (Land Title Act s.91). A bare land strata also needs the approving officer before deposit (Strata Property Act s.243), and each owner insures their own house. Co-ownership keeps one title, and selling 2 or more undivided shares of one parcel brings in the Real Estate Development Marketing Act (REDMA) from the second share.
The title choices page compares them for a plex, and freehold vs strata sets the two most common duplex options side by side.
Common Questions
Can I stratify my house? +
Only if it has 2 or more principal homes. A strata plan must create at least 2 strata lots (Strata Property Act s.239), and a secondary suite or a laneway home cannot be its own strata lot in Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, the City of North Vancouver or Nanaimo. A single house with a suite cannot be stratified in those cities.
Can a duplex become a strata? +
Yes. A new duplex that nobody has lived in becomes a strata when a strata plan with 2 strata lots is deposited, with the surveyor's Form S. An older or lived-in duplex needs the city to approve a strata conversion under section 242. Burnaby, which bars conversion of purpose-built rental buildings, still accepts duplexes and semi-detached homes.
Are duplexes strata? +
Only if a strata plan was filed for them. The Province says the strata law applies to "duplexes and triplexes if they are strata-titled". A duplex on one title with no strata plan has no strata corporation. A title search shows a strata plan number in the legal description when it is a strata.
Do duplexes have strata fees? +
A strata duplex does. Every strata corporation must collect strata fees into an operating fund and a contingency reserve fund, with at least 10% of the operating budget going to the reserve fund each year (Strata Property Act s.92; Regulation s.6.1). It must also carry property insurance at full replacement value and $2,000,000 of liability insurance. A duplex with no strata plan pays no strata fees.
Can you stratify a duplex with a tenant in it? +
Yes, through a conversion, if the city approves. A rented duplex is previously occupied, so the city decides on Form T. Some cities set tenant rules: Coquitlam asks for written evidence that the tenants of a 2-unit building favour the conversion, and Vancouver asks for written consent from at least two thirds of the households.
Can I stratify a new building I already live in? +
Yes, but it is now a conversion. Living in one unit makes the building previously occupied (Regulation s.14.1), so the city must approve the plan under section 242 and you pay its conversion fee. The before move-in page shows how to avoid this on your next build.
Can a laneway house be stratified? +
Not in Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, New Westminster, Coquitlam or Nanaimo, by those cities' own documents. Vancouver also registers a covenant on a new house with a laneway house that blocks a strata plan.
Can a secondary suite be stratified in BC? +
Not in Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, the City of North Vancouver or Nanaimo. Vancouver says a suite cannot be a separate strata lot "under any circumstances", and limits strata lots to the number of principal units.
Does an older duplex have to meet today's building code to be stratified? +
It depends on the city. The Act requires substantial compliance with local bylaws and the building regulations (s.242(5)). Burnaby asks for full compliance with the current BC Building Code; Victoria asks that walls between units meet current fire separation and sound ratings; Vancouver asks for a report that the building is of reasonable quality for its age.
Can I stratify a building I rent out under the rental exemption? +
You can file a strata plan, but you cannot sell the units for 10 years from first occupancy. The rental exemption covenant restricts the sale or other disposition of any unit for that time, and BC Housing's page describes no early release.
Can parking stalls or storage lockers be strata lots? +
No. Parking stalls and storage spaces cannot be separate strata lots (Strata Property Act s.244(2)). They can be limited common property for one unit, or part of a unit's lot.
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