Stratify Your Plex | Duplex Strata
Duplex Strata in BC
A duplex is a strata only if a strata plan has been filed for it, and then it has strata fees, strata insurance and a strata corporation of two owners, like any other strata. The hard part is the voting: with two lots there is no tie-break, and one owner can block every 3/4 vote. This page covers fees, the rules that apply at 2 lots, insurance, the tools for a deadlock, the questions duplex owners have taken to the Civil Resolution Tribunal, and what each city charges to convert an existing duplex.
The short answer
- 01A duplex is a strata only if a strata plan has been filed for it. The Province says the Strata Property Act applies to duplexes and triplexes "if they are strata-titled". A duplex on one title with no strata plan has no strata corporation.
- 02A strata duplex must have strata fees: an operating fund, and a contingency reserve fund that gets at least 10% of the operating budget each year (Act s.92; Regulation s.6.1).
- 03The strata must insure both halves at full replacement value and carry at least $2,000,000 of liability insurance. The Province names strata-titled duplexes on its insurance page.
- 04Both owners are the council. The president has no tie-breaking vote at council or at general meetings, so a 1 to 1 vote decides nothing (Standard Bylaws 9(2), 18(2), 27(6)).
- 05A 3/4 vote needs both owners, because one "no" blocks it. No court can override a lone holdout on a unanimous vote in a strata under 10 lots (s.52).
- 06When the two owners cannot agree, the tools are the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT), arbitration, and court orders under s.58, s.164, s.165 and s.174.
Is your duplex a strata?
A duplex can be held three ways: on one title, on two separate fee simple lots, or as two strata lots on a strata plan. Only the last one is a strata. The Province's page on living in a strata says the law "applies to all strata corporations in British Columbia ... as well as duplexes and triplexes if they are strata-titled."
You cannot tell by looking at the building. Check the title: a strata lot's legal description includes a strata plan number. A title search from the Land Title and Survey Authority (LTSA) costs $11.06, plus $3.55 for an online pay-as-you-go search. The title choices page compares the three ways.
Strata fees in a duplex
The rules for the two funds are the same at every size. The strata must keep an operating fund for costs that come once a year or more often, and a contingency reserve fund for costs that come less often (s.92). At least 10% of the operating budget goes to the reserve fund every year (Regulation s.6.1). The owners pass a budget by majority vote at each annual general meeting (AGM) (s.103), and under Standard Bylaw 1 fees are due on the first day of each month.
A common question in small stratas is whether the owners can skip the bank account and budget and just split bills as they come. The Act does not allow it: the two funds and the budget are required at every size. The owners can, however, skip the meeting itself if both waive the AGM in writing and consent in writing to the budget, council and other business (s.41).
Example (our arithmetic): an operating budget of $5,000 needs at least $500 more for the reserve fund. With equal unit entitlement, each half pays $2,750 a year, or $229.17 a month. The fee split calculator works it out for your numbers, and the strata fees page covers what fees pay for.
The rules at 2 lots
Several rules in the Act and the Standard Bylaws change when a strata has fewer than 4 lots, and two apply only at 2 lots.
| Rule | At 2 lots | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Council | Both owners are on council, because there are fewer than 4 lots. Each lot has one council vote, and neither owner can be removed from council. | SB 9(2), 11(1); Act s.29(4) |
| Council quorum | 2 members for a council of 2 to 4, so both owners must attend. | SB 16 |
| General meeting quorum | 2/3 of the votes in a strata of fewer than 4 lots. With 2 votes, one owner alone is 50%, so both must attend (our arithmetic). | Act s.48(2) |
| Tie-break | None. The president has no deciding vote at council or at a general meeting in a 2-lot strata. | SB 18(2), 27(6) |
| 3/4 vote (bylaws, special levies, significant changes) | At least 3/4 of the votes cast. One "no" blocks it, so both owners must agree. | Act s.1 |
| Unanimous vote | Both owners. No court override of a holdout, because that power applies only at 10 or more lots. | Act s.52 |
| Bylaw complaint against a council member | A council member accused of a bylaw breach can still take part in deciding it when every owner is on council. | Act s.136(2) |
| Depreciation report and electrical planning report | Not required under 5 lots. | Regulation s.6.22, s.5.8 |
| Skipping the AGM | Allowed if both owners waive it in writing and consent to the budget, council and other business. | Act s.41 |
| Winding up the strata | An 80% vote, so both owners (our arithmetic). Under 5 lots no court order is needed if every registered lender consents in writing. | Act s.272, s.274(c) |
The practical result: anything that needs a vote needs both of you. The best time to settle bylaws, limited common property for yards and parking, and the repair split is before the first sale, while one owner still holds every vote. After that, changing a bylaw in an all-residential strata needs a unanimous vote until the second AGM (s.127). The voting calculator shows the counts for each vote type.
Insurance
A strata duplex must insure the common property, the common assets, the buildings on the strata plan and the fixtures the developer installed, at full replacement value against major perils such as fire and water escape (s.149). It must also carry at least $2,000,000 of liability insurance (Regulation s.9.2). The Province's strata insurance page names "strata-titled duplexes" on the list of buildings this covers.
The premium is a common expense paid through strata fees, and so is the deductible (s.158(1)). The strata can sue the owner responsible for a loss to recover the deductible (s.158(2)). The Province says strata deductibles "can range from $100,000 to $750,000 or higher" and strongly advises each owner to buy their own policy for contents, personal liability, improvements and a deductible charged back to them.
This question has reached the tribunal. In 2020 BCCRT 1283, an owner whose duplex had never been run as a strata asked whether they still had to pay half of the strata insurance ($564.90) when they had their own home policy. The strata insurance page covers deductibles in detail.
When the two owners cannot agree
These are the tools the law gives. Most start with a written request for a council hearing, which council must hold within 4 weeks (s.34.1).
| Tool | What it does | Source | Who decides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-owners of one half disagree | If the co-owners of one strata lot cannot agree how to vote, their vote is not counted. | Act s.57 | Applies at every vote |
| Court-appointed voter | The court can appoint someone to vote for a lot where nobody can. | Act s.58 | Supreme Court |
| Significantly unfair action | Court remedies for significantly unfair acts or decisions, including by anyone holding 50% or more of the votes. Each duplex owner holds 50%. | Act s.164 | Supreme Court; the CRT can also hear voting by someone holding 50% or more |
| Order to perform a duty | The court can order the strata to perform a duty it has. | Act s.165 | Supreme Court |
| Special levy for safety repairs | If a levy for safety or loss-prevention repairs gets more than 1/2 but less than 3/4, the court may approve it if asked within 90 days. In a duplex where both vote, the result is 0, 1/2 or all, so this route does not fit a 1 to 1 split (our arithmetic). | Act s.173(2) to (4) | Supreme Court |
| Administrator | The court can appoint an administrator to run the strata, paid by the strata. | Act s.174 | Supreme Court |
| Arbitration | The owners can take a dispute to arbitration. | Act s.177 | Arbitrator |
| Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) | Hears most strata disputes of any amount. You must first ask council for a hearing (s.189.1). Fees: $125 online or $150 by mail to file, plus $100 for a final decision. | CRTA s.121, s.123 | CRT |
The CRT cannot hear claims under s.52 (unanimous votes), s.58, s.173(2), s.174 or s.246 (unit entitlement), or about a council member's conflict of interest; those go to the Supreme Court. Its own page also says it cannot take claims about harassment, bullying or slander. The disputes page covers the hearing request and the tribunal process.
Questions duplex owners have taken to the CRT
Each decision below involves a duplex or another 2-lot strata. We list the question each one asked so you can see the kinds of disputes that come up. Read the decision itself for the outcome and the reasons.
2017 BCCRT 26
Both owners of a duplex strata are its council and cannot agree on seawall repairs or on the upkeep of the other owner's lot. What happens?
2018 BCCRT 186
In a 2-lot strata, how should the cost of a new shared dock be split, where should it go, and can one owner park a float plane on the other owner's side?
2018 BCCRT 448
A duplex neighbour made changes without approval. Are the changes "significant", and must they be registered at the Land Title Office?
2019 BCCRT 1070
Who pays for a new fence on the line between the two strata lots?
2020 BCCRT 217
A neighbour delayed letting a plumber in to fix leaking pipes. Can the other owner recover $2,738.74 in legal fees and stop the harassment?
2020 BCCRT 1283
A duplex was never run as a strata. Must one owner still pay half of the strata insurance ($564.90) when they have their own home policy?
2023 BCCRT 340
A duplex neighbour refuses a front-yard fence. Who replaces the front stairs and porch tiles, and must one owner repay $2,625 for moving the boulevard stairs?
Several of these questions are about fences, stairs, yards and repairs near one owner's lot. Limited common property drawn on the plan, and a bylaw that says who repairs what, put those answers in writing ahead of time. The limited common property page shows how.
Converting an existing duplex
A duplex that anyone has lived in needs city approval under s.242 to become a strata. A new duplex that nobody has lived in needs only a surveyor's Form S. Each city's 2026 fee and its duplex rules, from the city's own documents:
| City | 2026 conversion fee | Duplex rules |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | $7,310 in 2025; the October 15, 2025 fee report proposed $7,640 from January 1, 2026. Building inspections are charged on top ($850.50 in the 2025 guideline). | A duplex is one of the buildings the City may convert, with one strata lot per principal unit. Suites and lock-offs stay with their unit. |
| Burnaby | $2,000 for an R1 small-scale building of up to 4 units, plus $500 for each additional unit, plus a $265 strata title inspection fee (Consolidated Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 14485, consolidated August 25, 2026). | Duplex and semi-detached buildings are the exception to Burnaby's ban on converting purpose-built rental. A 2022 duplex approval required a Building Department inspection and a section 219 covenant that each unit is used as a single-family dwelling only. |
| Surrey | $1,113 for strata conversions or amendments (Development Application Fees Bylaw No. 18641, consolidated July 27, 2026). | In a 2014 duplex conversion, a Professional Engineer certified the building and its life, the fire separation wall was upgraded to the current BC Building Code, and the owner notified the tenants. |
| Richmond | $2,689 to convert an existing two-family dwelling; $4,026 for multi-family (Consolidated Fees Bylaw No. 8636, effective January 1, 2026). | Proof that the building is used as a two-family dwelling only (not a fourplex), such as a sworn affidavit, building plans or a two-family dwelling covenant. |
| Coquitlam | $4,856.70 for two units or less in standard zones (RS, RT, RTM and others); $6,799.30 for more (2026 Fee Calculation Guide). | Written evidence that the current tenants favour the conversion. Street servicing upgrades are not required for a residential duplex conversion. |
| City of North Vancouver | $520.70 application plus $520.70 legal, plus inspection: $208.28 for a duplex, or $208.28 per unit up to $1,270.52 (Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 9000, Schedule D). | The inspection fee for a duplex is $208.28, on top of the application and legal fees. |
| New Westminster | $2,599 strata conversion fee (Notice of Fee Increase, effective January 1, 2026). | No duplex-specific rule found. |
| Victoria | Preliminary Strata Review $150 for under 3 units or $250 for 3 or more, plus $50 for Final Strata Approval (Strata Titling Application package, March 2026). Up to three months. | Common and bearing walls must meet current Code fire separation and sound ratings, certified by an architect or done under a building permit. |
| Saanich | $500 strata conversion fee (Fees and Charges Bylaw, 2025, No. 10229, in force January 2, 2026). The application form still shows $250. | The 4% vacancy rule covers buildings of 3 or more units, so it does not reach a duplex. |
| Kelowna | $3,445 for a building strata conversion in 2024 (Development Application Fees Bylaw No. 12552). The bylaw raises its fees 5% each January 1 from 2025, rounded to the nearest $5. The City's 2026 fee bulletin could not be opened, so the 2026 amount is not confirmed. | No duplex-specific rule found. |
| Abbotsford | $900 for three units or fewer; $1,700 for four or more (Development Application and Service Fee Bylaw, 2010, Schedule G, last amended June 27, 2022). The Development Application Procedures Bylaw, 2026 still points to this fee bylaw. | No duplex-specific rule found. |
| Nanaimo | $500 for a strata title conversion (Fees and Charges Bylaw 2021 No. 7336, consolidated June 1, 2026). The City's subdivision application form lists final approval at $150 per lot. | No duplex-specific rule found. |
| Port Coquitlam | $1,000 plus $200 per strata lot created, up to $5,000; a renewal is half the fee, up to $2,500 (Fees and Charges Bylaw, 2025, No. 4415, Schedule K, in effect January 1, 2026). The Building Division inspection is charged separately. | No duplex-specific rule found. |
| Port Moody | $4,200 for a strata title conversion (Fees Bylaw, 2025, No. 3524, the 2026 fees, consolidated with Amendment No. 1 of March 10, 2026). | No duplex-specific rule found. |
| Maple Ridge | $2,623.41 for strata title conversions (Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 7575-2019, consolidated May 15, 2026; Schedule A fees in effect since September 1, 2025). | No duplex-specific rule found. |
| Delta | $1,995 for two units or less, or industrial; $3,845 for more than two units (Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 8386, 2024, Schedule 6, as posted by the City in a file dated January 5, 2026). | No duplex-specific rule found. |
Port Coquitlam, outside the table, asks for a restrictive covenant to prevent a duplex unit from being developed with a secondary suite, and a $5,000 landscape security for a duplex. Add the Land Title Office deposit fee of $105.30 to any city fee. The strata conversion page and the cost page cover the rest.
Best For
- ✓ Two owners who want to sell and borrow on their own half and are ready to share one insurance policy and one reserve fund.
- ✓ Owners who agree the budget, bylaws and limited common property before the first sale, while one owner still controls every vote.
- ✓ A new duplex stratified before anyone moves in, which avoids a city conversion.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ The two owners run it informally, with no budget, bank account or strata insurance.
- ✕ Yards, parking and storage were never drawn as limited common property, so every change needs both owners.
- ✕ A dispute needs a decision and neither owner will move: there is no tie-break.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The title: a strata lot shows a strata plan number in its legal description.
- → The strata insurance policy and its deductible, on the Form B.
- → Any bylaws filed in place of the Standard Bylaws, and whether either owner has asked for a council hearing.
Common questions
Are duplexes strata? +
Only if a strata plan was filed for the duplex at the Land Title Office. Then the whole Strata Property Act applies; the Province says the Act applies to duplexes and triplexes if they are strata-titled. A duplex on one title, or on two fee simple lots, has no strata corporation.
Does a duplex have a strata? +
A strata-titled duplex does. Its two owners are the strata corporation, "The Owners, Strata Plan [number]", and both are on its council. You cannot tell by looking at the building; a title search shows a strata plan number in the legal description if it is strata.
Do duplexes have strata fees? +
A strata duplex must. Every strata corporation must fund an operating fund and a contingency reserve fund through strata fees, and at least 10% of the operating budget must go to the reserve fund each year. The strata's yearly insurance premium is one of the operating costs the Province lists.
Do duplexes pay strata? +
Owners of a strata-titled duplex pay strata fees to their strata corporation, split by unit entitlement. With equal unit entitlement each half pays 50% of the budget. A duplex with no strata plan pays no strata fees.
What is a duplex strata? +
A duplex whose two units are separate strata lots on a strata plan. Each owner owns their half and a share of the common property, such as the land outside the two lots and the pipes and wires that serve both, and the two owners run the strata together under the Strata Property Act.
How does a two unit strata work? +
Both owners sit on council, the president has no tie-breaking vote, quorum needs both owners, and a 3/4 vote needs both to agree. The strata still needs a budget passed by majority vote, a reserve fund of at least 10% of the operating budget, and full replacement value insurance. It needs no depreciation report.
Does a strata duplex need strata insurance if each owner has a home policy? +
Yes. The strata must insure the buildings on the strata plan at full replacement value and carry at least $2,000,000 of liability insurance (Act s.149; Regulation s.9.2). An owner's own policy is separate and covers things the strata policy does not, such as contents and personal liability.
What happens when the two owners of a duplex strata disagree? +
A 1 to 1 vote decides nothing, because there is no tie-break. Either owner can ask council for a hearing and then go to the Civil Resolution Tribunal, which hears most strata disputes of any amount. Some orders, such as appointing an administrator (s.174), come only from the Supreme Court.
Does a duplex strata need a depreciation report? +
No. A strata with fewer than 5 lots is exempt from the depreciation report (Regulation s.6.22) and from the electrical planning report.
Can a duplex strata skip the AGM? +
Yes, if both owners waive it in writing and consent in writing to the budget, the council and any other business (Act s.41). Otherwise the AGM is held within 2 months of the end of the fiscal year, on 2 weeks' notice.
Does a duplex strata have to file a tax return? +
Yes. The Canada Revenue Agency says all corporations must file a T2 return every year, even with no tax payable, and that most residential condominium corporations qualify as non-profit organizations. Whether a strata must also file a T3 trust return is not confirmed by our sources.
How much does it cost to convert an existing duplex to strata? +
Each city sets its own fee, from $200 in Victoria ($150 review plus $50 approval for under 3 units) to $7,640 proposed for 2026 in Vancouver, plus the Land Title Office deposit fee of $105.30. Surveyor, lawyer and building report fees are quoted per job.
Can a duplex strata be dissolved? +
Yes. Cancelling the strata plan needs an 80% vote, which in a duplex means both owners. With fewer than 5 lots, no court order is needed if every registered lender consents in writing and a Certificate of Strata Corporation is filed (s.274(c)). The owners then hold the land as tenants in common.
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