Running a Small Strata | Strata Fees
Strata Fees for a New BC Multiplex
Strata fees are each owner's share of the strata's yearly budget, split by unit entitlement and usually paid monthly. They fund the strata's insurance, regular upkeep and a reserve fund that must get at least 10% of the operating budget each year. This page covers what fees pay for, why no official average exists, how fees rise, the first year in a new multiplex, taxes, and duplexes and townhouses.
The short answer
- 01Strata fees are each owner's share of the strata's yearly budget. They pay into two funds: an operating fund for regular costs, and a contingency reserve fund (CRF) for costs that come less often (Strata Property Act s.92).
- 02Each lot pays its unit entitlement divided by the total unit entitlement, times the budget, unless every owner agrees to another formula and files it at the Land Title Office (s.99, s.100).
- 03At least 10% of the operating budget must go into the reserve fund every year, in a duplex as much as in a tower (Strata Property Regulation s.6.1).
- 04The budget is set once a year, and it shows each lot's monthly contribution. Under the Standard Bylaws, fees are due on the first day of each month.
- 05No official average strata fee exists for BC or for Vancouver. The fee for one lot is on its Form B.
- 06The law sets no cap on increases. Owners approve the budget, and so the fees, by majority vote at each annual general meeting (AGM) (s.103).
What strata fees are
The Act requires every strata to set up two funds and the owners to pay into both "by means of strata fees" (s.92). The operating fund pays for costs that come once a year or more often. The contingency reserve fund pays for costs that come less often or rarely. At least 10% of the operating budget must go to the reserve fund each year, at every size (Regulation s.6.1).
Each lot's fee is its unit entitlement divided by the total unit entitlement of all lots, times the total budget (s.99). Unit entitlement is a number on the strata plan for each lot, for example its habitable area in square metres. All owners can agree by unanimous vote, filed at the Land Title Office, to use a different formula (s.100). The unit entitlement page has a worked example.
What strata fees cover
These are the costs the Act, the Regulation and the Province's strata pages name.
| Cost | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The strata's building insurance | Full replacement value on the common property, common assets and buildings on the strata plan, plus at least $2,000,000 of liability insurance. The premium is an operating cost. | Act s.149; Reg s.9.2 |
| Contingency reserve fund | At least 10% of the operating budget each year, for costs such as a new roof. | Reg s.6.1 |
| Common utilities | The Province lists monthly utilities among operating costs. | Province of BC |
| Landscaping and cleaning | The Province lists seasonal landscaping and weekly cleaning. | Province of BC |
| Minor maintenance | Regular upkeep of common property. Upkeep of limited common property, such as one lot's yard, is shared only by the lots that use it. | Province of BC; Reg s.6.4 |
| Strata management, if any | The Province lists strata management. A self-managed strata pays no manager. | Province of BC |
| Reports | A depreciation report (required at 5 or more lots) or an electrical planning report is an operating fund cost. | Act s.92(a) |
Your own home insurance for contents, personal liability and a deductible charged back to you is separate from the strata fees. The Province advises owners to buy it. The insurance page explains the split.
How much strata fees are
No official average strata fee exists for BC or for Vancouver. Neither the Province of BC nor Statistics Canada publishes one (checked October 29, 2026). The figures we found on real estate websites named no primary source.
What the law does say: each strata sets its fees through its own budget, which owners approve by majority vote (s.103), and the split between lots follows unit entitlement. The fee for one lot is on its Form B, which must state "the monthly strata fees payable by the owner" and attach the current budget (s.59). The Form B page lists what else it shows.
For a new building with no budget yet, work from the costs: the insurance quote, the yearly contracts and utilities, plus at least 10% for the reserve fund. Put the total and each unit's size into the fee split calculator to see each owner's monthly share.
Monthly or yearly
The budget covers a year, and it must show each lot's monthly contribution to the operating fund and to the reserve fund (Regulation s.6.6(1)(f), (g)). Standard Bylaw 1 says an owner must pay strata fees "on or before the first day of the month to which the strata fees relate". A strata can set a different schedule in its own bylaws, and a bylaw can charge interest on late fees of up to 10% a year, compounded yearly (s.107; Regulation s.6.8(1)). The Province says strata fees "are usually paid monthly".
How strata fees go up
The Strata Property Act and Regulation set no limit on fee increases. Owners approve the budget, and with it the fees, by majority vote at each AGM (s.103). If the budget fails, owners keep paying the old monthly fees until a new budget passes at a special general meeting (s.104). Within 2 weeks after a budget passes, the strata must tell owners of any change to their fees (s.106).
Two rules can push fees up. A deficit from the year before must be cleared during the next fiscal year (s.105(2)). And the reserve fund must get at least 10% of the operating budget, so a higher operating budget raises the minimum reserve contribution with it (Regulation s.6.1). Large one-time costs can also come as a special levy, approved by a 3/4 vote, on top of fees. The special levy page covers those.
The first year in a new multiplex
In a newly built strata, the first fees come from the owner developer's interim budget. The Act sets four rules for that period.
The owner developer pays at first
The owner developer must pay all the strata's expenses up to the end of the month in which the first lot is sold (s.7).
The interim budget comes before you sign
The owner developer gives each buyer an interim budget for the 12 months after the first sale, before the buyer signs. Its reserve fund contribution must be at least 10% (s.13; Regulation s.3.01).
The owner developer pays for a low interim budget
If actual costs exceed the interim budget, the owner developer pays the difference within 8 weeks after the first AGM, plus 2 times the overage at 10% to under 20% over, or 3 times at 20% or more (s.14; Regulation s.3.1).
The first annual budget is the owners' vote
At the first AGM owners pass the first annual budget by majority vote, with at least 10% to the reserve fund (s.21; Regulation s.3.4). From then on, fees follow the budget owners approve each year.
A strata with fewer than 5 lots has no depreciation report to show when major items will need replacing (Regulation s.6.22). The owner developer page covers the interim budget in full, and the budget page covers what the owners' own budget must contain.
Strata fees and income tax
If you rent out your strata unit, the Canada Revenue Agency's rental income guide (T4036) says you "can also deduct condominium fees that represent your share of the upkeep, repairs, maintenance, and other current expenses of the common property". If you live in the unit, the Income Tax Act bars deducting "personal or living expenses" (s.18(1)(h)), and CRA's guide lists condo fees only as a rental expense. If you rent out part of the home you live in, CRA lets you deduct only the share that relates to the rented part. We found no CRA text on how a special levy for major work is treated, so check that with an accountant. The taxes page covers the strata corporation's own filings.
Duplexes and townhouses
Any property on a strata plan has strata fees, because every strata corporation must fund the two funds through fees (s.92). That includes a strata-titled duplex and a strata townhouse. The Province notes that a strata townhouse "may look identical to a row house which is not strata-titled", so check the title: a strata lot's legal description includes a strata plan number. A duplex on one title with no strata plan has no strata corporation and no strata fees. The duplex strata page works through a 2-lot example.
Best For
- ✓ Owners who read the budget attached to the Form B before buying, line by line.
- ✓ A small strata that funds the reserve above the 10% floor in the early years, when little needs repair.
- ✓ Buyers who check each lot's unit entitlement on the strata plan, since it sets their share of every cost.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ Owners vote down every increase and the reserve fund stays at the 10% floor while the building ages.
- ✕ One owner stops paying in a 2 to 4 lot strata, and the others carry the bills until the strata collects.
- ✕ Buyers compare fees between buildings without comparing what each budget includes.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The unit entitlement for your lot on the strata plan.
- → Whether the reserve fund contribution meets the 10% minimum.
- → The strata insurance premium and deductible on the Form B insurance summary.
- → Whether the budget includes a strata manager, or assumes the owners do that work.
Common questions
What are strata fees? +
Strata fees are each owner's share of the strata corporation's yearly budget, paid into an operating fund for regular costs and a contingency reserve fund for costs that come less often (Strata Property Act s.92). Each lot's share is set by its unit entitlement (s.99).
What is included in strata fees? +
Whatever the strata's budget includes. The Province's examples of operating costs are monthly utilities, seasonal landscaping, weekly cleaning, minor maintenance, strata management and the strata corporation's yearly insurance. On top of that, at least 10% of the operating budget goes to the reserve fund (Regulation s.6.1).
What do strata fees cover? +
Common costs: insuring and maintaining the common property and the buildings on the strata plan, and saving in the reserve fund for things like replacing the roof or repaving a road (the Province's examples). Your own home insurance for contents and personal liability is separate, and you pay it yourself.
Are strata fees monthly? +
Yes, in most stratas. The budget must show each lot's monthly contribution to each fund (Regulation s.6.6), and Standard Bylaw 1 says fees are due on or before the first day of the month. A strata can set a different payment schedule in its own bylaws. The Province says strata fees "are usually paid monthly".
Are strata fees monthly or yearly? +
The budget is yearly and the payments are monthly: owners set the budget once a year at the AGM, and it is paid in monthly amounts. Under the Standard Bylaws each month's fee is due on the first day of that month. A bylaw can charge late interest of up to 10% a year (s.107; Regulation s.6.8).
Are strata maintenance fees monthly? +
"Maintenance fees" is another name people use for strata fees. They are worked out from the yearly budget and, under the Standard Bylaws, paid monthly on the first of the month.
How much are strata fees in BC? +
No official average exists. Neither the Province of BC nor Statistics Canada publishes an average strata fee for BC or for Vancouver (checked October 29, 2026). Each strata sets its own fees through its budget, split by unit entitlement. The exact fee for one lot is on its Form B, which must state the monthly strata fees and attach the current budget (s.59).
How much should strata fees be? +
Enough to pay the budgeted operating costs plus at least 10% of that amount into the reserve fund, split by unit entitlement (s.99; Regulation s.6.1). There is no official figure for what fees "should" be. To work out a fee for your building, enter the yearly budget and each unit's size in the VanPlex fee split calculator.
How much can strata fees increase in BC? +
The Act and the Regulation set no limit. Owners approve the budget, and so the fees, by majority vote at each AGM (s.103). A deficit from the year before must be cleared in the next year (s.105(2)), and the reserve fund must get at least 10% of the operating budget, so both can push fees up. Owners must be told of new fees within 2 weeks after the vote (s.106).
Are strata fees tax deductible? +
On a rental unit, yes. The Canada Revenue Agency's rental income guide says you "can also deduct condominium fees that represent your share of the upkeep, repairs, maintenance, and other current expenses of the common property". On the home you live in, no: the Income Tax Act bars deducting personal or living expenses. If you rent out part of your home, you can deduct only the share that relates to the rented part.
Can you claim strata fees on an investment property in Canada? +
Yes, against the rental income from that property, for the part of the fees that covers upkeep, repairs, maintenance and other current expenses of the common property (CRA guide T4036). We found no CRA text on how a special levy for major work is treated; ask an accountant.
Do strata fees include insurance? +
Yes, for the strata corporation's own policy: its premium is a common expense in the operating budget. That policy must cover the buildings on the strata plan at full replacement value and carry at least $2,000,000 of liability cover (s.149; Regulation s.9.2). Your own policy for contents, personal liability and any deductible charged back to you is separate.
Do duplexes have strata fees? +
A strata-titled duplex does. Every strata corporation must fund an operating fund and a reserve fund through strata fees, at any size (s.92). A duplex on one title with no strata plan has no strata corporation and no strata fees.
Are there strata fees for townhouses? +
Yes, if the townhouse is strata-titled. The Province notes that a strata townhouse "may look identical to a row house which is not strata-titled". The title tells you: a strata lot's legal description includes a strata plan number.
Are strata fees worth it? +
That is a personal judgment, and these are the facts that bear on it. Strata fees pay costs the law requires every strata to cover, including full replacement value insurance on the buildings and a reserve fund of at least 10% of the operating budget each year (s.92, s.149; Regulation s.6.1). The owners decide the rest of the budget by majority vote.
Can a 4-unit strata skip the contingency reserve fund? +
No. A strata with fewer than 5 lots is exempt from the depreciation report (Regulation s.6.22), and the reserve fund rule still applies: at least 10% of the operating budget every year (Regulation s.6.1).
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