Running a Small Strata | Form B
Strata Form B Information Certificate
Form B is the Information Certificate a BC strata must give, within one week and for at most $35 plus 25 cents a page, to an owner or buyer who asks about a strata lot. It shows the fees, debts, levies, reserve fund, upcoming votes, legal cases and insurance as of its date. In a small self-managed strata, the council fills it in and signs it. This page covers what it shows, the fee and deadline, how long it stays useful, how to prepare one yourself, the rush fee question, and Form F.
The short answer
- 01Form B, the Information Certificate, is the strata's official statement about one strata lot and the strata as a whole: fees, money owing, levies, the reserve fund, unfiled bylaws, upcoming votes, lawsuits, parking and storage, and insurance (Strata Property Act s.59).
- 02An owner, a buyer, or someone either of them authorizes can ask for it. The strata must provide it within one week (s.59(1)).
- 03The most the strata can charge is $35 plus copying at up to 25 cents a page, attachments included (Strata Property Regulation s.4.4).
- 04It has no expiry date. It states the facts "as of the date of the certificate", and anything that changes later appears only on a new one (s.59(2)).
- 05The strata is bound by what it says, for anyone who relied on it reasonably. The insurance summary is the exception when it came from the insurer or agent (s.59(5), (5.1)).
- 06Form F, the Certificate of Payment, is the separate form a sale needs to register. It costs at most $15 and is current for 60 days (s.115, s.256; Regulation s.6.10).
Who asks for it, and the rules
Within one week of a request by an owner, a buyer, or a person either of them authorizes, the strata must give an Information Certificate in the form the Regulation sets (s.59(1)). The person asking can be the seller's or buyer's REALTOR®, lawyer or notary, acting with the client's authority. The strata can charge at most $35 plus copying at up to 25 cents a page, including the attachments (Regulation s.4.4), and can refuse to issue the certificate until the fee is paid (s.59(7)).
The information is correct "as of the date of the certificate" (s.59(2)). The strata is bound by it in its dealings with anyone who relied on it and acted reasonably (s.59(5)). The insurance summary is the exception: if that information came from the strata's insurer or insurance agent, the strata is not bound by it (s.59(5.1)). If a certificate turns out to be wrong, the strata, an owner or an affected person can ask the Supreme Court for an order (s.59(6)).
What Form B shows, and where a small strata finds each answer
The items follow the lettering of Form B in the Regulation; item (l) is repealed. The insurance summary, item (o), has been required since April 1, 2023.
| Form B item | Where a self-managed strata finds it |
|---|---|
| (a) Monthly strata fees for the lot | The current budget: the lot's monthly operating and reserve fund contributions |
| (b) Money the owner owes the strata | The strata's books of account |
| (c) Agreements where the owner took on costs of an alteration | Signed alteration agreements under Standard Bylaws 5 and 6; attach copies |
| (d) Approved special levies still to be paid, and the due date | The levy resolution in the minutes |
| (e) Expected spending over budget this fiscal year | Year-to-date spending against the budget |
| (f) Contingency reserve fund balance, minus spending already approved | Bank or investment statement, less approved CRF expenses not yet paid |
| (g) Bylaw changes not yet filed at the Land Title Office | Minutes; attach copies |
| (h) 3/4 or unanimous resolutions that must be filed but are not | Minutes; attach copies |
| (h.1) Winding-up resolutions passed | Minutes; attach copies |
| (i) Notices given for 3/4, 80%, unanimous or bylaw votes not yet held | Meeting notices sent; attach copies |
| (j) Court, arbitration or tribunal cases, and judgments or orders against the strata | Strata correspondence and legal records; attach details |
| (k) Notices or work orders still outstanding | Letters from the city, fire department or other authorities; attach copies |
| (m), (n) Parking stalls and storage lockers for the lot | The strata plan, limited common property designations and council allocations |
| (o) Summary of the strata's insurance | The current policy or the insurer's summary, on a separate sheet |
| (p) Electrical planning reports | Attach copies if the strata has any |
Three attachments are always required: the strata's rules, its current budget, and its most recent depreciation report, if it has one (s.59(4)). A strata with fewer than 5 lots is exempt from the depreciation report, so it attaches none. The depreciation report page covers the 5 and 6 lot rules.
How a self-managed strata prepares one
A small strata with no manager fills in Form B itself. The form is in the Strata Property Regulation on BC Laws. Work through it item by item with the table above, attach the documents it asks for, and date it. Two council members sign, or one if the council has only one member. A strata manager can sign instead if the strata has authorized it (Regulation, Form B).
Most of the answers come from records the strata must keep anyway: the budget, the books of account, minutes, bank statements, contracts and the insurance policy (s.35). A strata that keeps those up to date can answer a request within the one-week deadline. The strata must keep a copy of every Form B it issues for at least 6 years (s.35(2)(m); Regulation s.4.1(3)). The forms and records page lists every record and its retention period.
Watch items (d) and (i) with care in a small strata. They tell a buyer about a levy already approved, and about a 3/4 vote that has been called but not held. Both change what the buyer will pay.
How long a Form B is valid
The Act sets no expiry date for a Form B. It is accurate as of its date, and the strata is bound by it for a person who relied on it reasonably. Anything that happens after the date, such as a meeting that approves a special levy, appears only on a new certificate. A buyer who receives a Form B weeks before closing can ask for a new one, at the same maximum fee of $35 plus copying. Form F works differently: it is current for 60 days from the date it is issued (s.115(2)).
The rush fee question
One buyer wrote to a BC strata advice column in June 2026: their agent never asked for a Form B in time, and when it came, it carried a $500 rush fee. The Regulation sets the maximum fee for a Form B, including attachments, at $35 plus copying at up to 25 cents a page (Regulation s.4.4). The Act gives the strata one week to provide it (s.59(1)). The Province's Form B page notes that a rush fee is sometimes charged when the strata is given less than 7 days' notice.
The simple way to avoid the question is to ask early. A seller can order the Form B when the unit is listed, so the buyer has it before any deadline in the contract.
Form F alongside Form B
Form F, the Certificate of Payment, says the owner owes the strata nothing, or that any debt has been paid into court or into trust, or that the strata has accepted an arrangement to pay it (s.115(1)). The strata must give it within one week of a request by an owner, a buyer or someone they authorize, and can charge at most $15 (Regulation s.6.10). It can include unpaid fees, levies, lien amounts and fines, but not damage claims that no court, arbitrator or tribunal has decided (s.115(4), (5)).
The Land Title Office will not register a conveyance, a lease, an assignment of a lease, or an agreement for sale of a strata lot without a current Form F (s.256). Current means issued within the last 60 days (s.115(2)). The selling strata units page covers the rest of a sale.
Best For
- ✓ A self-managed strata that keeps its budget, minutes, insurance summary and bank statements in one place, so a Form B takes an hour.
- ✓ Sellers who order the Form B when they list, so the buyer has it before subjects are removed.
- ✓ Buyers who read every attachment, including the minutes behind any "yes" answer.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ Nobody on council knows the reserve fund balance or which levies were approved.
- ✕ The request reaches the strata days before closing.
- ✕ A buyer relies on an old Form B after a meeting has approved a new levy.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The date on the certificate, and whether any meeting has been held since.
- → Item (d) for approved levies and item (i) for votes coming up.
- → The insurance summary, including the deductible.
Common questions
What is strata Form B? +
Form B is the Information Certificate a BC strata corporation must give for a strata lot on request. It lists the lot's monthly fees, money owing, approved special levies, the reserve fund balance, unfiled bylaw changes, upcoming 3/4 votes, legal cases, work orders, parking and storage, and an insurance summary, with the rules, budget and latest depreciation report attached (Strata Property Act s.59).
What is a Form B strata BC? +
It is the prescribed form under section 59 of the Strata Property Act, set out in the Strata Property Regulation, that a strata corporation fills in for one strata lot. Buyers, sellers, their REALTORS® and lawyers use it to check the lot and the strata before a sale.
How long is a strata Form B valid for? +
The Act sets no expiry date. A Form B states the facts as of the date of the certificate, and the strata is bound by them for a person who relied on them reasonably (s.59(2), (5)). Anything that changes after that date, such as a new special levy, shows only on a new Form B. A Form F, by comparison, is current for 60 days.
How do I get a strata Form B? +
Ask the strata corporation: council, or the strata manager if there is one. An owner, a buyer, or a person either of them authorizes can ask, and the strata must provide it within one week (s.59(1)). The strata can refuse to issue it until the fee is paid (s.59(7)).
How much does a Form B cost in BC? +
At most $35 plus the cost of copying, up to 25 cents a page, including the required attachments (Regulation s.4.4).
What is attached to a Form B? +
The strata's rules, the current budget, and the most recent depreciation report if the strata has one (s.59(4)). The form also asks for copies of any electrical planning reports, alteration agreements, unfiled bylaw changes and resolutions, notices of upcoming votes, details of legal cases, and outstanding work orders.
Does a Form B include insurance information? +
Yes. Since April 1, 2023 every Form B must include a summary of the strata corporation's insurance coverage (s.59(3)(l.2)). If that summary came from the strata's insurer or insurance agent, the strata is not bound by it the way it is bound by the rest of the certificate (s.59(5.1)).
Is the strata bound by what the Form B says? +
Yes, in its dealings with a person who relied on the certificate and acted reasonably (s.59(5)). The strata, an owner or an affected person can ask the Supreme Court for an order to give effect to an inaccurate certificate or to relieve the strata from its effects (s.59(6)).
Who signs a Form B in a self-managed strata? +
Two council members, or one if the council has only one member. A strata manager can sign instead if the strata has authorized it (Regulation, Form B).
What is the difference between Form B and Form F? +
Form B describes the lot and the strata in detail. Form F, the Certificate of Payment, says only that the owner owes the strata nothing, or that the debt is paid into court or trust or covered by a payment arrangement. The Land Title Office will not register a transfer, lease or agreement for sale of a strata lot without a current Form F (s.115, s.256).
Can a strata charge a rush fee for a Form B? +
The Regulation sets the maximum fee for a Form B at $35 plus copying at up to 25 cents a page (Regulation s.4.4), and the Act gives the strata one week to provide it. The Province notes that a rush fee is sometimes charged when the strata gets less than 7 days' notice. Ask early to avoid the question.
Does a duplex strata have to issue a Form B? +
Yes. Section 59 applies to every strata corporation, whatever its size. In a 2-lot strata both owners are the council, so both sign it.
How long does the strata keep copies of Form B? +
At least 6 years (s.35(2)(m); Regulation s.4.1(3)).
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