Strata by City | Port Coquitlam
Strata Titles in Port Coquitlam
In Port Coquitlam, as everywhere in BC, the path to strata titles depends on one fact: has anyone occupied the building? A new building nobody has used goes straight to the Land Title Office. An occupied one needs the city's approval, and Port Coquitlam sets its own conditions and fee. Every rule below comes from a Port Coquitlam document, read in October 2026.
The short answer for Port Coquitlam
- New, never occupied: None found.
- Occupied: Accepted through a Strata Title Subdivision Application, with no set timeframe. For a duplex, the City registers a covenant so a converted duplex unit cannot add a secondary suite, and takes a $5,000 landscape security.
- Fee: $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.
Port Coquitlam strata rules at a glance
- Who approves a conversion
- The Director of Development Services, after a staff report, may approve, approve with conditions or refuse (City Strata Title Conversion page).
- Occupied buildings
- Accepted through a Strata Title Subdivision Application, with no set timeframe. For a duplex, the City registers a covenant so a converted duplex unit cannot add a secondary suite, and takes a $5,000 landscape security.
- 2026 conversion fee
- $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.
- Tenants
- Not confirmed by our research. Ask the city before you apply.
- Vacancy rate rule
- None found in the documents we read.
- Building standard
- An existing duplex is inspected by the Building Division to certify BC Building Code compliance. For apartment, commercial or industrial buildings, the City may ask for a BC Building and Fire Code report from a code consultant.
- Secondary suite as its own lot
- No. The Zoning Bylaw says a secondary suite forms a single real estate entity with the main home and cannot be subdivided separately under the Strata Property Act.
- Laneway or coach house as its own lot
- No. A lot holding an accessory dwelling unit and a principal dwelling cannot be subdivided under the Strata Property Act (Zoning Bylaw, 2008, No. 3630). Lots with several principal dwellings can be.
- New building, never occupied
- None found.
A new multiplex in Port Coquitlam
The Strata Property Act treats a new building that nobody has occupied as the simple case. A BC land surveyor prepares the strata plan and certifies on Form S that the building was never occupied. That certificate must be dated no more than 180 days before the plan is tendered at the Land Title Office (s.241). The Act asks for no approval from Port Coquitlam on this path.
None found.
The risk is timing. "Occupied" means occupied at any time, for any purpose, other than a display unit (Strata Property Regulation s.14.1). If you or a tenant move into one unit before the plan is deposited, the building moves to the conversion path below. The before move-in guide covers how to keep the order right.
Converting an occupied building in Port Coquitlam
Section 242 of the Strata Property Act makes the city the approving authority for a previously occupied building. It must refuse unless the building substantially meets the city's bylaws and the building code, and it must consider rental housing in the area, plans to relocate the people who live there, the building's life expectancy and expected major repair costs. Its decision is final.
Who decides: The Director of Development Services, after a staff report, may approve, approve with conditions or refuse (City Strata Title Conversion page).
What Port Coquitlam allows: Accepted through a Strata Title Subdivision Application, with no set timeframe. For a duplex, the City registers a covenant so a converted duplex unit cannot add a secondary suite, and takes a $5,000 landscape security.
Building standard: An existing duplex is inspected by the Building Division to certify BC Building Code compliance. For apartment, commercial or industrial buildings, the City may ask for a BC Building and Fire Code report from a code consultant.
Fee: $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.
After approval, the city endorses the plan on Form T, and the endorsement must be dated no more than 180 days before the plan is filed. The strata conversion guide compares every city.
Suites, laneway homes and coach houses in Port Coquitlam
Secondary suites: No. The Zoning Bylaw says a secondary suite forms a single real estate entity with the main home and cannot be subdivided separately under the Strata Property Act.
Laneway, coach and garden homes: No. A lot holding an accessory dwelling unit and a principal dwelling cannot be subdivided under the Strata Property Act (Zoning Bylaw, 2008, No. 3630). Lots with several principal dwellings can be.
In every city, parking stalls and storage spaces cannot be strata lots on their own (Strata Property Act s.244(2)). They can be limited common property for one unit instead.
Rules that apply in Port Coquitlam and every other BC city
- The Land Title Office fee to deposit a strata plan is $105.30, plus $3.55 for an electronic filing (LTSA, April 1, 2026).
- Unit entitlement, set on Form V, decides each owner's share of costs. Changing it later needs a unanimous vote and the Superintendent of Real Estate.
- Selling new units needs 2-5-10 home warranty insurance and a licensed builder, unless the building is exempt (Homeowner Protection Act s.22).
- Selling 5 or more new strata lots needs a REDMA disclosure statement filed first ($2,250 under 10 units).
- Under 5 lots, the strata needs no depreciation report. At every size, at least 10% of the operating budget goes to the reserve fund each year.
Compare other cities
| City | 2026 conversion fee |
|---|---|
| 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). |
| 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). |
| Surrey | $1,113 for strata conversions or amendments (Development Application Fees Bylaw No. 18641, consolidated July 27, 2026). |
| Richmond | $2,689 to convert an existing two-family dwelling; $4,026 for multi-family (Consolidated Fees Bylaw No. 8636, effective January 1, 2026). |
| 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). |
| 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). |
| 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. |
| Saanich | $500 strata conversion fee (Fees and Charges Bylaw, 2025, No. 10229, in force January 2, 2026). The application form still shows $250. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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). |
Questions about strata in Port Coquitlam
Can I stratify a duplex in Port Coquitlam? +
Yes, with two different paths. A new duplex that nobody has lived in needs only a BC land surveyor's Form S, and the Strata Property Act asks for no city approval. A duplex that was occupied at any time needs Port Coquitlam's approval under section 242. Accepted through a Strata Title Subdivision Application, with no set timeframe. For a duplex, the City registers a covenant so a converted duplex unit cannot add a secondary suite, and takes a $5,000 landscape security.
How much does a strata conversion cost in 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. The Land Title Office charges $105.30 to deposit the strata plan (LTSA fee list, April 1, 2026), and the surveyor, lawyer and any building upgrades are extra.
Who approves a strata conversion in Port Coquitlam? +
The Director of Development Services, after a staff report, may approve, approve with conditions or refuse (City Strata Title Conversion page).
Do tenants have to agree to a strata conversion in Port Coquitlam? +
Not confirmed by our research. Ask the city before you apply. Under section 242 every city must consider proposals to relocate the people who live there.
Can a secondary suite be its own strata lot in Port Coquitlam? +
No. The Zoning Bylaw says a secondary suite forms a single real estate entity with the main home and cannot be subdivided separately under the Strata Property Act.
Can a laneway house or coach house be strata titled in Port Coquitlam? +
No. A lot holding an accessory dwelling unit and a principal dwelling cannot be subdivided under the Strata Property Act (Zoning Bylaw, 2008, No. 3630). Lots with several principal dwellings can be.
Does a new multiplex in Port Coquitlam need city approval to become a strata? +
Not under the Strata Property Act, as long as nobody has occupied it before the strata plan is deposited. None found.
Sources for Port Coquitlam
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