Stratify Your Plex | Timeline
Stratifying Timeline: The Order of Every Step
No BC law sets how long it takes to stratify a multiplex. The city and the surveyor set their own pace. What the law does set is the order of the steps and a series of fixed windows: a 180-day limit on the surveyor's certificate, and a run of deadlines that start at the first sale and end years later with the reports and the warranty. This page lists every step in order with its legal clock and the section behind it.
The Short Answer
- 01No law sets how long it takes to stratify. The city and the surveyor set their own pace. The law sets windows and deadlines once the plan is close and once units sell.
- 02The surveyor's Form S, which certifies that a new building was never occupied, must be dated no more than 180 days before the plan is filed (Strata Property Act s.241).
- 03For a conversion of a lived-in building, Vancouver says "a minimum of eight to ten weeks" and Victoria says "up to three months". The city's Form T is also good for 180 days (s.242).
- 04The first sale starts the owner developer clocks: the reserve fund payment, a 12-month interim budget, and the first annual general meeting (AGM) within 6 weeks of the earlier of 50% plus one lots sold or 9 months after the first sale (s.12, s.13, s.16).
- 05Buyers can cancel within 3 business days under 5 lots, or within 7 days at 5 or more lots under REDMA. Each buyer holds back 7% of the price for up to 55 days for builders liens (s.88).
Every Step and Its Legal Clock
The rows run in the order they happen for a new building sold as strata units. Rows marked for a conversion, for 5 or more lots, or for phased plans apply only to those buildings. HPA means the Homeowner Protection Act. REDMA means the Real Estate Development Marketing Act.
| # | When | Step | Legal clock | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Before design | Decide strata or rental, and enrol for home warranty | The building permit needs proof of warranty and a licensed builder, or proof of an exemption. A rental exemption bars the sale of any unit for 10 years from first occupancy. | HPA s.30; HPA Regulation s.2 |
| 02 | Permits | Development and building permits | No strata clock in the Act. The City of North Vancouver asks you to note the plan to stratify at building permit. Vancouver adds strata covenants at development permit when a plex has suites or lock-offs. | CNV Policy No. 4; Vancouver strata title policy |
| 03 | Phased plans only | Form P approved by the approving officer | The approval expires after 1 year if phase 1 is not deposited. | Act s.221, s.222 |
| 04 | Construction | Keep every unit empty | Occupied at any time, for any purpose, makes the building "previously occupied" and puts it on the conversion path. A display lot is the only exception. | Regulation s.14.1 |
| 05 | Plan | Surveyor signs Form S (new building) | Dated no more than 180 days before the plan is tendered for deposit. | Act s.241 |
| 06 | Plan (conversion) | City approves on Form T | Dated no more than 180 days before tender. Vancouver: conditions met within 1 year. Saanich: approval lapses after 18 months. | Act s.242; city documents |
| 07 | Plan | Lenders sign; plan filed with Forms V, X and Y | No legal deadline. | Act s.244, s.245 |
| 08 | Deposit | Land Title Office deposits the plan; the strata corporation exists | The owner developer acts as council until the first AGM. | Act s.239, s.5 |
| 09 | Marketing, 5+ lots | REDMA disclosure statement filed | Before any marketing. Each buyer signs for a copy before the contract. | REDMA s.14, s.15 |
| 10 | Before each contract | Interim budget given to the buyer | Before the buyer signs. It covers the 12 months starting the month after the first sale. | Act s.13 |
| 11 | After each contract | Buyer may cancel | Under 5 lots: 3 business days. At 5 or more lots: 7 days from the later of the contract or the signed receipt of the disclosure statement. | Property Law Act s.42; REDMA s.21 |
| 12 | First sale | Reserve fund payment | 10% of the interim budget's operating expenses if within 1 year of deposit; if later, 10% for each year since deposit, up to 50%. | Act s.12; Regulation s.3.01 |
| 13 | First sale | Owner developer stops paying all expenses | Pays every expense up to the end of the month in which the first lot is conveyed. | Act s.7 |
| 14 | Each sale | Form B and Form F from the strata | Each within 1 week of the request. Form F is good for 60 days, and a sale cannot register without it. | Act s.59, s.115, s.256 |
| 15 | Each sale | Builders lien holdback | The buyer holds back 7% of the price for up to 55 days. Liens against the lot must be filed within 45 days of the sale. | Act s.88; Regulation s.5.2 |
| 16 | First AGM | Hold the first AGM | Within the 6 weeks starting on the earlier of: 50% plus one of the lots sold, or 9 months after the first sale. Late: $1,000 for up to 30 days, plus $1,000 for each further 7 days. | Act s.16, s.17; Regulation s.3.1 |
| 17 | At the first AGM | Handover and first annual budget | Documents handed over at the meeting. Budget passed by majority vote, with at least 10% to the reserve fund. | Act s.20, s.21; Regulation s.3.2, s.3.4 |
| 18 | After the first AGM | Money and keys to council | Within 1 week. | Act s.22 |
| 19 | After the first AGM | Property insurance | The owner developer's cover must run until at least 4 weeks after the first AGM. | Act s.15 |
| 20 | After the first AGM | Interim budget overrun paid | Within 8 weeks. Plus 2 times the overage at 10% to under 20% over, or 3 times at 20% or more. | Act s.14; Regulation s.3.1 |
| 21 | Second AGM | Bylaws can change by 3/4 vote | Before the second AGM, a residential strata changes a bylaw only by unanimous vote. Each AGM is held within 2 months after the fiscal year ends. | Act s.127, s.40 |
| 22 | After the second AGM | Management contract signed before the first AGM ends | 4 weeks after the second AGM, unless renewed by majority vote. | Act s.24 |
| 23 | 5+ lots | First depreciation report | Strata formed July 1, 2024 to before July 1, 2027: within 2 years of the first AGM. Formed on or after July 1, 2027: within 18 months. | Regulation s.6.21 |
| 24 | 5+ lots | Electrical planning report | Within 5 years of deposit for a new strata. | Regulation s.5.8 |
| 25 | Under 5 lots | Owners can request EV charging | From December 31, 2026. The strata decides within 3 months of a request. | Regulation s.5.4, s.5.6 |
| 26 | Warranty | Home warranty cover and claims | At least 2 years materials and labour, 5 years building envelope, 10 years structure. Without insurance, suits under HPA s.23 must start within 10 years of first occupancy, or 10 years from deposit for common property. | HPA s.22, s.23 |
Before the Plan Is Filed
From the first design sketch to the day the surveyor signs, the Strata Property Act sets no deadline for a new building. The time is set by the city's permit process, construction, and the surveyor's schedule. None of those has a time set by law, and we give no number for them.
The one rule that matters in this stage is occupancy. A building that anyone has occupied, at any time and for any purpose, is "previously occupied" (Regulation s.14.1). Moving into one unit, or renting one out for a month, before the plan is deposited moves the whole building onto the conversion path, which adds a city approval and its own timeline. The before move-in page explains how to stay on the path with no city approval.
A phased plan has one early clock. The approving officer's approval of Form P, the Phased Strata Plan Declaration, expires after 1 year if phase 1 is not deposited (s.222).
The 180-Day Window
For a new building, the BC land surveyor signs Form S to certify that nobody has occupied it. Form S must be dated no more than 180 days before the plan is tendered for deposit (s.241). Everything else that goes with the plan, including every lender's signature and Forms V, X and Y, has to be ready inside that window.
If the window passes, the surveyor must sign again. That is possible only while the building is still empty, so a delay that runs into a move-in date can push the building onto the conversion path. For a conversion, the city's Form T has the same 180-day limit (s.242).
Conversions: What Cities Say About Time
These are the only time statements we found in city documents. They cover the city's review only. The building report, any upgrades and the surveyor's work come on top.
| City | City's stated review time | After approval |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | "a minimum of eight to ten weeks" | Conditions must be met within one year. After a refusal, no similar application for one year. |
| Victoria | "up to three months" | Not stated in our sources. |
| Port Coquitlam | "There is no defined timeframe." | Not stated in our sources. |
| Saanich | Not stated in our sources | Approval lapses after 18 months. |
Vancouver also asks that any development or building permits needed for the conversion be secured before the application. The strata conversion page has each city's full steps.
The First Sale Starts the Clocks
Deposit creates the strata corporation, and you, as owner developer, act as its council (s.5). Until the first sale you hold every lot. The first conveyance changes four things at once.
You stop paying every strata expense at the end of that month (s.7). You pay the reserve fund contribution: 10% of the interim budget's operating expenses if the sale is within 1 year of deposit, and more if it is later (s.12). The 12-month interim budget starts the month after the sale (s.13). And the 9-month count toward the first AGM begins (s.16).
Each sale has its own short clocks. The buyer's cancellation period runs 3 business days under 5 lots, or 7 days under REDMA at 5 or more. The buyer holds back 7% of the price for up to 55 days, and liens must be filed within 45 days of the sale (s.88). The strata issues the Form F within 1 week of a request, and it is good for 60 days.
Worked Example: A New Fourplex
The dates below are made up to show how the clocks fit together. The arithmetic is ours.
- The surveyor signs Form S on March 2. The plan must go in by August 29, the 180th day.
- The plan is deposited on April 15. The strata corporation exists.
- The first unit sale completes on June 10. The owner developer pays all expenses to June 30. The interim budget runs July to June. The reserve fund payment is 10%, because the sale is within 1 year of deposit.
- The third unit, which is 50% plus one of 4 lots, completes on September 20. The first AGM window opens that day, because it is earlier than 9 months after June 10, and the meeting must be held within the 6 weeks that start on September 20.
- The first AGM is held on October 25. Money and keys go to council by November 1. The overrun payment, if any, is due by December 20. The owner developer's insurance must run to at least November 22.
A fourplex has no REDMA filing and no depreciation report. The same building with 5 units would add both: the disclosure statement before marketing, and the first depreciation report within 2 years of the first AGM (for a strata formed before July 1, 2027).
After Handover
The second AGM is the next marker. Until then, a residential strata can change a bylaw only by unanimous vote (s.127), so the bylaws filed with the plan stay in place. A management contract signed before the first AGM ends 4 weeks after the second AGM unless owners renew it by majority vote (s.24). After that, the strata runs on its yearly cycle: an AGM within 2 months after each fiscal year ends, with a budget and at least 10% to the reserve fund (s.40; Regulation s.6.1).
The longest clocks belong to the warranty. Home warranty insurance covers at least 2 years on materials and labour, 5 years on the building envelope and 10 years on the structure (HPA s.22). Where no warranty insurance applies, suits under HPA s.23 must start within 10 years of first occupancy, or within 10 years of plan deposit for common property. The first year checklist covers what the new owners set up.
Common Questions
How long does it take to stratify a duplex? +
No law sets a total time. For a new duplex nobody has lived in, the time depends on the surveyor and the Land Title Office, and the surveyor's Form S must be dated no more than 180 days before filing. For a lived-in duplex, add the city's review: Vancouver says a minimum of eight to ten weeks and Victoria up to three months.
How long does a strata conversion take? +
Vancouver says "a minimum of eight to ten weeks", Victoria "up to three months", and Port Coquitlam says "there is no defined timeframe". The city's approval on Form T must then be dated no more than 180 days before the plan is filed (s.242).
What is the timeline for a strata plan? +
Permits and construction, then the surveyor's plan and Form S within 180 days of filing, then deposit at the Land Title Office. After the first sale come the reserve fund payment, the first AGM within the 6-week window in s.16, and the handover. Depreciation and electrical reports follow at 5 or more lots.
How long is Form S valid? +
Form S must be dated no more than 180 days before the strata plan is tendered for deposit (s.241). After that the surveyor must sign a new one, which is possible only while the building is still unoccupied.
When must the first AGM of a new strata be held? +
Within the 6 weeks that start on the earlier of two dates: when 50% plus one of the strata lots have been sold, or 9 months after the first sale (s.16).
What happens if the first AGM is late? +
The owner developer pays $1,000 if it is up to 30 days late, plus $1,000 for each further 7 days (s.17; Regulation s.3.1).
When does the owner developer hand over keys and money? +
Documents are handed over at the first AGM (s.20). Money and keys go to the new council within 1 week after that meeting (s.22).
How long does a buyer have to cancel a new strata purchase in BC? +
For a strata of fewer than 5 lots, 3 business days under the Home Buyer Rescission Period, with a fee of 0.25% of the price. At 5 or more lots, REDMA gives 7 days from the later of the contract or the buyer's signed receipt of the disclosure statement.
How long is a Form F valid? +
A Form F Certificate of Payment is current for 60 days, and a strata lot sale cannot be registered without one (s.115, s.256). The strata must give it within 1 week, for at most $15.
How long does the 7% builders lien holdback last? +
A buyer from the owner developer holds back 7% of the gross price for up to 55 days. Liens against the strata lot must be filed within 45 days of the sale (s.88; Regulation s.5.2).
When can the bylaws of a new strata be changed? +
In a residential strata, only by unanimous vote before the second AGM (s.127). From then on, by 3/4 vote, with the change taking effect when Form I is filed (s.128).
When is the first depreciation report due for a new 5 or 6 unit strata? +
For a strata formed from July 1, 2024 to before July 1, 2027, within 2 years of the first AGM. For a strata formed on or after July 1, 2027, within 18 months. A strata of fewer than 5 lots needs none (Regulation s.6.21, s.6.22).
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