Strata by City | Victoria
Strata Titles in Victoria
In Victoria, 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 Victoria sets its own conditions and fee. Every rule below comes from a Victoria document, read in October 2026.
The short answer for Victoria
- New, never occupied: None found.
- Occupied: Accepted. When Metro Victoria's vacancy rate is below 4%, applications for more than 4 rental units are not accepted, with an appeal to Council.
- Fee: 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.
Victoria strata rules at a glance
- Who approves a conversion
- The Approving Officer for residential buildings of 3 or fewer units that are vacant or owner-occupied and in good condition (delegated July 24, 2003); Council when tenants live there.
- Occupied buildings
- Accepted. When Metro Victoria's vacancy rate is below 4%, applications for more than 4 rental units are not accepted, with an appeal to Council.
- 2026 conversion fee
- 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.
- Tenants
- A Tenant Plan signed by all tenants: notice, a tenant list, choices offered (a fixed-term tenancy or an option to buy), money help and agency referrals.
- Vacancy rate rule
- More than 4 rental units: not accepted under 4% vacancy in Metro Victoria.
- Building standard
- For duplexes, common and bearing walls must meet current Code fire separation and sound ratings, certified by an architect or done under a building permit. Common issues: exits, seismic, building envelope and unpermitted work (Bulletin BLDG2014-04).
- Secondary suite as its own lot
- No. The Zoning Regulation Bylaw defines a secondary suite as one that does not include a strata lot (Schedule A, Definitions).
- Laneway or coach house as its own lot
- No. The Zoning Regulation Bylaw defines a garden suite as one that does not include a strata lot (Schedule A, Definitions, Bylaw 17-001, April 13, 2017).
- New building, never occupied
- None found.
A new multiplex in Victoria
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 Victoria 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 Victoria
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 Approving Officer for residential buildings of 3 or fewer units that are vacant or owner-occupied and in good condition (delegated July 24, 2003); Council when tenants live there.
What Victoria allows: Accepted. When Metro Victoria's vacancy rate is below 4%, applications for more than 4 rental units are not accepted, with an appeal to Council.
Tenants: A Tenant Plan signed by all tenants: notice, a tenant list, choices offered (a fixed-term tenancy or an option to buy), money help and agency referrals.
Vacancy rule: More than 4 rental units: not accepted under 4% vacancy in Metro Victoria.
Building standard: For duplexes, common and bearing walls must meet current Code fire separation and sound ratings, certified by an architect or done under a building permit. Common issues: exits, seismic, building envelope and unpermitted work (Bulletin BLDG2014-04).
Fee: 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.
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 Victoria
Secondary suites: No. The Zoning Regulation Bylaw defines a secondary suite as one that does not include a strata lot (Schedule A, Definitions).
Laneway, coach and garden homes: No. The Zoning Regulation Bylaw defines a garden suite as one that does not include a strata lot (Schedule A, Definitions, Bylaw 17-001, April 13, 2017).
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 Victoria 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). |
| 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 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. |
| 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 Victoria
Can I stratify a duplex in Victoria? +
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 Victoria's approval under section 242. Accepted. When Metro Victoria's vacancy rate is below 4%, applications for more than 4 rental units are not accepted, with an appeal to Council.
How much does a strata conversion cost in 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. 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 Victoria? +
The Approving Officer for residential buildings of 3 or fewer units that are vacant or owner-occupied and in good condition (delegated July 24, 2003); Council when tenants live there.
Do tenants have to agree to a strata conversion in Victoria? +
A Tenant Plan signed by all tenants: notice, a tenant list, choices offered (a fixed-term tenancy or an option to buy), money help and agency referrals. More than 4 rental units: not accepted under 4% vacancy in Metro Victoria.
Can a secondary suite be its own strata lot in Victoria? +
No. The Zoning Regulation Bylaw defines a secondary suite as one that does not include a strata lot (Schedule A, Definitions).
Can a laneway house or coach house be strata titled in Victoria? +
No. The Zoning Regulation Bylaw defines a garden suite as one that does not include a strata lot (Schedule A, Definitions, Bylaw 17-001, April 13, 2017).
Does a new multiplex in Victoria 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 Victoria
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