Strata Finances
Why Your Strata Fees Went Up: How to Read the Increase
Insurance, reserve contributions, deferred maintenance or a budget that was too low to begin with. How to work out which one drove your increase, and when to push back.
Money
Strata finances, fees and reserves
Where strata fees go, how contingency reserves are supposed to work, and what to do when the budget or a special levy doesn't add up.
Strata money is the subject owners ask about most and get explained least. Fees arrive as a single monthly number with no indication of what sits behind it, the contingency reserve fund is discussed once a year in a room where half the owners are checking their phones, and then a special levy lands and everyone wants to know how it got to that point.
The honest answer is usually that it got there slowly. A building that has underfunded its reserve for fifteen years is not facing an emergency, it is facing an arithmetic problem it postponed. The articles here work through both halves of that: the operating budget that pays for this year's landscaping, utilities and management, and the contingency reserve fund that is supposed to pay for the roof in 2041. They are governed by different rules, funded by different logic, and confusing them is how councils end up surprised.
You will also find the practical mechanics — how depreciation reports feed reserve planning and what they cost, what a strata can do about owners who stop paying, when a strata loan makes more sense than a levy, and why townhouse complexes so often pay less per month than towers. Where a number matters, we have given the number.
20 guides in Strata Finances
Strata Finances
How a BC Strata Budget Is Built (and Why the Budget Meeting Matters More Than the AGM)
Here is how a BC strata budget actually gets assembled, step by step.
Strata Finances
What Do Strata Fees Cover in BC? A Plain-English Breakdown
Strata fees fund your building's shared operating costs plus a mandatory reserve for big repairs. Here's exactly what they cover in BC, what they don't, and how your share is calculated.
Strata Finances
Average Strata Fees in Metro Vancouver: What's Normal in 2026
In 2026 most Metro Vancouver owners pay about $0.35–$0.65 per square foot a month. Here are real ranges by unit size and building type, plus a quick test for whether your fee is high or low.
Strata Finances
How Much Should a BC Strata's Contingency Fund Be? (+ How to Estimate)
BC law only sets a minimum yearly contribution, not a target balance. Here's how much a healthy contingency reserve fund really holds, plus a step-by-step way to estimate your own number.
Strata Finances
BC Strata Depreciation Reports: The 2026 Deadline Explained
BC stratas with 5+ lots now must hold a current depreciation report — by July 1, 2026 in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the CRD. Here's the full rundown.
Strata Finances
What Is a Special Levy? A Plain-English Guide for BC Stratas
A special levy is a one-time charge on top of strata fees, approved by a 3/4 owner vote, for a big expense. How it works in BC, and what the resolution must say.
Strata Finances
How Much Does a Depreciation Report Cost in BC?
Depreciation reports in BC typically run about $2,500–$6,000 for small buildings and more for larger ones. Here's what drives the price and how to get good value.
Strata Finances
Can't Afford a Strata Special Levy? Options for BC Owners
No hardship exemption exists, but BC owners facing a special levy have real options: payment plans, financing, or pushing the strata to borrow. Plus how to ask.
Strata Finances
What a BC Strata Can Do When an Owner Doesn't Pay Strata Fees
When one owner stops paying strata fees, the rest of a small BC building covers the gap. Here's how councils collect — reminders, interest, liens, and the CRT.
Strata Finances
Strata Loan, Special Levy, or Higher Fees? How BC Stratas Fund Big Projects
A special levy isn't the only way to fund a big repair. Here's how a special levy, higher strata fees, and a strata loan compare for BC buildings — and how to qualify to borrow.
Strata Finances
Why Do Townhouses Pay Lower Strata Fees Than Condos in BC?
Townhouse strata fees in BC are usually lower than condo fees — because there's less to share. Here's how amenities, building type, and entitlement set the gap.
Strata Finances
What Happens When a BC Strata Goes Over Budget
Going over your operating budget isn't always a crisis. Here's what BC's rules allow, your options when the fund runs short, and why the budget vote matters most.
Strata Finances
Does a BC Strata Corporation Have to File a Tax Return?
Your BC strata is a corporation — so does it owe income tax or file a return? A plain-English look at non-profit status, reserve interest, and the T2 vs T1044.
Strata Finances
Your Depreciation Report Says You're Underfunded — Now What?
Your depreciation report says the reserve is short. Here's a calm BC recovery playbook for small strata councils, plus the hidden costs of ignoring it.
Strata Finances
New contingency reserve fund rules for BC stratas
BC's depreciation-report and reserve-fund rules are tightening. Here's what your contingency reserve fund does, why the legal minimum isn't enough, and how council can plan ahead.
Strata Finances
Selling Common Property or a Strata-Owned Lot in BC
A strata can sell the caretaker suite or a strip of land, but it is an owners' decision rather than council's — and the money does not go where most people assume.
Strata Finances
GST and Strata Fees: When a BC Strata or Section Has to Register
Fees charged to residential owners are exempt from GST. Fees charged to commercial owners are not. Most councils know the first half and have never considered the second.
Strata Finances
How a BC Strata May Invest Its Contingency Reserve Fund
A contingency reserve fund sitting in a chequing account is losing money every year. BC law limits where it can go — and within those limits the strategy is simple.
Strata Finances
How to Read Your Strata's Financial Statements
Most councils check the bank balance and move on. Four numbers in the package you already receive will tell you whether a special levy is coming, years before it arrives.
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