How to amend strata bylaws in BC

Last reviewed November 10, 2026, against the current Strata Property Act, Strata Property Regulation and Standard Bylaws on BC Laws.

What can be amended

A strata corporation must have bylaws, and they may provide for the control, management, maintenance, use and enjoyment of the strata lots, common property and common assets, and for the administration of the strata (section 119). The bylaws are the Standard Bylaws except to the extent different bylaws are filed (section 120). Bylaws may be changed, repealed, replaced or added to by following the Act's procedure (section 126).

What a bylaw cannot do is set out in section 121: it is unenforceable to the extent it contravenes the Act, the regulations, the Human Rights Code or any other law, or restricts an owner's right to sell, lease or mortgage the strata lot, with limited exceptions. See unenforceable bylaws.

The five steps

1. Draft. Write the exact text. Decide whether you are adding a new bylaw, replacing one, or repealing and replacing the whole set. A lawyer's review is money well spent for anything beyond a simple change.
2. Notice. The notice of the annual or special general meeting must include the proposed wording of the resolution, because it requires a 3/4 vote (section 45). At least two weeks' notice, plus delivery time.
3. Vote. The resolution must be passed by a 3/4 vote at the meeting: at least 3/4 of votes cast by eligible voters present in person or by proxy, not counting abstentions.
4. File. File an Amendment to Bylaws in the prescribed form (Form I) at the Land Title Office, setting out the amendment. Until that filing, the amendment has no effect (section 128(2)).
5. Inform. The strata must inform owners and tenants of the amendment as soon as feasible after it is approved (section 128(4)). Posting or leaving a copy is acceptable for residents (section 65), but send it to non-resident owners too.

Which vote applies

A strata with sections has additional rules: a section may amend bylaws on matters relating solely to that section (section 197).

Amending the wording at the meeting

Owners often want to adjust the wording on the night. The Act allows amendments to a 3/4 resolution during the meeting only if they do not substantially change the resolution and are approved by a 3/4 vote before the vote on the resolution itself (section 50). Fixing a typo or clarifying a phrase is usually safe. Changing what the bylaw does is not. If the meeting wants something materially different, the right course is to defeat or withdraw the resolution and bring a new one with fresh notice.

The one-week pause

If the resolution passes but the people who voted held less than 50% of the strata's total votes, the strata must wait one week before implementing it, and owners holding 25% of the votes may demand a special general meeting to reconsider (section 51). Filing can wait that week.

Filing Form I

• The form certifies that the amendment was approved by a resolution passed in accordance with the Act at a general meeting on a stated date, and sets out the resolution's wording.
• It is signed by council members as the form requires.
• Filing is done electronically through the Land Title and Survey Authority, usually by a lawyer, notary, or the strata manager, and a filing fee applies.
• File promptly. The Act no longer sets a filing deadline, but an unfiled amendment is unenforceable, and the Information Certificate (Form B) must disclose bylaw amendments not yet filed.
• Keep the filed copy, with its registration number, in the strata's records.

After filing, obtain the registered copy and add it to the bylaw set you give to owners, tenants and buyers. See how to get strata bylaws.

Consider a consolidated set

After several amendments, the strata's bylaws are scattered across many filings. Many stratas periodically pass a resolution repealing all existing bylaws and replacing them with one complete, updated set. That makes them far easier for owners and buyers to read, and is a good time to remove unenforceable provisions such as old rental limits.

Bylaw or rule?

Rules govern only the use, safety and condition of common property and common assets. Council can make them, and they lapse unless ratified by majority vote at the next general meeting (section 125). Anything that regulates what happens inside strata lots, or carries the strata's main obligations, needs a bylaw. See bylaws and rules.

What the minutes should show

Questions councils and owners ask

What vote is needed to change strata bylaws in BC?

A 3/4 vote at an annual or special general meeting, with separate votes of residential and non-residential lots in a mixed strata.

When does a bylaw amendment take effect?

When the Amendment to Bylaws (Form I) is filed at the Land Title Office. Until then it has no effect.

Can council change the bylaws?

No. Only the owners can, at a general meeting. Council can make rules about common property, subject to ratification.

Can owners propose a bylaw change?

Yes. Owners holding 20% of the votes can require a resolution to be placed on the agenda of the next general meeting.

Do tenants have to be told about new bylaws?

Yes. The strata must inform owners and tenants as soon as feasible.

This page is general information for BC strata corporations, not legal advice. Your strata's own filed bylaws may differ from the Standard Bylaws. See the current text of the Strata Property Act and the Strata Property Regulation on BC Laws.

Related guides

The 3/4 Vote
The Standard Bylaws
Bylaws vs Rules
Unenforceable Bylaws
Getting Strata Bylaws
Motions and Amendments