How to get copies of strata minutes and records
The right to see the strata's records is written into the Act, with deadlines and a fee cap. A short written request is almost always all it takes.
Whether you are an owner checking what council decided, a tenant with assigned rights, or a seller's buyer doing due diligence, the Strata Property Act gives you a direct route to the record. Section 36 requires the strata corporation to make its section 35 records available on request, and most requests are satisfied within days once they are made in writing to the right address.
Who can ask, and for what
Owners can request any of the records the strata must keep: minutes of council and general meetings, financial records, correspondence, bylaws and rules, insurance documents, and the rest of the section 35 list. Tenants who have been assigned a landlord's rights, and people authorized in writing by an owner or such a tenant, can ask on the same footing. Former owners and former tenants can request records relating to their own period. Buyers usually work through the seller's authorization or through the Form B Information Certificate, which comes with its own required attachments.
The deadlines and the fee
The strata must comply within two weeks for most records, and within one week where the request is for bylaws or rules. It may charge for copies, but no more than 25 cents per page, and it cannot charge anything for letting you inspect records. There is no obligation to create documents that do not exist, so ask for records by name rather than asking questions. Copies of minutes for the last two years is a request; why was the roof levy so high is a conversation.
A letter that works
To: The Strata Council, The Owners, Strata Plan [number]
From: [Name], owner of Strata Lot [number], [unit address]
Date: [date]
Re: Request for records under section 36 of the Strata Property Act
Please provide copies of the following records: minutes of all council meetings and general meetings from [date] to [date], and [any other records, named specifically].
I understand copies may be charged at up to 25 cents per page under the Strata Property Regulation, and I agree to pay that amount. Please deliver the copies to [email or address].
Under section 36, these records are due within two weeks of this request. Thank you.
[Signature]
If nothing arrives
Send one polite reminder after the two weeks pass, restating the original request date. After that, the Civil Resolution Tribunal handles records-access complaints routinely and has ordered stratas to produce records and pay costs; our CRT guide explains the process. Councils reading this from the other side: a request log, a standing correspondence agenda item, and minutes that are actually finished within the two week window make section 36 requests a non-event. If preparing the minutes is the bottleneck, that is exactly the job StrataMinutes exists for.
Let us handle the minutes themselves
StrataMinutes turns your council's rough notes into complete, professionally formatted minutes that meet the requirements of the Strata Property Act, usually within minutes. Every document comes with a compliance checklist.
No payment details needed for your first council meeting.
This page is general information for BC strata councils, not legal advice. Always check your strata's registered bylaws. See section 36 of the Strata Property Act, Part 4 and the Strata Property Regulation on BC Laws.
Related guides
Records Retention
Form B Certificate
Correspondence
CRT Disputes