New to strata council? What to do in your first 30 days
You put your hand up at the AGM and now you help run a corporation with a budget, insurance, contracts and legal duties. Nobody gives you a manual. This is the short version.
Last reviewed November 10, 2026, against the current Strata Property Act, Strata Property Regulation and Standard Bylaws on BC Laws.
The short answer
In your first month on a BC strata council: read the bylaws, the last year of minutes, the budget, the insurance summary and the depreciation report, learn the standard of care (section 31) and conflict of interest rule (section 32), and note the deadlines that recur: minutes to owners within two weeks, records requests within two weeks, hearings within four weeks, and the AGM within two months of year end. Decide things at meetings, by motion, and write them down.
Week one: what to read
- The bylaws and rules. Get the filed bylaws from the Land Title Office record or the strata's files. If none are filed, the Standard Bylaws apply.
- The last 12 months of council minutes and the last two AGM minutes. They tell you what is in progress.
- The current budget and latest financial statements.
- The insurance summary: insured value, deductibles, renewal date.
- The depreciation report, if the strata has one. It lists what will need replacing and when.
- Current contracts: management, landscaping, elevator, snow, waste.
- The strata plan, so you know what is common property, limited common property and strata lot.
You are entitled to these. They are records the strata must keep under section 35.
Your legal duties in plain words
- Act honestly and in good faith for the strata as a whole, and with the care a reasonably prudent person would use (section 31).
- Disclose conflicts, abstain and leave the room (section 32).
- Act through council. The strata's powers are exercised by the council as a body (sections 4 and 26). An individual member has no authority to decide, spend or direct contractors alone, unless council has delegated it (Standard Bylaws 20 and 21).
- Enforce the bylaws fairly and by the process in section 135.
- Keep confidences. You will see personal information about your neighbours. See privacy and PIPA.
A council member who acts honestly and in good faith is protected from personal liability under Standard Bylaw 22. See council member liability.
StrataMinutes can take this off your plate. Council work is volunteer work. Hand off the minutes: send us your notes and receive complete, properly formatted minutes. Your first month is free.
The deadlines that recur
| Duty | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Inform owners of council minutes | Within 2 weeks of the meeting | Standard Bylaw 19 |
| Provide records an owner requests | Within 2 weeks (1 week for bylaws and rules) | Section 36 |
| Hold a hearing an owner or tenant requests | Within 4 weeks | Section 34.1 |
| Written decision after a hearing | Within 1 week | Section 34.1 |
| Issue an Information Certificate (Form B) | Within 1 week | Section 59 |
| Notice of a general meeting | At least 2 weeks | Section 45 |
| Hold the AGM | Within 2 months of fiscal year end | Section 40 |
| Inform owners of fee changes | Within 2 weeks of the budget passing | Section 106 |
Our strata annual calendar puts these in order through the year, and the deadline calculators work out the dates.
Understand the money
A strata has two funds. The operating fund pays for expenses that occur once a year or more often. The contingency reserve fund is for expenses that occur less often than once a year. Council spends the operating fund according to the budget the owners approved. Spending outside the budget is tightly limited (section 98), and spending from the reserve fund generally needs an owners' vote (section 96). See council spending limits.
Seven mistakes new members make
- Deciding by email or in the hallway. Decisions are made at meetings.
- Promising owners an outcome. Say "I will bring it to council."
- Directing contractors personally. Go through the manager or the member council has delegated.
- Fining without process. A complaint, written particulars and a chance to answer come first.
- Treating friends differently. Consistency is what the tribunal looks for.
- Sitting on the minutes. Two weeks, approved or not.
- Keeping files on a personal laptop. Use shared storage that stays with the strata.
Questions to ask at your first meeting
- What is outstanding from the last council's action list?
- Which contracts renew this year?
- When is the insurance renewal, and when was the last appraisal?
- When is the next depreciation report due, and has the electrical planning report been obtained?
- Are there open bylaw matters, tribunal claims or lawsuits?
- Who has signing authority and passwords?
See the first council meeting after the AGM.
Where to get help
The provincial government's strata housing pages explain the Act in plain language. The Condominium Home Owners Association of BC (CHOA) and the Vancouver Island Strata Owners Association (VISOA) offer education and advice to member stratas. For legal, engineering and insurance questions, council may pay for professional advice from the operating fund within the budget. Our Help Centre has guides on each topic above.
Questions councils and owners ask
Do new strata council members need training?
The Act does not require it. Reading the bylaws, the Act's key sections and a year of minutes is the practical minimum.
Can I make decisions on my own as a council member?
No. Decisions are made by council at meetings, unless council has delegated a specific authority to you.
Am I personally liable for council decisions?
Not if you act honestly and in good faith, under Standard Bylaw 22.
How much time does being on council take?
It varies with the building. A monthly meeting plus a few hours between meetings is common. Officers do more.
Can I resign if it is too much?
Yes. See resigning from council.
One thing off your list on day one
New councils inherit the minutes problem. Send StrataMinutes your notes after each meeting and receive complete, properly formatted minutes. The first month is free.
Free for 30 days, then $29 a month. Cancel anytime.
For a 30-lot strata, that is under $1 a lot each month. Have the strata pay: free council approval kit.
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
First Council Meeting After the AGM
Council Handover Checklist
Council Roles
Strata Annual Calendar
Council Member Liability
Council Code of Conduct