The Standard Bylaws: a plain-language guide for BC stratas
Every strata in BC has bylaws from the day it is created, whether or not anyone has written any. They are the Standard Bylaws, a schedule at the back of the Act, and they apply until your strata files something different.
Last reviewed November 10, 2026, against the current Strata Property Act, Strata Property Regulation and Standard Bylaws on BC Laws.
The short answer
The Standard Bylaws are the default bylaws in the Schedule to the Strata Property Act. Under section 120, they are your strata's bylaws except to the extent that different bylaws are filed in the Land Title Office. There are 30, in seven divisions: duties of owners and residents, duties of the strata corporation, council, enforcement, general meetings, voluntary dispute resolution and developer marketing. To know your actual bylaws, read the Standard Bylaws together with everything your strata has filed.
When the Standard Bylaws apply
- New stratas. The Standard Bylaws apply from the deposit of the strata plan, except to the extent the developer filed different bylaws at that time.
- After amendments. If the owners have passed and filed amendments, the Standard Bylaws still apply wherever the filed bylaws do not replace them. A strata that filed only a pet bylaw still uses the Standard Bylaws for everything else.
- Complete replacements. Many stratas have repealed the Standard Bylaws entirely and filed their own full set, often based closely on them with different numbering.
- Older stratas. Stratas created before the current Act came into force are subject to transition rules in the Regulation. Their earlier filed bylaws continued, and the Standard Bylaws apply to the extent set out there.
The practical step is the same for everyone: obtain the bylaws filed at the Land Title Office and read them alongside the Standard Bylaws. See how to get strata bylaws.
Division 1: duties of owners, tenants, occupants and visitors
| Bylaw | Subject | In brief |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Payment of strata fees | Due on or before the first day of the month |
| 2 | Repair and maintenance by owner | Owner repairs the strata lot, and limited common property they use, except what the strata must repair |
| 3 | Use of property | No nuisance, hazard, unreasonable noise, unreasonable interference, illegal use or damage. Animals leashed. Pet limits: one dog or one cat, and small pets |
| 4 | Inform strata corporation | New owners give name, lot number and mailing address within 2 weeks. Tenants give their name on request |
| 5 | Approval before altering a strata lot | Written approval needed for structure, exterior, balconies, exterior doors and windows, fences, and more |
| 6 | Approval before altering common property | Written approval needed |
| 7 | Permit entry to strata lot | Without notice in an emergency. Otherwise 48 hours' written notice |
StrataMinutes can take this off your plate. Bylaw decisions only hold up when the minutes show the complaint, the hearing and the vote. We prepare those minutes from your notes. Your first month is free.
Division 2: duties of the strata corporation
Bylaw 8 sets what the strata must repair and maintain: common assets, common property, limited common property for repairs that ordinarily occur less often than once a year, and specified items no matter how often: the structure and exterior of buildings, chimneys, stairs, balconies, exterior doors, windows and skylights, and fences and railings enclosing patios, balconies and yards. It also covers those same structural and exterior items where they form part of a strata lot, except in bare land stratas. See who repairs what.
Division 3: council
| Bylaw | Subject | In brief |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Council size | 3 to 7 members. All owners if fewer than 4 lots or owners |
| 10 | Terms | End at the AGM. Re-election allowed |
| 11 | Removing a council member | Majority vote at a general meeting, with a replacement elected |
| 12 | Replacing a council member | Council may appoint if a member resigns or is unable to act for 2 months |
| 13 | Officers | President, vice president, secretary, treasurer, elected by council |
| 14 | Calling council meetings | One week's notice. Owners informed |
| 16 | Quorum | 1 of 1, 2 of 2 to 4, 3 of 5 or 6, 4 of 7 |
| 17 | Council meetings | May be electronic. Owners may observe, except hearings and privacy matters |
| 18 | Voting | Majority of members present. President breaks ties. Results recorded in minutes |
| 19 | Minutes | Owners informed within 2 weeks, approved or not |
| 20 | Delegation | Allowed, with limits on spending and none for enforcement decisions |
| 21 | Spending restrictions | Only with delegated authority, except emergency repairs |
| 22 | Limitation on liability | Council members acting honestly and in good faith are not personally liable |
Bylaw 15 has been repealed.
Division 4: enforcement
Bylaw 23 sets maximum fines of $50 for each contravention of a bylaw and $10 for a rule. Bylaw 24 allows a fine every 7 days for a contravention that continues without interruption for longer than 7 days. The Regulation permits higher maximums, but only if the strata amends its bylaws to adopt them. See strata fines.
Division 5: annual and special general meetings
| Bylaw | Subject | In brief |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Chair | President, then vice president, then a chair elected by the meeting |
| 26 | Non-voters | Tenants and occupants may attend, speak if the chair permits, and must leave if the meeting so resolves |
| 27 | Voting | Voting cards. Precise count on request. Secret ballot on request. President may break a tie |
| 28 | Order of business | The fourteen steps from certifying proxies to terminating the meeting |
See the AGM order of business.
Divisions 6 and 7
Bylaw 29 provides for voluntary dispute resolution: with all parties' consent, a dispute may be referred to a dispute resolution committee, which tries to help the parties end the dispute voluntarily. Bylaw 30 lets the owner developer carry on sales functions and use a display lot while it has unsold strata lots.
Changing them
The Standard Bylaws can be amended like any others: a 3/4 vote and filing at the Land Title Office. Common changes are higher fine maximums, interest on late fees, a larger or smaller council, quorum rules for general meetings, email voting by council, pets, smoking, short-term accommodation, and insurance deductible recovery. See how to amend bylaws.
Questions councils and owners ask
What are the Standard Bylaws in BC?
The default bylaws in the Schedule to the Strata Property Act, which apply to every strata except to the extent it has filed different bylaws.
Do the Standard Bylaws apply to my strata?
Yes, unless and to the extent your strata's filed bylaws replace them.
How many Standard Bylaws are there?
Thirty, numbered 1 to 30, with bylaw 15 repealed.
What is the fine limit under the Standard Bylaws?
$50 for each bylaw contravention and $10 for each rule contravention.
Can a strata remove the Standard Bylaws?
Yes, by a 3/4 vote amending or replacing them and filing the amendment.
Minutes that follow the bylaws
Quorum under bylaw 16, votes under bylaw 18, distribution under bylaw 19. StrataMinutes prepares minutes that reflect each of them.
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
Getting Strata Bylaws
Amending Bylaws
Bylaws vs Rules
Repair Responsibility
Council Roles
The Strata Property Act Explained