When must a BC strata hold its AGM?

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

The rule in section 40

Section 40 is two sentences long. The strata corporation must hold annual general meetings, and each one must be held no later than two months after the fiscal year end. The fiscal year is whatever twelve-month period the strata uses for its budget. Many use the calendar year, but any year end is possible, and it can be changed by a 3/4 vote (section 102).

The first AGM of a new strata follows different rules, set for the owner developer. See the first AGM.

Working backwards from the deadline

The AGM date is the end of a chain of smaller deadlines.

1. Year end. The books close.
2. Financial statements. The statement sent with the notice must be current to a day within the two months before the AGM (Regulation 6.7).
3. Budget. Council prepares the proposed budget for the coming year (section 103).
4. Notice. At least two weeks' written notice to owners, with the agenda, the wording of any resolution needing a 3/4, 80% or unanimous vote, the budget and the financial statement (section 45). Allow extra days for delivery: notice that is mailed or left at the door is deemed received four days later (section 61), and the day of giving and the day of the meeting are not counted.
5. The meeting.

In practice, a strata with a December year end needs its notice package ready by early February at the latest. Our deadline calculators work out the notice date for you, and the AGM checklist lists everything in the package.

If the AGM is late

A late AGM is a contravention of the Act, but it does not dissolve the council or cancel the strata's authority.

• Council continues. Under Standard Bylaw 10, a council member's term ends at the end of the AGM at which the new council is elected, so the existing council stays in office until that meeting is held.
• Fees continue. If the fiscal year ends before a new budget is approved, owners keep paying the same monthly strata fees as under the previous budget (section 104).
• Spending is limited. Until a new budget passes, the strata may spend from the operating fund only on the types of expenses in the previous budget, up to the previous amounts, or as section 98 allows.
• Decisions at a late AGM are still decisions. Hold the meeting as soon as possible and record in the minutes why it was late.

What a late AGM does do is erode trust and expose council to complaints.

What owners can do

If council is not calling the AGM, owners have three tools.

• Ask in writing, and request a hearing under section 34.1 if there is no reply. Council must hold the hearing within four weeks.
• Demand a special general meeting. Owners holding at least 20% of the votes can demand an SGM by signed written demand, and if council does not hold it within four weeks, those owners may call it themselves (section 43). See how to call an SGM.
• Apply to the Civil Resolution Tribunal for an order that the strata hold its AGM. The tribunal can order a strata corporation to do something the Act requires.

What must happen at the AGM

The Act and Standard Bylaws require these items at every AGM:

• Election of council (section 25).
• Approval of the budget for the coming fiscal year by majority vote (section 103).
• A report on insurance coverage (section 154).
• Ratification of any new rules made since the last AGM (section 125).
• Reports of council's activities and decisions since the previous AGM (Standard Bylaw 28).

See the AGM order of business for the full sequence.

After the meeting

Within two weeks of an AGM at which a budget is passed, the strata must inform owners of any change to their strata fees (section 106). Send the minutes at the same time. They will not be approved until the next general meeting, so mark them as draft. See AGM minutes.

Questions councils and owners ask

How long after year end does a strata have to hold its AGM in BC?

Two months. Section 40 requires the AGM no later than two months after the strata corporation's fiscal year end.

Can a strata postpone its AGM?

There is no general power to postpone beyond the two-month limit. The meeting can be waived only if all eligible voters agree in writing under section 41.

Is the strata council still valid if the AGM is late?

Yes. Under the Standard Bylaws, council members' terms run to the end of the AGM at which a new council is elected.

Can the AGM be held online?

Yes, if the notice includes instructions for attending by electronic means and the other requirements of section 49 are met. See electronic meetings.

What if quorum is not reached at the AGM?

Unless your bylaws say otherwise, the meeting stands adjourned to the same day in the next week, and those present then form a quorum. See quorum rules.

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

AGM Checklist
Meeting Notice
Waiving the AGM
AGM Minutes
Strata Annual Calendar
How to Call an SGM