Strata parking stalls and storage lockers: who owns them and who decides
"My parking stall" may be yours forever, yours while you own the unit, or yours until council reassigns it with reasonable notice. The difference is on the strata plan, and it is worth knowing before a dispute starts.
Last reviewed November 10, 2026, against the current Strata Property Act, Strata Property Regulation and Standard Bylaws on BC Laws.
The short answer
In a BC strata, a parking stall or storage locker is one of three things: part of a strata lot, limited common property (LCP) designated for a lot's exclusive use, or common property that the strata assigns, usually for up to one year at a time (Strata Property Act, section 76). Only the strata plan and Land Title Office records tell you which. The strata can make bylaws and rules on use, visitor parking and towing, and the Form B shows which stalls and lockers are allocated to a lot.
The three legal types
| Type | How created | Can the strata take it away? |
|---|---|---|
| Part of a strata lot | Shown on the strata plan as part of the lot, or as its own strata lot | No. It is owned. |
| Limited common property | Designated on the strata plan by the developer, by plan amendment, or by a 3/4 vote resolution filed at the Land Title Office | Only by the same kind of process that created it |
| Common property, assigned | Council grants exclusive use under section 76, or the developer assigned it by lease or licence | Yes, with reasonable notice, subject to any registered arrangement |
A fourth arrangement exists in some buildings: the developer leased the parking area to a related company and then assigned partial interests to buyers. Those assignments pass with the unit by a document, not by the strata plan, and need a lawyer's review on sale.
How to find out which you have
- The registered strata plan. Stalls that are part of a lot or LCP are marked. See how to read a strata plan.
- Land Title Office filings on the common property record, for LCP designated later by resolution with a sketch plan (section 74).
- The strata's owner list, which must show parking stall and storage locker numbers, if any (section 35).
- The Information Certificate (Form B), which must state which parking stalls and storage lockers have been allocated to the strata lot (section 59).
- Council minutes, for assignments under section 76.
Marketing materials and the number painted on the floor prove nothing.
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.
Common property stalls: section 76
The strata may give an owner or tenant permission to exclusively use common property that is not LCP. That permission:
- may be subject to conditions,
- is for not more than one year,
- may be renewed, with changed period or conditions, and
- may be cancelled on reasonable notice.
For a parking stall where EV charging infrastructure was installed at an owner's request under the Act, the period may be up to five years (Regulation 5.101). Assignments should be made by council motion and recorded in a parking register.
Sample minute wording: MOVED and SECONDED that, under section 76 of the Strata Property Act, council grant the owner of strata lot 9 exclusive use of common property parking stall 41 for one year from July 1, 2026, on the conditions in the strata's parking rules. CARRIED (5 in favour, 0 opposed).
Making or changing LCP
Common property may be designated as limited common property by a resolution passed by a 3/4 vote, filed at the Land Title Office with a sketch plan, and removed the same way (sections 74 and 75). LCP created by the developer on the strata plan can generally be changed only by amending the plan, which needs a unanimous vote. Two owners who want to swap LCP stalls permanently therefore need more than a handshake: at minimum, council's knowledge and a properly documented arrangement, and for a true change of designation, the Act's process. See limited common property.
Bylaws and rules about parking
A strata may regulate parking by bylaw, and may make rules about the use, safety and condition of common property, which must be ratified at the next general meeting to continue (section 125). Common provisions:
- vehicles must be insured and operable,
- no storage of items in stalls beyond a vehicle,
- no repairs or oil changes,
- speed limits and one-way routes,
- visitor parking time limits and passes,
- no parking in fire lanes or others' stalls,
- limits on oversized vehicles, trailers and boats,
- renting stalls only to residents, and
- fees for additional stalls. A user fee must be reasonable and set out in a bylaw or ratified rule (Regulation 6.9).
Rules cannot govern what happens inside a strata lot. If a stall is part of a strata lot, restrictions on it need a bylaw.
Towing
Towing a vehicle is a serious step. To do it safely:
- have a bylaw or ratified rule that clearly authorizes removal at the owner's expense,
- post signage at entrances stating the rule and the towing company,
- warn where practical, and
- keep photos and a record of each tow.
Removing objects from common property is a recognized way of remedying a contravention (section 133), but where the strata intends to charge an owner or tenant the cost, section 135 requires written particulars and an opportunity to answer. Vehicles in fire lanes or blocking access are usually towed at once for safety, with costs claimed by the towing company from the vehicle owner.
Visitor parking
Visitor stalls are common property for all owners' visitors. Using them for residents' second cars is the classic complaint. A pass system, a time limit and consistent enforcement work better than occasional crackdowns. Municipal development permits sometimes require a minimum number of visitor stalls, so council should check before converting any.
Storage lockers
Everything above applies to lockers. In addition, bylaws commonly prohibit storing flammable or hazardous materials, and the strata's insurance does not cover owners' contents. Owners should insure their own belongings.
Questions councils and owners ask
Does my parking stall belong to me?
Only if it is part of your strata lot. If it is limited common property you have exclusive use. If it is common property, it is assigned by the strata, usually for up to a year at a time.
Can the strata take away my parking stall?
Not if it is part of your lot or limited common property, except through the Act's formal processes. An assigned common property stall can be reassigned on reasonable notice.
Can I rent out my parking stall?
It depends on the type of stall and your bylaws. Many stratas limit rentals of stalls to residents for security.
Can the strata tow my car?
If a bylaw or ratified rule authorizes it and it is applied fairly. Safety hazards are normally towed immediately.
Where is my stall number recorded?
On the strata plan if it is part of a lot or limited common property, in the strata's owner list, and on the Form B.
Parking decisions outlast the council that makes them
Assignments, exchanges and rule changes belong in the minutes. StrataMinutes prepares them clearly so the next council can find what was decided.
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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
Limited Common Property
Common Property
Reading a Strata Plan
Bylaws vs Rules
EV Charging
Form B Certificate