PIPA for strata corporations: privacy duties every council should know

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

Why PIPA applies

PIPA governs how private-sector organizations in BC collect, use and disclose personal information. A strata corporation is an organization, and so is a strata management company. "Personal information" means information about an identifiable individual: name, home address, phone, email, banking details, licence plate, images on video, fob records, health information and opinions about the person. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC (OIPC) oversees the Act and publishes privacy guidelines written specifically for strata corporations and strata agents. Council should read them.

What every strata must have

1. A privacy officer. One or more individuals designated as responsible for compliance. Usually a council member, sometimes the manager. Their contact information must be available on request.
2. A privacy policy and practices that fit the strata.
3. A complaint process.
4. Reasonable security: locked files, passwords, limited access, care with email.
5. A retention practice: keep information as long as needed for legal or business purposes, then destroy it securely.

What a strata may collect and use

A strata may collect personal information that a reasonable person would consider appropriate for running the strata, and must tell people the purpose. Typical legitimate purposes:

• the owner and tenant lists the Act requires (section 35),
• contact details for notices and emergencies,
• payment information for strata fees,
• information needed to enforce bylaws, and
• information needed to assess a request, such as an accommodation.

Collect only what the purpose needs. A strata rarely needs birth dates, social insurance numbers or copies of driver's licences.

Disclosing to owners: PIPA meets section 36

The Strata Property Act requires the strata to give owners access to the records listed in section 35, including the owner list, minutes, correspondence and financial records. PIPA allows disclosure without consent where another law requires or authorizes it. So a strata cannot refuse an owner's section 36 request for a listed record simply by saying "privacy". The balance the OIPC guidance encourages is to write records carefully in the first place:

• minutes that use strata lot numbers and leave out sensitive details,
• complaint letters kept as correspondence, with care taken over complainants' identities where safety is a concern, and
• no more personal information in any record than the purpose requires.

Information that is not a section 35 record, such as security video or fob logs, is governed by PIPA alone. See who can get strata minutes.

Access requests under PIPA

Separately from section 36, any individual, including a tenant or a former owner, may ask the strata for their own personal information, how it has been used and to whom it has been disclosed. The strata must respond within the time PIPA sets, generally 30 business days, and may charge only a minimal fee. Some information may be withheld, such as other people's personal information or privileged material. An individual may also ask for corrections.

Common trouble spots

• Minutes. Naming people in complaints, arrears and hearings. See privacy in minutes.
• Video surveillance and fobs. Need a clear purpose, notice, limited access and, in the OIPC's guidance, authorization by bylaw. See security cameras.
• Email. "Reply all" to the whole building, or owner lists visible in the "To" line. Use blind copy.
• Posting names of owners in arrears or bylaw offenders on a notice board.
• Recording meetings. See recording strata meetings.
• Former council members keeping files.
• Realtors and buyers. Give information only with the owner's written authorization, or through the Form B process.

If there is a privacy breach

A lost laptop, a misdirected email with the arrears list, a hacked account. Contain it, find out what was exposed, tell the people affected where there is a risk of harm, and consider reporting to the OIPC. Record council's response in the minutes without repeating the personal information.

Complaints

An individual who believes the strata has mishandled their personal information should write to the strata's privacy officer first. If not resolved, they may complain to the OIPC, which can investigate and make orders.

Questions councils and owners ask

Does PIPA apply to strata corporations in BC?

Yes. A strata corporation is an organization under the Personal Information Protection Act.

Does a strata need a privacy officer?

Yes. PIPA requires an organization to designate one or more individuals responsible for compliance.

Can a strata refuse to give an owner the owner list because of privacy?

The owner list is a record under section 35 that owners may request under section 36. Disclosure required by law is permitted under PIPA.

Can I ask the strata what information it holds about me?

Yes. PIPA gives individuals a right of access to their own personal information, with limited exceptions.

Can the strata post the names of owners in arrears?

That is a disclosure of personal information with no reasonable purpose, and should be avoided.

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

Minutes and Privacy
Security Cameras
What Not to Put in Minutes
Who Can Get Strata Minutes
Recording Strata Meetings
In Camera Council Meetings