What strata fees pay for, what they don't, and how yours are set
Strata fees are the monthly payment every owner makes to the strata corporation. What they buy depends on the building, but the structure behind them is the same everywhere in BC.
Last reviewed November 13, 2026, against the current Strata Property Act, Strata Property Regulation and Standard Bylaws on BC Laws.
The short answer
BC strata fees fund two things under section 92 of the Strata Property Act: the operating fund, for expenses that usually occur once a year or more often (insurance, utilities for common areas, maintenance, management), and the contingency reserve fund, for expenses that occur less often than once a year (roofs, elevators, building envelope). Each lot's share is set by unit entitlement (section 99). Fees usually do not cover property tax, an owner's own insurance, in-suite hydro, or special levies. The approved budget shows exactly what your strata's fees cover.
The two funds your fees go into
| Fund | What it pays for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Operating fund | Common expenses that usually occur once a year or more often | Insurance premium, common hydro and gas, water and sewer where billed to the strata, cleaning, landscaping, snow removal, garbage, elevator and fire safety servicing, management fees, accounting, minor repairs |
| Contingency reserve fund (CRF) | Common expenses that usually occur less often than once a year, or do not usually occur | Roof replacement, boiler or elevator modernization, building envelope repairs, paving, depreciation and electrical planning reports in some cases |
Regulation 6.1 requires the annual CRF contribution to be at least 10% of the operating fund contribution, set after considering the most recent depreciation report. Many stratas contribute much more. See the contingency reserve fund guide.
What is commonly included
Every building is different, so the budget is the only reliable list. These are commonly paid from strata fees:
- The strata's insurance on the building and common property: full replacement value property insurance (section 149) and at least $2,000,000 of liability coverage (section 150 and Regulation 9.2).
- Utilities for common areas: hallway lighting, parkade ventilation, elevators. In many older buildings, heat and hot water from a central boiler, and sometimes gas fireplaces.
- Water and sewer, where the municipality bills the strata rather than each lot.
- Maintenance and servicing: elevators, fire alarms and sprinklers, mechanical systems, gates, roofs and gutters.
- Grounds: landscaping, snow clearing, window washing, pressure washing.
- Garbage and recycling, where not provided by the municipality.
- Amenities: pool, gym, guest suite upkeep.
- Professional services: strata management, accounting, legal advice, audits or reviews.
- Administration: banking, postage, meeting costs, minute preparation.
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What strata fees usually do not cover
- Property tax. Each owner pays the municipality directly for their own lot.
- The owner's own insurance, for contents, improvements, personal liability and the strata's deductible if they are responsible for it. See owner insurance.
- In-suite electricity and internet, where each lot is metered separately.
- Repairs inside your strata lot that the bylaws make the owner's responsibility.
- Special levies, which are separate charges approved by a 3/4 vote for a particular expense (section 108).
- User fees for some amenities, move-in fees or parking, if the strata charges them under Regulation 6.9.
- Fines and chargebacks for bylaw contraventions or damage an owner caused.
How your share is calculated
Under section 99, each lot's share of the budgeted contributions to the operating fund and the CRF is calculated by unit entitlement, a number for each lot shown on the strata plan's Schedule of Unit Entitlement. In simple terms:
Your annual fees = total budgeted contributions x (your unit entitlement / total unit entitlement of all lots)
A lot with a unit entitlement of 85 in a strata whose total is 5,000 pays 1.7% of the budget. Some expenses can be shared differently. Section 100 allows a different formula by unanimous vote, and Regulation 6.4 provides formulas for sharing some expenses that relate only to limited common property or to one type of lot, where the bylaws or a section of the Act call for it. See unit entitlement.
How to find out what a strata's fees are and cover
- Owners: read the current budget circulated with the AGM notice, and the AGM minutes that approved it. Section 106 requires owners to be told of any change to their fees within two weeks of the meeting.
- Buyers: the Form B Information Certificate states the monthly fees for the lot and attaches the current budget. See Form B and documents to request when buying.
- Records request: any owner can ask for the budget and financial statements under section 36, and the strata must provide them within two weeks.
There is no standard "average" strata fee in BC. Fees depend on the age of the building, amenities, whether heat and hot water are included, the insurance market and how well the CRF is funded. Low fees in an old building can be a warning sign of an underfunded reserve.
Questions councils and owners ask
What do strata fees cover in BC?
Contributions to the operating fund for regular common expenses such as insurance, common utilities, maintenance and management, and to the contingency reserve fund for less frequent expenses such as roofs and elevators.
Do strata fees include property tax?
No. In BC each owner pays property tax for their own strata lot directly to the municipality.
Are strata fees paid monthly?
Usually. The bylaws or a council resolution set the payment schedule, and monthly is the most common. Late payments can attract interest up to 10% a year if the bylaws provide for it.
How are strata fees calculated?
By unit entitlement under section 99, unless the owners have unanimously approved a different formula under section 100.
Why did my strata fees go up?
Because the owners approved a larger budget at the AGM, usually for insurance, maintenance, utilities or a higher CRF contribution. The budget and AGM minutes show the reasons.
Fee decisions recorded clearly
The budget vote and every change to the fees belong in the AGM minutes. StrataMinutes prepares those minutes from your notes, with every number and vote in place.
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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
Strata Fees
Strata Fee Increases
Annual Budget
Reserve Fund (CRF)
Unit Entitlement
Special Levies