Who can attend a strata AGM, and who can speak?
An AGM is the owners' meeting, but the people who turn up are not always owners: a spouse who is not on title, an adult child, a tenant, a lawyer. The Standard Bylaws sort them into those who may attend, those who may speak, and those who may vote.
Last reviewed November 10, 2026, against the current Strata Property Act, Strata Property Regulation and Standard Bylaws on BC Laws.
The short answer
Owners and people holding their proxies may attend, speak and vote. Under Standard Bylaw 26, tenants and occupants may attend annual and special general meetings whether or not they can vote, may speak only if the chair permits, and must leave if the meeting asks them to by a majority vote. Voting is limited to eligible voters: owners, tenants assigned the right to vote, and in limited cases mortgagees (Strata Property Act, section 54).
Attend, speak, vote: at a glance
| Person | Attend | Speak | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Yes | Yes | Yes, one vote per lot |
| Co-owner of the same lot | Yes | Yes | They share the lot's one vote |
| Proxy holder | Yes | Yes | Yes, as the appointment allows |
| Tenant | Yes | If the chair permits | Only if assigned the landlord's right to vote |
| Occupant (spouse, family member not on title) | Yes | If the chair permits | Only as a proxy |
| Mortgagee | If entitled to vote | On those matters | Limited matters, with notice |
| Strata manager, lawyer, guest | By invitation | If the chair permits | No, unless holding a permitted proxy |
This table reflects the Standard Bylaws. If your strata has amended bylaw 26, follow your own.
Owners and co-owners
Every owner is entitled to notice of the meeting and to attend. Each strata lot has one vote unless a Schedule of Voting Rights provides otherwise (section 53). Where two or more people own a lot, they share that vote. If co-owners disagree at the meeting, the practical result is that the vote is not cast, so they should settle it beforehand.
A corporation that owns a strata lot attends through a representative.
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Proxy holders
An eligible voter may vote in person or by proxy (section 56). The proxy appointment must be in writing and signed, may be general or for a specific meeting or resolution, and may be revoked at any time. A proxy stands in the place of the person appointing them and can do anything that person can do, including vote, propose and second motions and take part in discussion, unless the appointment limits it. An employee of the strata corporation or a person who provides strata management services may be a proxy only as the Regulation permits. See proxy voting.
Tenants and occupants
Standard Bylaw 26 gives tenants and occupants a right to attend. It gives them a voice only if permitted by the chair. And it lets the meeting remove them: persons who are not eligible to vote must leave if requested by a resolution passed by a majority vote.
An "occupant" is a person, other than an owner or tenant, who occupies a strata lot. That is the category for a spouse or family member who lives in the unit but is not on title. Such a person can attend, and can vote if the owner gives them a proxy.
A tenant can vote only where the landlord has assigned that right under section 147, or the tenant has a lease of three years or more under section 148, and the strata has been given written notice. See tenant rights.
Managers, lawyers and other guests
The Act and Standard Bylaws do not give a right of attendance to anyone else. In practice:
- The strata manager attends at council's invitation, usually under the management contract.
- The strata's lawyer, engineer or insurance broker may be invited to present or answer questions.
- An owner's lawyer or advisor has no right to attend in that capacity. The simple route is a proxy, which gives them the owner's full rights at the meeting.
- Prospective purchasers, media and members of the public have no right to attend.
The meeting can decide by majority whether to admit a guest.
When an owner can be excluded
An owner who is suing the strata corporation, or being sued by it, does not have a right to attend those portions of a general meeting at which the suit is dealt with or discussed (section 169). The chair should deal with that item separately so the owner can attend the rest.
Being in arrears does not remove the right to attend. It may affect the vote if the strata has the right bylaw. See voting while in arrears.
Electronic attendance
If the strata provides for it and the notice includes instructions, people may attend and vote by telephone or other electronic means, and are deemed present in person (section 49). The chair must be able to identify whether an electronic attendee is an eligible voter, so registration matters as much online as at the door. See electronic meetings.
What the minutes should record
General meeting minutes record numbers, not a roll call: the number of strata lots represented in person and by proxy, and that quorum was present. Guests such as the manager or a presenting engineer are named. See AGM minutes.
Questions councils and owners ask
Can my spouse attend the strata AGM if they are not on title?
Yes, as an occupant, under Standard Bylaw 26. They may speak only if the chair permits, and can vote only if you give them a proxy.
Can tenants attend a strata AGM?
Yes, under the Standard Bylaws. They cannot vote unless the landlord's voting right has been assigned to them.
Can I bring a lawyer to the AGM?
A lawyer has no independent right to attend. Appointing the lawyer as your proxy gives them your rights at the meeting.
Can the meeting ask non-owners to leave?
Yes. People who are not eligible to vote must leave if requested by a resolution passed by a majority vote.
Can the strata manager vote proxies?
Only as permitted by the Regulation. See our proxy guide for the restrictions.
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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
Observers
Proxy Voting
Voting Rules
Owner's Guide to the AGM
Tenant Rights
Voting While in Arrears