There’s no cap on how much strata fees can go up in BC. Your fee is your lot’s share of the strata’s budget, and owners approve that budget by a majority vote at the annual general meeting. If your strata’s fiscal year ends December 31, the AGM has to be held by the end of February, so council is drafting the 2027 budget now.
This guide explains how a strata fee is worked out, how the budget vote runs, what happens if owners vote it down and what is pushing budgets up this year. It’s written for the owner reading the AGM package and for the council treasurer putting it together.
Key takeaways
- No cap: fees follow the budget, which owners approve by a majority vote at the AGM (Strata Property Act s.103).
- Your share: your lot’s unit entitlement divided by the total, times the budgeted contributions (s.99).
- The floor: the year’s contingency reserve fund contribution must be at least 10% of the operating fund contribution, set after considering the latest depreciation report (Regulation s.6.1).
- If the budget fails: owners keep paying the old fee while council has 30 days to put a new budget to a special general meeting (s.104).
- Notice: the strata must tell owners about a fee change within 2 weeks of the meeting that passed the budget (s.106).
How much can strata fees go up in BC?
Is there a limit on strata fee increases?
No. The Strata Property Act doesn’t cap increases. A strata fee is each lot’s monthly share of two contributions in the budget. The operating fund pays common expenses that come up once a year or more often. The contingency reserve fund (CRF) pays for those that come up less often, or not usually (s.92). Council prepares the budget. Owners approve it by a majority vote at the AGM.
The vote is the only brake. Owners can amend the proposed budget by a majority vote before voting on it (s.103(4)), or vote it down. Neither removes the costs: if spending runs over budget, the deficit must be eliminated in the next fiscal year (s.105(2)).
Council can’t raise fees on its own during the year. In a 2014 Condo Smarts column, CHOA’s Tony Gioventu pointed out that the Act gives two ways to change a budget. Owners can amend it at the AGM before the vote, or change the fiscal year by a 3/4 vote (s.102). For a mid-year shortfall, he pointed councils to a special levy or a 3/4 vote to spend from the reserve fund.
What an average BC strata fee pays for
The most-cited BC figure comes from Eli Report’s April 2025 analysis. It averages last-known fees at about 8,000 high-rise, mid-rise, low-rise and townhouse communities across Canada, rounded to the nearest $5. It puts the BC average at $470 per unit per month. For scale, the Land Title and Survey Authority counted 807,738 active strata lots in 35,098 strata plans in BC on March 31, 2026.
| Budget line | BC average per unit per month |
|---|---|
| Repairs and maintenance | $180 |
| Insurance | $105 |
| Contingency reserve fund contribution | $75 |
| Utilities | $75 |
| General and administration | $60 |
| Management | $35 |
Eli Report averages each line on its own, so the lines add up to more than the $470 total. Read the table as a picture of where the money goes. Repairs and insurance are the big lines in an average BC budget. Management, the line councils argue about most, is the smallest; our management fee benchmarks cover it.
Low fees aren’t a saving if the work gets put off. In a 2023 Condo Smarts column on average fees, Gioventu warned that skipping routine service leads to emergencies, which cost more, and advised budgeting to protect the building.
How your lot’s share is calculated
Under section 99, each lot pays its share of the budgeted contributions in proportion to its unit entitlement, the number for each lot on the strata plan’s Schedule of Unit Entitlement. In apartment and townhouse stratas it usually tracks a lot’s habitable area. In bare land stratas it’s often equal for every lot.
Take a strata whose budget sets $480,000 of contributions. A lot with 85 of the 6,000 units of entitlement pays 85 ÷ 6,000 × $480,000 = $6,800 a year, or $566.67 a month. If the next budget rises 6% to $508,800, the same lot pays $600.67 a month, $34 more.
Every lot’s fee moves by the same percentage as the budget. The dollar change depends on your unit entitlement.
There are exceptions. A strata can adopt a different formula only by a unanimous vote, filed in the Land Title Office (s.100). Some stratas share certain costs only among the lots that use them, such as limited common property, under Regulation section 6.4. A strata with sections has a budget for each section as well as one for the whole strata.
To check your own numbers, enter them in the strata fee calculator. To see what a proposed budget does to your fee, use the fee increase calculator.
The budget vote, step by step
- The AGM date. The AGM must be held within 2 months after the fiscal year ends (s.40).
- The package. Council prepares the proposed budget and a financial statement, and they go out with the AGM notice, at least 2 weeks before the meeting (s.103(2) and s.45). The Regulation lists what the budget must show (s.6.6), including each lot’s monthly operating and reserve fund contributions.
- The meeting. Owners can amend the budget by a majority vote, then vote on the budget itself by majority.
- After the meeting. The strata must tell owners about any change to their fees within 2 weeks (s.106).
- If the budget fails. Council has 30 days to put a new budget to a special general meeting, or longer if a 3/4 vote at the AGM allows it (s.104(1)). Owners keep paying the old monthly fee. Until a budget passes, the strata can spend only on recurring expense types in the old budget, up to the old amounts, or under its spend-without-a-vote limit (s.104(3)).
What’s pushing 2027 budgets up
A new depreciation report. Stratas in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the Capital Regional District that hadn’t obtained a report since December 31, 2020 needed one before July 1, 2026. The rest of BC has until July 1, 2027 (Regulation s.6.21). The reserve contribution must be set after considering the most recent report (s.6.1(1)), so for many stratas the 2027 budget is the first one set against a new funding plan. Our depreciation report guide explains the plan’s three funding models.
The 10% floor. Since November 1, 2023, the year’s reserve contribution must be at least 10% of the operating fund contribution (Regulation s.6.1(2)). Owners can’t amend the budget below it. Check your budget with the reserve fund minimum calculator.
Insurance. It’s the second-largest line in Eli Report’s averages. Our insurance guide covers what to check at renewal.
New required reports. Stratas with five or more lots in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the CRD need an electrical planning report by December 31, 2026. The Act lists it as an operating fund expense (s.92).
Last year’s deficit. If the strata spent more than it collected, the gap must be closed in the next fiscal year (s.105(2)).
Fee increase, special levy or reserve fund?
These are three different decisions, with different votes.
| Strata fee increase | Special levy | Spending from the reserve fund | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it pays for | The year’s operating costs and reserve contribution | A one-time cost named in the resolution | Costs that come up less than once a year |
| Vote | Majority at the AGM (s.103) | 3/4 at an AGM or SGM; unanimous for a different way of sharing it (s.108) | Majority for a depreciation report, work it recommends, an electrical planning report or EV charging; 3/4 for anything else (s.96) |
| How owners pay | Monthly, by unit entitlement | By the dates in the resolution | Money already collected |
To work out a lot’s share of a levy, use the special levy calculator.
Questions to ask before you vote
Bring this to the AGM.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which lines changed from last year, and by how much? | The financial statement with the budget shows what the strata actually spent (s.103(2)) |
| Does the reserve contribution follow the depreciation report’s funding plan? | The contribution must be set after considering the report (Regulation s.6.1(1)) |
| Is the reserve contribution at least 10% of the operating contribution? | It’s the legal floor (Regulation s.6.1(2)) |
| Did the strata run a deficit last year? | It must be eliminated this year (s.105(2)) |
| What did the insurance renewal cost, and what’s the deductible? | Insurance is one of the two largest lines |
| Is a special levy coming for a big project? | A levy needs a 3/4 vote (s.108) |
| What does the management contract cost, and when does it renew? | Compare it with published BC fees |
| Do the bylaws charge interest on late fees? | The cap is 10% a year, compounded annually (s.107; Regulation s.6.8) |
Related reading
- Fee increase calculator: your lot’s monthly change under a proposed budget.
- Strata fee calculator: your lot’s share by unit entitlement.
- Reserve fund minimum calculator: the 10% floor for your budget.
- Depreciation reports in BC: the funding plan behind the reserve line.
- Strata council duties in BC: who decides the budget, levies and spending.
Sources
Checked on October 23, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
- Strata Property Act, Part 6: finances (ss.92, 96, 99, 100, 102 to 108)
- Strata Property Act, Part 4: governance (ss.40, 45)
- Strata Property Regulation (ss.6.1, 6.4, 6.6, 6.8, 6.21), current to October 20, 2026
- Province of BC, Budgeting and strata fees
- Land Title and Survey Authority, Strata property information (counts as at March 31, 2026)
- Eli Report, Why are condo fees so different across Canada (April 25, 2025)
- CHOA bulletin 300-584, Can we change our budget during the year? (2014) and 300-1057, What are the average strata fees? (2023)
Frequently asked questions
How much can strata fees increase in BC?
There's no cap. A strata fee is each lot's share of the budget, and owners approve the budget by a majority vote at the annual general meeting (Strata Property Act s.103). Owners can amend the proposed budget by a majority vote before voting on it, or vote it down, but costs the strata has to pay don't go away: a deficit must be eliminated in the next fiscal year (s.105).
What are average strata fees in BC?
Eli Report's April 2025 analysis of about 8,000 condo communities across Canada puts BC's average at $470 per unit per month. By line, BC averages $180 for repairs and maintenance, $105 for insurance, $75 for the reserve fund, $75 for utilities, $60 for general and administration and $35 for management. Each line is averaged separately, so they don't add up to the total.
How are strata fees calculated in BC?
By unit entitlement. Each lot pays its unit entitlement divided by the total unit entitlement, times the budgeted contributions to the operating fund and the contingency reserve fund (Strata Property Act s.99). A strata can use a different formula only by a unanimous vote filed in the Land Title Office (s.100). Your unit entitlement is on the strata plan's Schedule of Unit Entitlement.
Can a strata council raise strata fees without a vote?
No. Fees change when owners approve a budget, at the annual general meeting or at a special general meeting held because the AGM didn't pass one (ss.103 and 104). For a shortfall during the year, CHOA points councils to a special levy, which needs a 3/4 vote, or a 3/4 vote to spend from the contingency reserve fund.
What happens if owners vote down the strata budget?
Owners keep paying the previous year's monthly fees. Council must prepare a new budget and put it to a special general meeting within 30 days, or longer if a 3/4 vote at the AGM allows it. Until a budget passes, the strata can spend only on recurring expense types in the old budget, up to the old amounts, or under the section 98 limit (Strata Property Act s.104).
Is a special levy the same as a strata fee increase?
No. A fee increase comes from the annual budget and passes by majority vote. A special levy raises money once, for a purpose stated in the resolution, and needs a 3/4 vote at an annual or special general meeting, or a unanimous vote if it's shared some way other than unit entitlement (Strata Property Act s.108).
Can a strata charge interest on late strata fees?
Only if a bylaw sets the rate, and the rate can't be more than 10% a year, compounded annually (Strata Property Act s.107 and Strata Property Regulation s.6.8). The interest isn't a fine and forms part of the strata fees. Unless the bylaws set another date, Standard Bylaw 1 makes fees due on the first of each month.
