Under BC’s Standard Bylaws, the strata repairs common property, structure and exterior; owners repair their strata lots. Who pays for water damage also depends on insurance and responsibility for the loss (SPA ss.72, 149 and 158; Standard Bylaws 2 and 8, current to October 27, 2026). Below the deductible, repair duties usually follow the bylaws.
On October 19, 2024, an atmospheric river pushed water and debris down Bellevue Avenue in West Vancouver. A Dundarave strata says it reached the ceiling of its parkade, and it’s now suing the district for damages it puts at $1.5 million or more (North Shore News, October 23, 2026). Most strata water damage in BC is smaller: a blocked stack, a failed hose. Who repairs it, and who pays, comes down to your bylaws, your deductible, and your maintenance record.
The Strata Property Act and Standard Bylaws cited here are current to October 27, 2026, and the Regulation to November 3, 2026. If you only have five minutes before a council meeting, the last section has facts, questions and draft motions to paste into the agenda.
Who repairs what
Who is responsible for water damage in a BC strata?
Under the Standard Bylaws, the strata repairs common property and the building’s structure and exterior, and each owner repairs the inside of their own strata lot. Section 72 of the Strata Property Act puts common property on the strata and lets a bylaw hand limited common property repairs to the owners who use it. Limited common property is common property designated for the exclusive use of the owners of one or more strata lots, such as a patio or balcony (s.1).
Common property reaches further than most owners expect. Section 1 includes pipes inside a floor, wall or ceiling between two units, or between a unit and common property. It also includes pipes inside a unit that serve another unit or the common property. The logic is practical: a stack that drains six kitchens can’t belong to any one of them. Standard Bylaw 8 adds the structure, exterior, exterior doors and windows, and balconies, even where they’re part of a lot.
Who repairs what
| Part of the building | Who repairs under the Standard Bylaws |
|---|---|
| Common property pipes, stacks, and roof drains | Strata (s.72) |
| Structure, exterior walls, exterior doors and windows, and balconies | Strata (Bylaw 8(d)) |
| A patio or balcony that’s limited common property | Owner does routine upkeep, such as keeping the drain grate clear (Bylaw 2(2)). Strata repairs the drain line, membrane, structure, and railings, and anything that comes up less than once a year (Bylaw 8(c)) |
| Inside a unit: drywall, flooring, cabinets, and fixtures | Owner (Bylaw 2(1)) |
| Upgrades an owner added | Owner (Bylaw 2(1)) |
Source: Strata Property Act ss.1 and 72 and Standard Bylaws 2 and 8, current to October 27, 2026.
Source: Strata Property Act ss.1 and 72 and Standard Bylaws 2 and 8, current to October 27, 2026.
These defaults assume a building strata, not a bare land plan. Registered bylaws can change the split, within the limits s.72 sets, and the strata plan decides what’s common property, so read the plan, then the bylaws, before you answer an owner. Our guide to strata council duties covers the repair duty itself.
Who pays for strata water damage in BC: a decision path
Repair duty, insurance coverage and getting money back are separate questions under separate rules. Take them in order.
- Is water still coming in? Treat it as a possible emergency, and do the 48-hour steps below first.
- Where did it start, and what did it damage? The two can sit on opposite sides of the line: a common property stack can flood a unit.
- Is the damage over the deductible, and is it covered? The deductible is the part of an insured loss the strata pays before the insurer pays anything (Province of BC, July 23, 2025). Water escape is one of the “major perils” the policy must cover; overland flooding is not (Regulation s.9.1). Council decides whether to claim, with its broker.
- Below the deductible, who repairs each part? The bylaws, whatever the cause. Lawyer Adrienne Murray set this out in a 2015 CHOA bulletin. An owner whose ceiling was soaked from above still repairs their drywall under Standard Bylaw 2, and the strata repairs the common property plus any damage it causes reaching it. She also warned that a strata that stops paying for in-suite repairs without telling owners may be accused of significant unfairness.
- Above the deductible, who pays it? Everyone, through strata fees: s.158(1) makes it a common expense. Council can pay it from the reserve fund or a special levy without a vote (s.158(3)), which the Province says lets repairs start quickly.
- Did an owner cause it? The strata can sue a responsible owner to recover the deductible (s.158(2)). Your bylaws can raise the bar, for example by requiring negligence.
- Did the strata fail to maintain? Then it can owe the owner for losses its neglect caused.
Below the deductible, the bylaws decide who repairs. The cause matters when someone wants the money back.
A deductible, worked through
Say a 42-unit wood-frame condo in New Westminster, built in 1996, with a $25,000 water-damage deductible. That’s the median on 2025 renewals in a StrataReports sample of 2,000+ BC strata document reviews, down from $50,000 in 2023. About 7% of the sample carry $100,000 or more, and the Province’s page still describes $100,000 to $750,000, so read your own certificate.
Here are two leaks in that building. The costs are scenario figures set at medians from the same sample (StrataReports, October 21, 2026), which warns that minutes sometimes record the deductible paid rather than the full bill.
A deductible, worked through
| A blocked stack floods one unit | A washer hose fails and water crosses two floors | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | About $4,800, the median leak that needs a professional | About $28,000, the median serious leak |
| Insurance claim | None: it’s under the deductible | Yes, if the policy covers it |
| Insurer pays | $0 | About $3,000, if all $28,000 is covered damage |
| Strata pays | Clearing and repairing the stack | The $25,000 deductible, shared by unit entitlement |
| Extra cost to an owner | The flooded unit’s owner repairs their floor and drywall (Bylaw 2), unless the strata’s failure to maintain caused the loss | Only the owner where the leak started, and only if the strata recovers the deductible from them; uninsured contents fall to each owner |
| A lot with 2.4% of the unit entitlement carries | Its share of the stack repair | $600 of the deductible |
Source: deductible and leak medians from StrataReports (sample of 2,000+ BC document reviews, minutes mostly 2023 to 2026); split of costs under Strata Property Act s.158 and Standard Bylaw 2, assuming the strata shares costs by unit entitlement. Building and leaks are a scenario.
Source: deductible and leak medians from StrataReports (sample of 2,000+ BC document reviews, minutes mostly 2023 to 2026); split of costs under Strata Property Act s.158 and Standard Bylaw 2, assuming the strata shares costs by unit entitlement. Building and leaks are a scenario.
Nearly half of leaks look like the left column: about 44% of priced leaks in the StrataReports sample came in under $5,000. Even leaks that crossed several floors had a median of about $24,000, under the deductible.
Here’s what we’d do: give water repairs below the deductible their own line in the operating budget, sized from the leaks in your last two years of minutes. Unless your bylaws set another figure, council’s unbudgeted, non-emergency spending for the whole fiscal year must stay under $2,000 or 5% of the operating fund contribution, whichever is less (s.98(2)). One plumber’s visit can use that up. The trade-off is a bigger number in the budget owners vote on. Check your figure with the spend-without-a-vote calculator.
Charging the deductible to an owner
Can a strata charge an owner the deductible?
It can try, if the owner was responsible for the loss. A chargeback is the strata billing an owner for a cost, here the deductible, and s.158(2) preserves the strata’s right to sue a responsible owner for it. The Province says the owner needn’t have been negligent, but bylaws can set a stricter test, and the wording decides the case. If the owner disputes the bill, the strata has to prove it.
In June 2026, Richmond News reported a Civil Resolution Tribunal decision on a January 2022 burst heating pipe that damaged 37 strata lots and common property in a Richmond tower. The strata paid its $100,000 deductible and sought it from the owner of the unit where the pipe burst. The tribunal accepted the leak came from her unit. It found no evidence she caused it or was negligent, which she had to be to owe the deductible, and dismissed that claim.
Our insurance guide covers the Nacht case, where a negligence bylaw sank a $25,000 chargeback. Before council sends an owner a five-figure bill, compare BC lawyers who handle strata disputes and have one read the bylaw. The Act also makes the strata tell owners and tenants about any deductible increase (s.154), so they can buy matching coverage on their own policies.
When the strata pays because it didn’t maintain
On July 9, 2026, the tribunal ruled on four floods in seven months in a third-floor unit of a Coquitlam tower, Choe v. The Owners, Strata Plan BCS 3495, as Business in Vancouver reported on July 28. Water forced up from blocked common property stacks came out through the kitchen sink. In 2020 the strata’s contractor had recommended hydro-flushing, clearing the drain lines with high-pressure water, every six months to a year. The strata signed for one round of clearing in three years. It also skipped a cleanout recommended in 2021 and a stack service its new manager advised in August 2022.
Judged on reasonableness, not perfection, and without hindsight, the strata still breached its duty to repair and maintain. Its reactive approach, the tribunal said, was not enough (Business in Vancouver). After going through each category of loss, it awarded $2,496.98 against a $51,071.01 claim, mostly the rise in her insurance premiums and emergency service costs. The tribunal also ordered a regular maintenance plan for the kitchen pipes and stacks, based on a professional’s advice.
In Choe, the contractor’s recommendation reached council in 2020. The first flood came in November 2022.
If an owner or their insurer alleges negligence, tell your broker and get legal advice before council replies in writing. To pick a drain contractor, compare BC plumbing companies that clear drains and stacks for stratas, and get each one’s recommended interval in writing.
The first 48 hours after a leak
- Stop the water. Shut off the supply and call a plumber and a restoration contractor. Compare BC restoration contractors that work on stratas before you need one. In an emergency, Standard Bylaw 7 lets a person the strata authorizes enter a unit without notice to ensure safety or prevent significant loss or damage.
- Spend what stops the damage, and no more. Section 98(3) allows an immediate expense from either fund without a vote. There must be reasonable grounds to believe it’s needed to ensure safety or prevent significant loss. Spend only the minimum (s.98(5)), so the emergency doesn’t become a way around the budget vote, and tell owners as soon as feasible (s.98(6)).
- Find the source and dry the structure. The strata usually leads this, because the source is often unknown. If a plumber can’t find it, an engineering assessment firm can trace where the water is getting in.
- Call your broker before anyone promises to pay. The broker can arrange an adjuster to assess the damage against the deductible. Whether to claim is council’s decision, made with the broker.
- Tell affected owners and tenants in writing to call their own insurer, as the Province advises. What their policy covers depends on its terms.
- Minute it. Record the date, the source, the cost, who repaired what under which bylaw, and whether a claim was made.
Once the drying is done, scope the rebuild in a restoration request for proposal so it’s priced separately from the emergency work.
Winter prep, by the company you’ll call
Storm season has started. The December 2025 atmospheric river caused close to $90 million in insured damage in southern BC and parts of Alberta, $74 million of it in the Fraser Valley. Those are CatIQ estimates released by the Insurance Bureau of Canada on January 16, 2026. In March, another brought high streamflow advisories to Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria (Canadian Press, March 16, 2026). The BC River Forecast Centre escalates from that advisory to a flood watch, when rivers may reach their banks, to a flood warning. Ask your broker now whether your policy covers overland flooding.
If water from outside floods your building, as the Dundarave strata alleges (the district hasn’t filed a response), deadlines start early. A municipality or regional district isn’t liable for damages unless it gets written notice within 2 months of the damage, saying when, where and how it happened (Local Government Act s.736). In Vancouver, the notice goes to the City Clerk (Vancouver Charter s.294). A court can excuse late notice only for a reasonable excuse that didn’t hurt the city’s defence, and some claims must be started within 6 months (s.735). Call a lawyer within days.
Day to day, most water comes from inside: plumbing started 41% of leaks in the StrataReports sample, drainage 17%, roofs 13%, and the envelope 8% (October 14, 2026). Water damage is still the leading cause of loss in strata buildings, Acera Insurance’s Danielle Russell told Insurance Business in September, and lower premiums are no reason to ease off prevention.
Winter prep, by the company you’ll call
| Who to call | What to book before the storms | Interval or reason |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing company | Camera the main sewer lines; hydro-flush stacks at the interval the plumber recommends; test sump pumps and alarms | Camera every 5 years; stacks at least every 3 years in mid-rise and high-rise buildings; sump alarms every 3 months |
| Roofing company | Clear roof drains and gutters, and inspect the roof | Roof drains every year |
| Building-envelope consultant | Balcony and patio membranes, drains at grade, perimeter drain inlets | Perimeter drain inlets twice a year |
| Window and glass company | Any window or window wall that has leaked before | Windows were about 3% of leaks in the StrataReports sample, mostly into one unit |
| Restoration contractor | Pick one now: after-hours number, how they work with your insurer | Ask for mitigation, investigation and rebuild priced separately |
| Insurance appraiser | Check the replacement value the policy rests on | The strata must insure at full replacement value (s.149) |
Source: intervals from BC Housing, Maintenance Matters No. 20 (2018), which treats them as starting points for each building; leak shares from StrataReports, October 14, 2026.
Source: intervals from BC Housing, Maintenance Matters No. 20 (2018), which treats them as starting points for each building; leak shares from StrataReports, October 14, 2026.
If your building dates from the 1980s or 1990s, ask the plumber about polybutylene piping. The same BC Housing bulletin says some BC buildings used it then, and its fittings are known to fail early. It also sets 12°C as the minimum heat for units left empty, a line for the owners’ fall reminder, though their own policies may set stricter vacancy rules.
A few BC contractors post a starting price for one catch basin, but we found no published price for a building-wide drain and stack program, so we can’t tell you what’s fair. Send the same written scope to three companies, and check drains, membranes, and roofs are in your depreciation report.
What to tell an owner who says the strata should pay
What to tell an owner who says the strata should pay
| The owner says | What council can say |
|---|---|
| ”The water came from upstairs, so it’s not my problem.” | Below the deductible, the bylaws decide. Under Standard Bylaw 2 you repair your unit, and you can get legal advice about recovering from whoever caused it. |
| ”The strata’s insurance covers my unit.” | Only above the deductible, for covered perils, and for the building and original fixtures (s.149). Contents and upgrades depend on your own policy. |
| ”The strata never cleared that drain.” | If the strata failed to maintain common property, it can be liable. Here’s our maintenance record. (If there isn’t one, council should get advice before replying.) |
| ”You paid for another owner’s drywall last year.” | Past practice counts. Council will check the bylaws and what it has done before, and tell every owner if anything changes. |
Source: Strata Property Act s.149 and Standard Bylaw 2; Choe (CRT, July 2026).
Source: Strata Property Act s.149 and Standard Bylaw 2; Choe (CRT, July 2026).
Here’s what we’d do with that last row: if council wants to stop paying for in-suite repairs below the deductible, get advice on the bylaws first. Then tell every owner in writing, before the next leak. Owners who disagree can go to the Civil Resolution Tribunal.
Who you’ll need
- Restoration contractors: emergency dry-out and repairs, the night water comes in.
- Plumbing companies: the source of most leaks, and the drain and stack program that prevents them.
- Roofing companies, building-envelope consultants, and window and glass companies: water coming in from outside.
- Engineering assessment firms: when nobody can find where the water is coming from.
- Insurance appraisers: the replacement value behind your claims and your renewal.
- Strata lawyers: chargeback and deductible disputes, and claims against a city.
- Strata management firms: a manager who runs claims and after-hours emergencies, if you’re self-managed or reviewing yours.
https://stratamatch.ca/blog/strata-water-damage-bc/For your council meeting
Water damage in your strata
From this guide, checked October 26, 2026.
Guide: Strata water damage in BC: who repairs, who pays, and winter prep · Meeting date __________________
Key facts
- Repairs
- Under the Standard Bylaws, the strata repairs common property, including pipes between units, and owners repair inside their units (SPA s.72 and Standard Bylaws 2 and 8, current to October 20, 2026).
- Deductible
- The insurance deductible is a common expense, and council can pay it from the reserve fund or a special levy without a vote (SPA s.158(1) and (3)).
- Median deductible
- The median water-damage deductible on 2025 renewals was $25,000 in a sample of 2,000+ BC strata document reviews (StrataReports, September 12, 2026).
- Leak costs
- In the same sample, a leak that needs a professional cost a median of about $4,800, and a serious leak about $28,000 (StrataReports, October 21, 2026).
- Spending limit
- Unbudgeted, non-emergency spending must stay under $2,000 or 5% of the operating contribution a year, whichever is less, unless the bylaws say otherwise (SPA s.98(2)).
- Maintenance
- A Coquitlam strata was found liable for four floods after skipping the stack flushing its contractor advised (Business in Vancouver, July 28, 2026).
- Chargebacks
- A Richmond strata's $100,000 chargeback failed for lack of evidence the owner was negligent (Richmond News, June 13, 2026).
Questions to ask
Questions to ask
| Question | Why it matters | Where to check | Our answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is our water-damage deductible this year? | It decides which leaks are claims | The insurance certificate; s.154 | |
| Does our policy cover overland flooding? | It isn't a required peril | The policy; Regulation s.9.1 | |
| What does our chargeback bylaw require: responsibility or negligence? | The wording decides whether we can recover a deductible | Registered bylaws; s.158(2) | |
| When were the stacks and main lines last flushed or cameraed? | A skipped recommendation was the maintenance failure in Choe | Contractor invoices and minutes | |
| Could the reserve fund cover one deductible? | Council can use it without a vote | Latest financial statement; s.158(3) | |
| Have we paid for in-suite repairs below the deductible before? | Changing practice without notice risks an unfairness claim | Past minutes |
Source: Strata Property Act ss.154 and 158 (current to October 27, 2026), Strata Property Regulation s.9.1 (current to November 3, 2026); Choe (CRT, July 2026).
Draft motion
Check the wording with your strata lawyer before the meeting.
Moved __________ Seconded __________ Carried / Defeated
Draft motion
Check the wording with your strata lawyer before the meeting.
Moved __________ Seconded __________ Carried / Defeated
Sources
Checked on October 26, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
- Strata Property Act (ss.1, 72, 98, 149, 152, 154, and 158) and the Schedule of Standard Bylaws (Bylaws 2, 7, and 8), current to October 27, 2026
- Strata Property Regulation (s.9.1), Local Government Act (s.736), and Vancouver Charter (s.294), current to October 20, 2026
- Province of BC, Insurance for strata corporations (July 23, 2025)
- Business in Vancouver, B.C. strata ordered to pay condo owner after four floods (July 28, 2026), on Choe v. The Owners, Strata Plan BCS 3495 (CRT, July 9, 2026)
- Richmond News, Metro Vancouver strata loses big damage claim (June 13, 2026)
- North Shore News, West Vancouver faces new lawsuit for 2024 flood damages (October 23, 2026)
- Insurance Bureau of Canada, December floods in British Columbia cause nearly $90 million in insured damage (January 16, 2026)
- BC River Forecast Centre, warnings and advisories, and Canadian Press via Canadian Underwriter, Flood risks rise as atmospheric river hits B.C. (March 16, 2026)
- Insurance Business, Worst of BC’s strata insurance crisis may be over (September 9, 2026)
- StrataReports, Where BC strata leaks come from (October 14, 2026), What a BC strata leak costs (October 21, 2026), and Water deductibles came down (September 12, 2026), from a sample of 2,000+ BC strata document reviews, not a province-wide count
- BC Housing, Maintenance Matters No. 20: Managing Internal Water Systems (2018)
- CHOA bulletin 200-129, Repairing damage in a strata lot when the cost is less than the deductible (Adrienne Murray, 2015)
Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for water damage in a BC strata?
It depends on the bylaws, the insurance deductible and whether the strata maintained its property. Under the Standard Bylaws, the strata repairs common property, including pipes in the walls and floors between units, and the building's structure and exterior. Each owner repairs the inside of their own strata lot (Strata Property Act s.72; Standard Bylaws 2 and 8). If your strata has registered its own repair bylaws, those apply instead.
Does strata insurance cover water damage to my unit?
Only above the deductible, and only for covered perils and insured property. The strata must insure common property, common assets, the buildings on the strata plan and the fixtures the developer installed in each lot (Strata Property Act s.149), and it may insure other fixtures (s.152). Water escape is a required peril; overland flooding isn't. An owner's contents, upgrades and living costs depend on the owner's own policy.
Who pays when a leak costs less than the strata's deductible?
No insurance claim is made, so the bylaws decide who repairs each part. Under Standard Bylaw 2, an owner repairs their own strata lot, even when the water came from the unit above or from a common property pipe, and the strata repairs the common property and any damage it causes inside a unit to reach it. The exception is damage caused by the strata failing to maintain common property, which can make the strata liable for the owner's losses.
Who pays the strata insurance deductible after a water leak?
The deductible is a common expense paid through strata fees (Strata Property Act s.158(1)). Council can pay it from the contingency reserve fund or a special levy without an owner vote (s.158(3)). The strata can sue an owner who is responsible for the loss to recover it (s.158(2)). The Province says that owner doesn't have to be negligent, but some bylaws require negligence, and the wording decides the case.
Can a strata council spend money on a leak without a vote?
Yes, in an emergency. Section 98(3) of the Strata Property Act lets the strata spend from the operating fund or the contingency reserve fund without a vote if there are reasonable grounds to believe an immediate expense is needed to ensure safety or prevent significant loss or damage. It must spend only the minimum needed (s.98(5)) and tell owners as soon as feasible (s.98(6)).
Is the strata liable for water damage if it didn't maintain the pipes?
It can be. In July 2026 the Civil Resolution Tribunal found a Coquitlam strata breached its duty to repair and maintain after four floods from blocked common property stacks, because it hadn't followed its contractor's advice to hydro-flush the lines at least once a year. The standard is reasonableness, not perfection. If an owner or insurer alleges negligence, report it to your broker and get legal advice.
Do strata owners in BC need their own insurance?
The Strata Property Act doesn't require it, though some strata bylaws do. The Province strongly advises owners to buy their own policy. The strata's policy doesn't cover an owner's contents or personal liability, and an owner policy can include coverage for a strata deductible charged back to the owner.
