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A strata is a community that exists because everyone bought into the same building. The people don't choose each other. The bylaws don't anticipate every conflict. The legislation hands volunteer councils the responsibility of holding it all together. The good news: the patterns are familiar and the tools to handle them well are knowable.
1. Resolving disputes in your strata community
BC has one of the most accessible dispute resolution systems for strata in Canada: the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT). Most disputes that used to involve courts are now handled online through a structured, four-stage process.
The CRT handles disputes about:
- Improper bylaw enforcement
- Cost allocation for repairs (between owners and the corporation)
- Procedural failures at meetings
- Unfair treatment of owners
- Interpretation of legislation, bylaws, and rules
- Most other strata-related civil disputes
The CRT's monetary jurisdiction in strata disputes is unlimited. Filing fees are modest (typically $125–$300). Decisions are binding and enforceable in BC Supreme Court.
Before applying to the CRT, owners typically must request a council hearing under section 34.1 of the Strata Property Act. The hearing is a pause-and-discuss step that resolves many disputes before the CRT becomes necessary.
Read the full guide to BC strata dispute resolution →
2. Running effective council meetings
Most council dysfunction shows up in meetings: unclear agendas, decisions made by email between meetings, minutes that don't capture decisions, motions without movers, votes that aren't tallied. Each is a small thing; together they undermine the corporation's record and make CRT applicants' work easy.
The seven habits of effective strata councils:
- Regular cadence. Monthly or every six weeks for active buildings; quarterly for stable ones.
- Agenda 7 days in advance. No surprise items.
- Manager's package received and read before the meeting, not at the table.
- Decisions phrased as motions, with mover and seconder, recorded.
- Two-hour cap. If routinely exceeded, the agenda is too crowded or discussion is unfocused.
- Action items with owners and dates, reviewed at the next meeting.
- Minutes circulated within a week, finalized at the next meeting.
Read the full guide to running effective council meetings →
3. Communication tools and strategies
Owner engagement scales with communication quality. The 2026 toolset is good if used:
- Owner portal. Most professional management firms run online portals where owners can access bylaws, minutes, financials, and notices.
- Email updates. Quarterly council updates to all owners. 4–6 sentences each, no marketing tone.
- Building digital noticeboards. Lobby screens that surface upcoming meetings, contractor visits, and reminders.
- Multilingual capacity. In Lower Mainland buildings with significant non-English-first-language populations, having key documents available in Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, or Korean is genuinely useful.
- AGM proxy reminders. A pre-AGM nudge sequence dramatically improves quorum and reduces last-minute scrambles.
The pattern that works: regular, low-volume, structured. What doesn't work: silence punctuated by emergency communications.
Read the full guide to strata communication →
4. AGM preparation
The Annual General Meeting is the corporation's most consequential event. It approves the budget, elects council, passes bylaw amendments, and authorizes special levies. A poorly run AGM produces decisions that get challenged for years.
The 8-week timeline:
- Week 1–2: Manager prepares draft budget; council reviews
- Week 3: Auditor / review engagement starts
- Week 4: Council finalizes resolutions for AGM
- Week 5: Notice package prepared (financials, budget, resolutions, council nominations, proxies)
- Week 6: Notice issued (statutory minimum is 14 days; 21 days is better practice)
- Week 7: Pre-AGM owner Q&A or information session (optional but valuable)
- Week 8: AGM held; minutes drafted and circulated within the week
Read the full AGM preparation guide →
5. Noise, pets, and parking: the most common bylaw disputes
Three bylaw areas drive the majority of conflict in BC stratas. The patterns are well-known and the playbooks are mature.
Noise
The hardest to enforce because it's subjective. The framework: clear quiet hours in bylaws, structured complaint logs, multiple complaints from different owners, sound-level evidence where available, then warning + hearing + fine.
Pets
Often easier to enforce because compliance is observable. Modern BC strata pet bylaws limit number, size, or specific species; outright bans run into Human Rights issues with service and emotional support animals.
Parking
The most logistically complex. Common issues: visitor parking abuse, unauthorized vehicles, EV charging disputes, designation conflicts. Most can be addressed with clear bylaws, signage, and proportional enforcement.
Read the full guide to common bylaw disputes →
6. Building stronger strata communities
Owner engagement reduces conflict, improves AGM participation, and supports faster resolution of bylaw issues. The engagement strategies that work:
- Welcome packages for new owners: bylaws, contact info, building basics, tour
- Volunteer committees for specific work: landscaping, social, pet, EV charging, sustainability
- Quarterly community events: lobby coffee, summer BBQ, holiday social
- Council office hours: accessible question time monthly or quarterly
- Proactive communication: council updates, project status, financial summaries
None are required by the SPA. All are demonstrably effective. The cost is small; the cumulative impact on community quality is large.