# BC strata resources and guides

> Practical guides for BC strata councils, owners, and residents about meetings, records, bylaws, maintenance requests, and community communication.

## Published guides

- [PST on Strata Management Fees in BC: What Changes Oct 1, 2026](https://openstrata.ca/blog/pst-strata-management-fees-bc-2026/index.md): The Province is adding 7% PST to a list of professional services from October 1, 2026. Here is what strata councils need to know.
- [BC Strata Depreciation Report Deadline 2026: The Rules](https://openstrata.ca/blog/strata-depreciation-report-deadline-bc-2026/index.md): Most BC stratas with five or more lots need a current depreciation report. Here are the deadlines, the five-year cycle, and who can prepare one.
- [What Is Strata Management Software? A Guide for BC Councils](https://openstrata.ca/blog/what-is-strata-management-software-bc/index.md): A plain-language explanation of what strata management software does, who uses it, and how it differs from email and property management tools.
- [Best Software for a Self-Managed Strata in BC](https://openstrata.ca/blog/best-software-self-managed-strata-bc/index.md): A self-managed council needs tools built for volunteers, not management firms. Here are the four jobs the software should do, and what to ignore.
- [Does Strata Software Replace a Property Manager?](https://openstrata.ca/blog/does-strata-software-replace-property-manager/index.md): Usually not, and it does not have to. Software and a manager solve different problems. Here is how to think about using one, the other, or both.
- [Email and Google Drive vs. a Dedicated Strata Portal](https://openstrata.ca/blog/strata-portal-vs-email-google-drive/index.md): Shared drives store files, but they do not give residents one current place to find answers, submit requests, or see what happened before.
- [What Does a BC Strata Council Do?](https://openstrata.ca/blog/what-does-a-bc-strata-council-do/index.md): A strata council is the group of owners elected to act for the strata corporation. Here is what it is responsible for, and what it is not.
- [Three Strata Costs Rising for BC Stratas in 2026](https://openstrata.ca/blog/bc-strata-costs-rising-2026/index.md): BC stratas face new and rising costs in 2026, from a PST expansion to a new electrical planning report. Here are three to plan for.
- [Questions to Ask Your Strata Manager About the New PST](https://openstrata.ca/blog/questions-strata-manager-pst-bc/index.md): If your BC strata has a property manager, here are practical questions to ask about how the October 2026 PST change affects your invoices and budget.
- [Self-Managed vs. Managed Strata: Does PST Change It?](https://openstrata.ca/blog/self-managed-vs-managed-strata-cost-pst/index.md): Does the new BC PST make self-managing a strata cheaper in 2026? For most residential stratas, it changes the comparison less than you might expect.
- [How the New PST Could Affect Your Strata's Budget](https://openstrata.ca/blog/how-pst-affects-strata-budget-2026/index.md): BC's PST expands on October 1, 2026. Your management fee will likely stay exempt, but other budget items will not. Here is what to plan for.
- [Short-Term Rentals and BC Strata Bylaws After Bill 35](https://openstrata.ca/blog/strata-short-term-rental-bylaws-bc-bill-35/index.md): Bill 35 changed short-term rental rules across BC, but your strata keeps its own bylaw power. Here is how the two systems work together.
- [Electrical Planning Reports for BC Stratas: The 2026 Deadline](https://openstrata.ca/blog/strata-electrical-planning-report-bc-deadline/index.md): Most BC stratas with five or more lots must obtain an electrical planning report by December 31, 2026 or 2028. Here is what to do.
- [What's Happening With BC Strata Insurance in 2026?](https://openstrata.ca/blog/bc-strata-insurance-2026/index.md): BC strata insurance premiums have softened in 2026, but high water-damage deductibles are here to stay. Here is what councils and owners should know.
- [Electronic Voting and Virtual Strata Meetings in BC](https://openstrata.ca/blog/bc-strata-electronic-voting-virtual-meetings/index.md): BC stratas can hold AGMs online and let owners attend and vote electronically. Here is what the Strata Property Act allows and what still needs care.
- [BC Strata AGM Checklist: How to Run It Right](https://openstrata.ca/blog/bc-strata-agm-checklist/index.md): A BC strata AGM needs proper notice, quorum, a budget vote, and a council election. Here is a checklist to run yours without procedural mistakes.
- [Questions to Ask Before Choosing Strata Software](https://openstrata.ca/blog/questions-before-choosing-strata-management-software/index.md): A practical list of questions BC strata councils can ask before choosing strata management software, from adoption to access to fit.
- [How to Track Resident Requests Without Losing Them](https://openstrata.ca/blog/track-strata-resident-requests/index.md): Resident requests get lost when they live in email. Here is how a BC strata council can track them so nothing slips through and residents feel heard.
- [How to Stop Answering the Same Resident Questions](https://openstrata.ca/blog/reduce-repeat-strata-resident-questions/index.md): Volunteer councils often answer the same questions again and again. Here is how to cut repetitive resident questions without ignoring anyone.
- [What Should a BC Strata Resident Portal Include?](https://openstrata.ca/blog/bc-strata-resident-portal-features/index.md): A resident portal should help owners and tenants find documents, submit requests, and stay informed. Here is what to look for in one.
- [How to Hand Over Strata Records to a New Council](https://openstrata.ca/blog/strata-council-records-handover-checklist/index.md): A clean records handover keeps a BC strata running when council changes. Here is a checklist of what to pass on and how to make it painless.
- [Running for Strata Council: An Owner's Guide (BC)](https://openstrata.ca/blog/how-to-join-strata-council-bc/index.md): Thinking of joining your strata council in BC? Here is who can run, how the election works at the AGM, and what to expect in your first year.
- [Who Pays for This Repair? Strata vs. Owner in BC](https://openstrata.ca/blog/who-pays-strata-repair-bc/index.md): In a BC strata, the strata usually repairs common property and owners repair their own lots, but the details depend on your strata plan and bylaws.
- [How Long Must a BC Strata Keep Its Records?](https://openstrata.ca/blog/bc-strata-record-retention/index.md): BC sets minimum retention periods for strata records. Minutes and financial records are kept at least six years; some are kept permanently.
- [Who Can Access Strata Records and Minutes in BC?](https://openstrata.ca/blog/who-can-access-strata-records-bc/index.md): In BC, owners and certain others can request strata records and minutes. Here is who is entitled, what they can see, and how fast the strata must respond.
- [Strata Bylaw vs. Rule in BC: What's the Difference?](https://openstrata.ca/blog/strata-bylaw-vs-rule-bc/index.md): In a BC strata, a bylaw and a rule are not the same thing. Bylaws need an owner vote; rules are made by council. Here is how they differ.