Who Pays for This Repair? Strata vs. Owner in BC

The short answer, and the catch

In a BC strata, the general rule is straightforward: the strata corporation repairs and maintains common property and common assets, and each owner repairs and maintains their own strata lot. The catch is that the details depend on your strata plan and your strata's bylaws, and common assumptions are often wrong. Section 72 of the Strata Property Act sets the base rule, and the Standard Bylaws add important exceptions.

What counts as common property

Common property is the shared parts of the strata: hallways, lobbies, elevators, the roof, exterior walls, and the land around the buildings. It also includes many building components that run between or through units, such as shared pipes. Under section 72, the strata must repair and maintain common property and common assets. A strata generally cannot pass a bylaw making an individual owner responsible for common property that is not limited common property, and BC tribunals have found such bylaws unenforceable.

What owners are usually responsible for

Inside the strata lot, the owner is usually responsible. If your sink leaks or your dishwasher fails, that repair is normally yours. But the Standard Bylaws also make the strata responsible for certain parts of a strata lot no matter how often they need work, including the structure and exterior of the building, and doors, windows, and skylights on the exterior or fronting common property. So an exterior window is typically the strata's responsibility, even though it is attached to your unit.

Limited common property: the grey zone

Limited common property, or LCP, is common property that one or more owners have the exclusive right to use, such as a balcony, patio, or parking stall. By default the strata is responsible for LCP, but the strata can pass a bylaw shifting some of that responsibility to the owners who use it. This is where many disputes start, so check both your strata plan, to see how the area is classified, and your bylaws, to see who is responsible.

When one unit damages another

When water escapes from one unit and damages another, the owner where the problem started is generally responsible for the resulting damage, and the strata often does not need to get involved. That changes if the source is common property, such as a shared pipe inside a wall. Separately, if the strata's insurance responds, the strata may recover its deductible from the owner where the loss began, which we cover in what's happening with BC strata insurance in 2026.

How to sort it out without a fight

Because past practice is not always legally correct, the reliable approach is to check the documents rather than rely on what the strata has always done. Read the strata plan to classify the area, then read the current bylaws filed at the Land Title Office. The depreciation report can also help identify what the strata is responsible for. For a contested or high-cost item, it is worth getting advice from a strata lawyer.

Repair disputes are slower and tenser when no one can find the current bylaws or the strata plan. Keeping those documents in one place residents and council can search means the first question, who is responsible, can often be answered in minutes rather than emails. That is the kind of clarity OpenStrata is built to provide.