Strata Renovations: What Needs Approval and How to Get It

Every owner who buys into a BC strata eventually wants to renovate. New kitchen, new flooring, new bathroom, maybe a knockout wall. The good news is that most renovations can proceed with relatively little friction. The bad news is that the rules vary by what you're touching, and getting strata renovation approval bc wrong can turn a routine project into an expensive dispute. This guide walks through the three approval tiers in BC stratas, the application process, the conditions you should expect, and how to keep the project clean from a strata-compliance standpoint. We've sat at many Sea-to-Sky council tables and renovation disputes are one of the most common reasons owners end up in front of the CRT.

The three approval tiers

BC strata renovations fall into three buckets, and almost every dispute starts with confusion about which bucket the project belongs in.

Tier 1: No approval needed. Purely cosmetic, internal-only work that does not touch common property and is not regulated by bylaws. Painting walls, replacing carpet with carpet, swapping appliances, installing new countertops on existing cabinetry. Some stratas require notice for any work; check your bylaws.

Tier 2: Council approval and written agreement. Renovations that touch common property, walls, plumbing stacks, electrical risers, windows, balcony surfaces, doors, require council approval under Strata Property Act s. 71. Council can approve, refuse, or approve with conditions. The approval is typically documented in a written alteration agreement signed by the owner.

Tier 3: 3/4 vote of owners. Significant changes to the use or appearance of common property require approval by 3/4 vote at a general meeting under s. 71. This is the highest bar and applies to things like changing the colour of the building, converting common space to private use, or installing major exterior modifications.

Knowing which tier your project falls in is the first 80% of getting it right.

What is common property anyway?

This is the question owners get wrong most often. Common property in a BC strata includes more than the obvious shared spaces (lobbies, hallways, parking). It also typically includes:

• Load-bearing walls and shear walls between units
• All structural elements
• Plumbing stacks (vertical risers) and the main drain system
• Electrical risers and the building's main electrical service
• Windows and exterior doors (in most buildings)
• Balcony surfaces, railings, and enclosures
• Exterior walls and the roof
• Common HVAC systems and ductwork

What is not common property, i.e., what belongs to your strata lot, is usually defined as the air space inside your unit bounded by the inside surfaces of the walls, floors, and ceilings. Wiring, plumbing, and ducts that serve only your unit are usually your responsibility too.

Your strata plan and bylaws define this precisely for your building. Some buildings have shifted things via bylaws, for example, making windows and balcony surfaces individual responsibility, but the default rules are above.

Common renovations and their tier

Here's how we typically slot the most common projects:

When in doubt, ask council in writing before starting. Two-line emails get you protected; verbal conversations don't.

The application process

For a Tier 2 renovation requiring council approval:

1. Submit a written application. Include a description of the work, drawings or sketches if appropriate, the contractor's name and license/insurance information, expected timeline, and any permits already obtained.

2. Council reviews. Council may consult the strata manager, the depreciation report, or an engineer for complex projects. Council may also ask follow-up questions.

3. Council approves, refuses, or approves with conditions. A clean approval is typically delivered as a written letter or resolution.

4. Owner and strata sign an alteration agreement. The agreement is required best practice and increasingly the legal expectation. It documents the conditions and the parties' ongoing responsibilities.

5. Work proceeds. With permits as required, qualified contractors, and within the conditions approved.

6. Owner notifies council on completion and provides any final documentation (final inspection certificate, warranty information).

For a Tier 3 renovation requiring a 3/4 vote:

The same steps above, plus the project needs to be put on the agenda for a general meeting (AGM or SGM). The notice package must describe the proposed change in enough detail that owners can vote intelligently, and the resolution must specifically reference s. 71.

What's in a good alteration agreement

The written agreement should cover:

• Description of the alteration, what's being done, where, with what materials
• Conditions of approval, working hours, contractor requirements, materials specifications
• Indemnity, owner indemnifies strata for any damage caused by the work or the alteration
• Insurance, owner must carry contractor insurance and may need to add coverage
• Permits, owner is responsible for all required municipal permits
• Restoration on removal, if the alteration is ever removed, owner restores common property to original condition
• Maintenance responsibility, owner maintains the alteration in perpetuity; if it ever damages common property, owner pays
• Transfer at sale, agreement runs with the strata lot, binds future owners (best practice; register on title in some cases)

A good agreement is 2 to 5 pages. We have templates we use across the buildings we manage; if your strata doesn't have one, the manager or council should draft one.

Alteration agreement template

Standard form alteration agreement covering Tier 2 renovations. Available to Avesta-managed stratas; sample form available on request.

Insurance considerations

Renovations are one of the most common sources of strata insurance claims. Plumbing modifications that leak, contractor mistakes that damage neighbouring units, fire from electrical work, all of these can trigger major claims. The 2020 BC strata insurance crisis (see our insurance crisis post) tightened underwriting expectations, and insurers now scrutinize renovation activity.

Owners should:

• Confirm their contractor carries adequate liability insurance (a meaningful policy limit, not a nominal one)
• Add a "renovation rider" to their condo insurance for the duration of the work
• Notify the strata's insurance broker if the work is significant
• Understand that under s. 158, the strata's insurance is the primary policy on common property but the owner can be charged the deductible, and modern BC strata deductibles are often five-figure, if the loss originates in their unit

CRT decisions on renovation-related water damage have repeatedly held owners responsible for the strata's deductible where the loss originated from their alteration, a pattern worth flagging to any owner planning plumbing or in-suite waterproofing work.

What if council refuses?

Council has the right to refuse an alteration request, but the refusal must be reasonable and have stated grounds. Acceptable grounds include:

• Structural concerns (load-bearing modifications without engineering)
• Insurance exposure the strata is not willing to accept
• The work would create ongoing maintenance issues
• The work violates bylaws or municipal code

Unacceptable grounds include "we don't like it," "we've never approved that before," or "wait until the next AGM" when no AGM is scheduled.

If you believe the refusal is unreasonable:

1. Ask for council's written reasons
2. Request a hearing under s. 173
3. Provide additional information addressing the concerns
4. If still refused, consider a CRT complaint

The CRT has overruled unreasonable strata refusals consistently. Don't give up after a first rejection if you have a legitimate project.

Unauthorized work, how to fix it after the fact

If you discover that an owner, possibly a previous owner, has done unauthorized work, the strata's options depend on severity:

• Minor cosmetic changes that don't affect common property: usually let it stand, document for the record
• Modifications to common property that work fine: enter a retroactive alteration agreement
• Modifications that pose ongoing risk: require remediation or removal
• Major unauthorized changes: pursue restoration and damages through the CRT

For resale, the buyer's lawyer will ask about alteration agreements. If none exist for visible modifications, the deal can stall. Get it documented before listing.

For more on related parking modifications (a common renovation question), see strata parking rules. For the EV-specific approval flow, see EV charging in stratas.

Closing thoughts

Most renovations in BC stratas go fine. Council approves, owner signs an agreement, contractor does the work, everyone moves on. The disputes happen when owners skip the approval step, when council is unclear about what's required, or when the alteration agreement is missing. Get the paperwork right at the start and the project itself is rarely a problem. If you're a council member trying to write a cleaner approval process, or an owner trying to navigate a refusal, our team works with stratas across the Sea to Sky from our office at 6-40437 Tantalus Rd in Garibaldi Highlands. Reach out via our contact page.