Switching Strata Managers in BC: How and When

If your strata council has decided it's time for a change, the mechanics of switching strata managers in BC are straightforward, but every council we've helped onboard has gotten at least one step wrong. The big one: giving notice before a replacement firm is signed. Don't do that. The Strata Property Act, the contract you signed, and the practical realities of running a building all point to the same sequence: sign with the new firm first, then notify the outgoing firm in writing, then run the 60-day handover. Below is the full process, the records the outgoing manager has to hand over, the bank-change timeline, and the questions you'll be glad someone answered before you started.

Step 1: Decide and vote at council

A management change is a council decision, not an owners' decision. You don't need an AGM or a 3/4 vote, just a council resolution recorded in the minutes. Practically, the council should have:

• A clear summary of the issues with the current firm
• One or two prospective replacement firms identified, with quotes
• The current management contract on hand, with the notice clause flagged
• Agreement on the effective termination date

Vote at a properly convened council meeting under Strata Property Act s. 50. Record the vote in the minutes (e.g., "Council resolved to terminate the management contract with [firm], effective [date], on the motion of [name], seconded [name], passed [vote count]"). That minute is the legal record of the decision and the protection against any future dispute about authority.

Step 2: Sign with the new firm

Before giving any notice, sign a brokerage service agreement with the incoming firm. The new firm will need:

• A copy of your current management contract (to read the notice clause)
• Recent financial statements and bank statements
• Current bylaws and rules
• Names and contact details for council members
• A short briefing on any active issues (CRT files, insurance claims, capital projects)

The new contract should be a clean flat-fee with a defined scope, 1-year initial term, then month-to-month with 60-day notice both directions. Make sure the new manager's effective start date aligns with the outgoing firm's termination date. Even a one-day gap on bank signing authority can break vendor payments.

Once both contracts are in hand, you have a confirmed replacement and a clear effective date. Now you can give notice.

Step 3: Give written notice to the outgoing firm

Notice should go on council letterhead (or via a formal council-signed letter), addressed to the principal of the firm, sent by email AND by registered mail or courier. Keep it short and professional. Include:

• The strata corporation name and strata plan number
• The effective termination date (typically 60 days from receipt of notice)
• A line stating the records transfer is to be completed in accordance with Strata Property Act s. 35
• A line authorizing direct communication with the incoming firm for handover purposes

You don't need to give reasons. The contract says "60 days notice"; you're giving it. The firm may request a meeting to discuss; you don't have to agree, though many councils do as a courtesy.

Step 4: Initiate the bank signing-authority change

This is the longest mechanical step and the one most likely to bite you if you wait. Start it in week one of the notice period.

The change involves:

1. A council resolution naming the new authorized signers (typically the new manager firm plus one or two council members)
2. The bank's signing-authority change form, signed by all parties
3. New cheques or PAD authorization forms in some cases
4. Removing the outgoing firm from any online banking access

BC credit unions and the major banks each have their own forms and timelines, and some are materially slower than others. Schedule this with the new manager's office in week one. The new manager has handled many of these and knows what each bank needs.

Step 5: Records transfer

This is the legal and practical heart of the handover. Under SPA s. 35, the corporation owns the records and the outgoing manager must hand them over. The records list:

• All council and general meeting minutes (originals where they exist)
• Bylaws and rules in their current registered form
• Monthly financial statements for the last 6 years, supporting documents indefinitely
• Bank statements, reconciliations, and cancelled cheques
• Insurance policies, claim files, and renewal correspondence
• Depreciation reports and any engineering studies
• Contracts (current and historic, where retained)
• Correspondence files with owners, residents, contractors, and government
• Owner register, with current contact info
• Form K filings for tenants, Form F if applicable

These should arrive as a complete digital package (most firms now use cloud-based document management) plus any physical originals. The transfer typically happens in the back half of the 60-day window, days 30 to 55. Allow time for the new firm to audit what was received and identify any gaps.

The records-transfer obligation has been tested at the CRT, and the tribunal's position is clear: outgoing managers must hand over corporate records, and any fee for doing so must be reasonable and disclosed in the original contract. A council facing a stonewall on records has a clear path through the CRT, but most disputes resolve once a formal letter from the new manager cites the section.

Step 6: Contractor list reset

The contractor list is often where service quality drops in the first month under new management. The outgoing manager has the contractor relationships; the new manager doesn't, unless they ask. Council should request:

• Current list of contractors and trades with contact info
• Most recent service agreements
• Warranty status on any in-warranty equipment or capital work
• A list of any upcoming scheduled work in the next 90 days

A good incoming manager will then reach out to each key contractor in week one to introduce themselves and confirm continuity. A bad incoming manager will wait for the first breakdown and figure it out then. Ask the prospective new firm specifically how they handle this; the answer tells you a lot.

Step 7: Mind the AGM timing

If your AGM is within 90 days of the handover date, plan carefully. The notice period under Strata Property Act s. 45 is 2 weeks for an AGM, and the budget package should be assembled by the firm that will run the meeting.

Options:

• If AGM is well after handover (60+ days post-switch), the new firm runs it cleanly.
• If AGM falls inside the handover, you can either delay the AGM (legally permissible up to year-end deadlines), or arrange for the new firm to prepare the package while the outgoing firm runs the meeting. Awkward but doable.

Plan this at the council meeting where you vote to switch. The new firm will help you map it.

When switching is worth it

Councils ask us often: "Is it worth the hassle to switch?" The honest answer in 90% of cases is yes. The hassle is real but contained: 60 days of focused work, mostly handled by the new manager. The cost of staying with a firm that's missing minutes, fumbling financials, or ignoring emails compounds week after week. In our experience, councils that switch are far more likely to wish they'd done it a year earlier than to regret the move.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Giving notice before signing with a replacement firm. Don't do this. You'll either rush a bad replacement or panic into self-management.
• Not putting the termination decision in council minutes. Without a clean minute, anyone challenging the decision has leverage.
• Underestimating the bank-change timeline. Initiate in week one.
• Forgetting the contractor list. Get it in writing before day 30.
• Public-facing announcement before the outgoing firm is notified. Tell the firm first. Inform owners after.

If you're looking at switching, our costs breakdown for Squamish and Whistler posts will help you benchmark what a fair replacement quote looks like. Our council meeting guide covers how to record the termination vote properly. And if you'd like a no-obligation conversation about what a switch to a local Sea-to-Sky firm looks like for your building, reach out. We've handled dozens of these transitions and we'll walk you through every step before you commit to anything.