Who Pays for Repairs in a Strata Building?

When something breaks in a BC strata, the first question is always: who pays? The answer is more structured than most owners realize. It follows a decision tree set out in the Strata Property Act, refined by each strata's bylaws, and modified by the insurance policy. Once you know the steps, the answer for most repairs is unambiguous. Below is the framework we use at every council meeting in the Sea to Sky for figuring out who pays for what.

The decision tree

For any repair, work through these questions in order:

1. Where is the broken thing located? Inside a strata lot, in common property, or in limited common property?
2. Is it the result of an insurable event? (Sudden, accidental, named peril.)
3. What does the bylaw say about LCP maintenance? (If applicable.)
4. Is the cost above or below the insurance deductible?
5. Was anyone negligent? (Affects deductible recovery and chargebacks.)
6. Does the work require a special levy? (If the CRF can't cover it.)

Most repairs are resolved by step 1 alone. Most disputes happen at step 3 (LCP) or step 5 (negligence and deductibles). We'll walk through each layer.

Step 1: where is the broken thing?

The first question is locational. BC strata property is one of three categories: strata lot, common property, or LCP. We covered the distinction in detail in our common property vs LCP guide. Read that first if you're unsure where your specific issue falls.

The default rules:

• Inside a strata lot. Owner pays. This is everything inside your unit's boundary walls, floors, and ceilings. Cabinets, appliances, fixtures, interior paint, flooring.
• Common property. Strata pays. This is everything outside strata lots: hallways, roofs, exterior walls, mechanical rooms, the building structure. The duty is set out in Strata Property Act s. 72.
• Limited common property. Strata default under s. 72, but bylaws can shift specific items to the owner with exclusive use.

The "where is it" question is occasionally tricky. A pipe running through the wall between two units is usually common property. A pipe running from the wall into your kitchen sink is usually your responsibility past the shutoff valve. The dividing line is set in the strata plan and reinforced by bylaws.

Step 2: is it an insurable event?

A strata corporation in BC is required to carry insurance on the building's common property and fixtures under SPA s. 149. The policy typically covers:

• Building structure and common property
• Common-property fixtures (elevators, boilers, common HVAC)
• Liability for accidents on common property

Most major repair costs in stratas arise from insurable events: water damage, fire, vandalism, accidental damage. If your repair has an insurance angle, that's the first place to look before deciding who pays out of pocket.

Two things to know:

• The strata's insurance covers the building, not your contents. Your own tenant insurance or homeowner-condo policy covers your furniture, electronics, and personal items.
• The deductible can be high. BC stratas have typically carried significantly higher water-damage deductibles since the 2020 insurance crisis. Below the deductible, the strata pays out of pocket, and often charges that back.

For a detailed breakdown of how strata insurance interacts with repair costs, see our insurance deductibles guide.

Step 3: what do the bylaws say?

For LCP items (balconies, parking stalls, storage lockers) the s. 72 default is "strata pays," but bylaws frequently shift specific items to the owner. Common bylaw shifts in BC stratas:

• Balcony surface cleaning and minor finish (to owner)
• Storage locker interior cleaning (to owner)
• Parking stall cleaning (to owner)
• Window cleaning (varies; often to owner)
• Balcony planter and irrigation (to owner)

Bigger items (structural, waterproofing, electrical) almost always stay with the strata. If your bylaws are unclear, the default reading favours the owner: ambiguous bylaws don't shift the s. 72 default onto the owner, because the SPA presumes strata responsibility.

Step 4: above or below the deductible?

If the repair is an insurable event and the cost is above the deductible, the insurance policy pays the difference. The strata pays the deductible. If the cost is below the deductible, the strata pays the whole thing.

Either way, the strata's out-of-pocket portion can sometimes be recovered from an owner, but only if that owner caused the loss through negligence or if the source of the loss was in their strata lot. We cover that next.

Step 5: was anyone negligent?

This is where most disputes happen. SPA s. 158 allows the strata to recover the insurance deductible from an owner if the loss originated in their strata lot or was caused by their act or omission. The strata can also recover non-insurance costs through bylaw chargebacks if the bylaws permit.

Negligence is a higher standard than "the loss came from your unit." A sudden, unforeseeable pipe failure inside your wall isn't negligence, but the deductible may still be recoverable under s. 158(2) regardless of fault, depending on bylaw wording. A failure to maintain your own fixtures, ignoring a known leak, or leaving a tap running is negligence and creates clear chargeback exposure.

The CRT has issued dozens of decisions on s. 158 deductible recovery, and recent rulings have clarified the procedural requirements councils need to follow. Councils that try to short-circuit the process lose at the CRT and end up wearing the cost.

Step 6: does the work require a special levy?

For major capital repairs (roof replacement, envelope rehabilitation, boiler replacement) the cost is usually beyond what the CRF can cover. The strata then needs to raise the money through a special levy under SPA s. 99.

A special levy:

• Requires a 3/4 vote at a properly noticed general meeting
• Is allocated by unit entitlement (proportional to lot size)
• Can be payable in installments
• Becomes a debt of each owner, enforceable through lien if unpaid

The first time a Sea-to-Sky strata needs a special levy is usually well into the building's lifecycle, when the original roof, envelope, or major mechanical systems hit end-of-life. The depreciation report (see our depreciation reports pillar) flags these years in advance and lets council fund the CRF properly so the levy is smaller or unnecessary.

Special Levy Resolution (Form 3/4 vote)

The required form for a special-levy vote at a general meeting. Must include the dollar amount, allocation method, payment schedule, and intended use of funds.

A worked example: the in-wall pipe failure

A pipe inside the wall between two units fails. Water damages drywall in both units and the hallway. Repair cost: $40,000. Insurance deductible: $25,000.

Walking through the tree:

1. Where is it? Pipe is in common property (between units). Drywall damage spans both lots and common property.
2. Insurable event? Yes, sudden water escape, named peril.
3. Bylaws? Standard. Strata maintains common-property pipe.
4. Above deductible? Yes. Insurance pays $15,000. Strata pays $25,000 deductible.
5. Negligence? No. Pipe failure was sudden and unforeseeable. The strata may or may not be able to recover the deductible from one owner under s. 158(2), depending on bylaw wording and where the source originated.
6. Special levy? No. CRF or operating budget covers $25,000 deductible.

Outcome: insurance pays $15,000, strata pays $25,000 from CRF or operating, no owner pays out of pocket (unless deductible recovery applies). Damage to drywall in each lot is repaired by the strata through the insurance claim.

A worked example: the balcony tile

An owner installed decorative tile on their balcony three years ago. The tile is cracking and lifting due to water intrusion. Repair cost: $4,000. No insurance involvement (gradual deterioration is not insurable).

Walking through the tree:

1. Where is it? Balcony is LCP. The tile was installed by the owner.
2. Insurable event? No.
3. Bylaws? Original surface is strata responsibility. Owner-installed finishes are owner responsibility.
4. Above deductible? N/A.
5. Negligence? No, but the work was owner-initiated.
6. Special levy? No.

Outcome: owner pays $4,000 to remove the tile and either restore the original surface or install an approved alternative. The strata may also require the owner to fix any membrane damage caused by the original installation.

A worked example: the roof replacement

The depreciation report flags the roof for replacement in year 25. Cost: $480,000. CRF balance at year 25: $180,000.

Walking through the tree:

1. Where is it? Roof is common property.
2. Insurable event? No, planned end-of-life replacement.
3. Bylaws? N/A. Clear common-property responsibility.
4. Above deductible? N/A.
5. Negligence? N/A.
6. Special levy? Yes. Strata needs $300,000 more than the CRF can supply.

Outcome: 3/4 vote at a general meeting approves a $300,000 special levy. Each owner pays a portion based on unit entitlement. The work is bid, contracted, and completed over a single construction season.

When in doubt: ask before you fix

The most expensive owner mistake we see is unilateral action: an owner who notices a leak, hires their own contractor, pays out of pocket, and then asks the strata for reimbursement. The answer is usually no, because the work wasn't authorized, the insurance wasn't notified, and the strata's preferred contractor wasn't used.

The right path when something breaks:

1. Stop further damage (shut off water, contain the spill, evacuate if necessary)
2. Notify the strata manager or council in writing within 24 hours
3. Let the strata's insurance and contractor process run if applicable
4. Document everything with photos and dates
5. Resolve cost allocation afterward, not before

For more on the disputed cases, and what to do when council and an owner disagree, see our special levies guide and insurance deductibles post.

If your Sea-to-Sky strata has an active repair-cost dispute and council needs a structured framework to resolve it, contact us. We work through these regularly.