Managing a strata property or rental property can make for a lively desk and an even livelier doorstep.

From assisting Councils with bylaw enforcement, to enforcing residential tenancy agreements, to negotiating contracts and managing contractors, our Strata Property Group offers a wide-range of services to assist with the legal issues arising from the day to day management of strata properties and rental properties. Our clients are strata corporations, strata management companies, rental management companies, and residential and commercial landlords throughout British Columbia and across Canada.

Our Expertise

Our team is experienced in a broad range of issues arising in strata properties and rental properties. We are regularly featured for comment in various provincial and national news publications, and have been a trusted legal and educational resource for real estate industry associations and non-profit organizations. Our lawyers have assisted in the development and delivery of courses for strata property managers and rental property managers at Vancouver Community College and the UBC Sauder School of Business (Real Estate Division). Our lawyers are published authors and instructors for the BC Real Estate Council, the Condominium Home Owners’ Association (CHOA), the Professional Association of Managing Agents (PAMA) and the British Columbia Arbitration and Mediation Institute (BCAMI). We are also regular speakers at Buildex Vancouver, Western Canada’s largest seminar program for professionals in Designing, Building and Real Estate Management.

Our Services

The Strata Property Practice Group offers a variety of solicitor and litigation services to strata corporations, strata and rental management companies, landlords and tenants.

Our team also has extensive experience in solicitors’ matters, including:

  • Reviewing and revising bylaws
  • Preparing privacy policies and video surveillance policies
  • Preparing and reviewing trade service agreements and resolutions
  • Attending council and general meetings
  • Advising on council and general meetings Notice packages and Minutes
  • Negotiating service agreements and trade contracts
  • Preparing employment agreements
  • Preparing indemnity agreements and alteration agreements
  • Reviewing telecommunications agreements
  • Reviewing CCDC and ACEC documents
  • Preparing residential tenancy agreements
  • Assisting with strata plan and unit entitlement corrections

Our team also offers dispute resolution services and representation in the following litigation matters:

  • Human Rights complaints
  • Privacy complaints
  • Employment disputes
  • Civil Resolution Tribunal disputes
  • BC Provincial and Supreme Court proceedings
  • Strata Property Act Arbitrations
  • Residential Tenancy Branch Hearings
  • Judicial reviews and appellate proceedings

Industry Involvement

Our team’s contributions to the strata and rental property management industry is demonstrated by our near-monthly speaking engagements and publications, and extensive community involvement. We regularly provide seminars on strata law issues to homeowners, strata council members, strata property managers, rental property managers, arbitrators and lawyers. We have been featured speakers and instructors for the Real Estate Council, the Condominium Home Owners’ Association (CHOA), the Professional Association of Managing Agents (PAMA), Vancouver Community College, Langara College, UBC Sauder School of Business (Real Estate Division) and the British Columbia Arbitration and Mediation Institute (BCAMI). We are also regular instructors at BUILDEX Vancouver, Western Canada’s largest seminar program for professionals in Designing, Building and Real Estate Management. One of our lawyers has also been featured in The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory in the field of Property Leasing.

Our lawyers are also involved in legal education initiatives for the Vancouver Bar Association (2014 Strata Property Law for Solo & Small Firm Section), Law Courts Center (2014 Residential Tenancy Seminar for Amici Curiae Lectures), and the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC (2017 Strata Property Law Update; 2018 Strata Property Act Update;2019 Strata Property Practice Manual). Our team has also regularly written for property management publications, (Canadian Property Management, Legal Life Newsletter, CHOA Journal, and the Canadian Condominium Institute).

Networks + Affiliations

Representative Matters

We regularly assist clients with disputes before the British Columbia Provincial Court (Small Claims), British Columbia Supreme Court and British Columbia Court of Appeal, including bringing and defending actions and petitions. We also assist clients with residential tenancy disputes, human rights complaints, privacy disputes, employment disputes, defamation matters and arbitrations. We are familiar with the unique complexities of disputes involving multi-unit housing, and we work with our clients to decide the most efficient approach to their particular issue. Our notable cases include:

  • Ganitano v. Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation 2014 BCCA 10
  • Kamerling v. Chew 2015 BCSC 881
  • Berezowski v. British Columbia (Residential Tenancy Branch) 2014 BCSC 363
  • 625536 BC Ltd. v The Owners, Strata Plan LMS 4385, 2017 BCSC 1250
  • The Owners, Strata Plan NW 2575 v. Booth, 2018 BCSC 715
  • Jay v The Owners Strata Plan NW 3353, 2018 BCSC 780
  • Ducharme et al v. The Owners, Strata Plan BCS 753, 2018 BCCRT 262

Our Litigation Work

Our lawyers are experienced in a broad range of issues that call for dispute resolution, including collecting strata fees, special levies and other amounts owing to the strata corporation, appointing administrators, allocating strata fees in unique circumstances, enforcing strata bylaws, resolving residential tenancy disputes and interpreting and enforcing agreements between a strata corporation and other parties. We assist clients with disputes before the British Columbia Provincial Court (Small Claims), British Columbia Supreme Court and British Columbia Court of Appeal, including bringing and defending actions and petitions. We also assist clients with residential tenancy disputes, human rights complaints, privacy disputes, defamation matters and arbitrations.