British Columbia Building Safety Regulations

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British Columbia (BC) Strata Depreciation Report Deadlines

July 2026 Status Update: The Deadline for the Depreciation Report Has Passed

Requirement

Region

Status

Depreciation report (Wave 1)

Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Capital Regional District (Victoria)

DEADLINE PASSED: July 1, 2026
Non-compliant stratas are now in breach of the Strata Property Act

Electrical Planning Report

Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Capital Regional District (Victoria)

Deadline: December 31, 2026

Depreciation report (Wave 2)

All other BC areas (rest of Vancouver Island, Okanagan, Interior, North)

Deadline: July 1, 2027
Reports can take 2–6 months
Commission by early 2027 at the latest

Key Items

  • Reports can take 2 to 6 months to complete
  • Only six designated professional groups may prepare them
    • Including professional engineers registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of the Province of British Columbia (EGBC)
  • Demand has surged and qualified provider capacity is limited
  • Every month of delay extends your strata’s period of non-compliance

Talk to Our BC Expert Today

Ana Gutierrez, P.Eng. is the Vancouver District Manager for the Rimkus Built Environment Solutions team. She is an EGBC-registered Professional Engineer, building enclosure and structural specialist, and a member of the BC Building Envelope Council.

Book a Compliance Consultation

British Columbia Building Safety Regulations Overview

As of July 1, 2026, every strata corporation with five or more lots in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and the Capital Regional District is legally required to hold a current depreciation report under the Strata Property Act. The annual ¾-vote waiver was eliminated in 2024, and the phase-in deadline for these regions has now passed. Strata corporations in the rest of BC have until July 1, 2027, to have the depreciation report, and the same Lower Mainland and Victoria-area stratas must also obtain an Electrical Planning Report by December 31, 2026.

In order for the report to be considered “current,” it must meet the following considerations under the Strata Property Act:

  1. Completed on or after December 31, 2020
  2. Renewed every five years
  3. Based on an on-site visual inspection
  4. Prepared by one of six designated professional groups, including professional engineers registered with Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia

The Act does not have a ticket-style fine; the consequences for missed deadlines are more practical and serious for many councils. If the strata is out of compliance with provincial law, the gap will be visible to every buyer and lender through the Form B Information Certificate at the time of sale or refinance. Insurers are increasingly asking for current reports, and owners can pursue councils that fail to meet statutory duties.

Rimkus’ Vancouver and Victoria teams include EGBC-registered engineers, Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia (ASTTBC) professionals, and building envelope consultants. Our BC team members can prepare depreciation reports, electrical planning reports, and building envelope condition assessments across the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

Missed the July 1 Deadline? What Your Strata Must Do Now

Find a qualified provider as soon as possible

With constrained provider capacity and longer lead times to complete depreciation reports, the fastest route back to compliance is a signed engagement. Rimkus experts can provide fixed-fee proposals within 48 hours.

Document the council’s action

Keep track the decision timeline, the engagement date, and the expected completion date. If the gap in compliance comes up at a sale, a refinance, or an AGM, the council can show it acted diligently the moment it identified the issue.

Bundle work on the Depreciation Report with the Electrical Planning Report

The December 31, 2026, EPR deadline applies to the same stratas. Rimkus can address both mandates in a coordinated engagement, completing two statutory obligations in one process.

Make good use of the site visit

The depreciation report’s on-site inspection is the right moment to flag building envelope, roofing, and balcony conditions that need attention — especially for wood-frame buildings from BC’s leaky-condo era.

BC Depreciation Report Requirements

Who must comply?

Every strata corporation with five or more strata lots.

What is in the report?

The physical condition of the common property and assets, remaining service life over a 30-year timeline, and at least three cash-flow funding models, based on an on-site visual inspection (Strata Property Act s. 94; Strata Property Regulation).

When are the deadlines?

  • Wave 1 for Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and the CRD: July 1, 2026 (passed)
  • Wave 2 for all other BC areas: July 1, 2027
  • Renewal required every five years
  • Must be “current” — completed on or after December 31, 2020

Who can prepare the report?

  • A member in good standing with EGBC, registered as a professional engineer or a professional licensee engineering
  • A member of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC), registered as an architect or architectural technologist
  • A member of the ASTTBC, registered as an applied science technologist or a certified technician
  • A person designated as an Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute (AACI) by the Appraisal Institute of Canada
  • A certified reserve planner, accredited by the Real Estate Institute of Canada
  • A person designated as a Professional Quantity Surveyor by the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors

What are the mandates for new stratas?

  • If the strata is established between July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2027, the first report is due within two years of the first AGM.
  • If the strata is established on or after July 1, 2027, the first report is due within 18 months of the first AGM.
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Electrical Planning Reports: The Next Deadlines

Under the Strata Property Act (s. 94.1, in force since December 2023), strata corporations with five or more lots must obtain Electrical Planning Report. The EPR assesses the building’s electrical capacity for future demands, such as EV charging, heat pumps, and electrification.

Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and the CRD: EPR due by December 31, 2026

The Rest of British Columbia: EPR due by December 31, 2028

Lower Mainland and Victoria-area: This is the second statutory deadline within twelve months. Rimkus can complete the EPR and the depreciation report at the same to resolve compliance in one engagement.

Why BC Buildings Can’t Afford Stale Assessments

The leaky condo legacy: an estimated 31,000 condominium units built between the late 1980s and early 2000s in coastal BC suffered building envelope failures, causing billions in repairs and leading to mandatory rainscreen requirements. Legacy wood-frame buildings from this era remain in service across Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria and require continued monitoring — envelope condition is typically among the most significant items in any BC depreciation report.

Seismic exposure: Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island sit in some of Canada’s highest seismic hazard zones, and the BC Building Code 2024 significantly updated seismic design standards. Owners in these areas are well-advised to consider seismic risk within comprehensive building condition assessments.

City of Vancouver: Vancouver operates under its own Vancouver Building Bylaw (VBBL 2025, generally in effect September 15, 2025). For existing buildings, the Standards of Maintenance By-law 5462 requires owners to keep buildings free from hazard at all times, with fines of $1,000 per violation.

Your Strata is Out of Time, But Not Out of Options

Whether your strata missed the July 1 deadline, faces the December 31 Electrical Planning Report deadline, or wants ahead of the July 2027 Wave 2 date: Rimkus’ EGBC-registered engineers deliver compliant reports with fixed-fee proposals in 48 hours and coordinated site work that addresses multiple mandates in one visit.

Contact an Expert Today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Your strata is now marked as non-compliant with the Strata Property Act. There is no automatic fine, but the gap is disclosed to buyers and lenders through the Form B Information Certificate. Without compliance, the gap can complicate sales, refinancing, and insurance, and exposes the council to owner complaints. The remedy is straightforward: engage a qualified provider now, document the council’s decision, and complete the report as quickly as capacity allows. Rimkus can provide fixed-fee proposals within 48 hours.

A mandatory planning document under the Strata Property Act (s. 94) for all strata corporations with five or more lots. It documents the physical condition of common property and assets, estimates remaining service life over a 30-year timeline, and provides at least three cash-flow funding models, based on an on-site visual inspection. Stratas with four or fewer lots are exempt.

It typically takes two to six months to complete depending on building size, complexity, and documentation. Provider capacity across BC is constrained by surging demand, so the engagement date — not the report date — is the number that matters for a council showing diligence. The depreciation report should be renewed every five years.

Only members of six designated professional groups, including professional engineers registered with EGBC. Rimkus’ BC reports are prepared by EGBC-registered engineers and supported by building envelope professionals. They can confirm any provider’s designation before engaging, as an unqualified report does not satisfy the Act.

New stratas established between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2027, must obtain their first report within two years of the first AGM. Stratas established on or after July 1, 2027, must obtain their first report within 18 months of the first AGM.

A statutory assessment of the building’s electrical capacity for future needs such as EV charging and heat pumps, required for stratas with five or more lots under s. 94.1 of the Act. It is due December 31, 2026, for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and the CRD. For the rest of BC, it is due December 31, 2028. Rimkus experts in Vancouver and Victoria can bundle work on the EPR with the depreciation report, providing cost savings.

Yes — exterior cladding, roofing, windows, balconies, walkways, and waterproofing assemblies are core components of the on-site inspection. Given BC’s climate and the leaky condo legacy, envelope condition is typically among the most significant items in the report.

Your deadline to complete is July 1, 2027. With completion times ranging from two to six months, and provider capacity tightening as Wave 1 stratas catch up, the recommended timing for commissioning reports is in fall 2026 or winter 2027. Early engagement also gives your council time to review funding models before the next AGM and budget cycle.

Need Help? Contact Rimkus

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6900 Graybar Road, Suite 2230
Richmond, BC V6W 0A5

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Victoria Office

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Victoria, BC V8Z 3G2

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