KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Entry into a strata lot usually needs at least 48 hours' written notice, except in an emergency.
- Give a building-wide schedule notice about a week before the crew arrives.
- Say what residents need to do: move balcony items, close windows, move cars.
- Your registered bylaws control, so check them.
Most complaints during a repaint are not about the paint. They are about surprises: a ladder at the window, a car that needed moving, a balcony full of furniture. Good notice prevents almost all of them.
Two different kinds of notice
- A schedule notice tells everyone in a building when work starts, which areas are affected and what to expect. We recommend posting it about a week ahead.
- A notice of entry is needed when the crew must enter a strata lot, for example to reach a balcony or patio. Under the standard bylaws this is usually at least 48 hours' written notice, with the date, the approximate time and the reason, except in an emergency.
Bylaw numbering and wording vary between buildings, so check the bylaws registered for your strata. The BC government's bylaws page explains how they work.
What a good notice says
- Which building or units, and the dates.
- Which surfaces: siding, trim, doors, railings, balconies.
- What residents need to do: clear balconies, close windows, move vehicles, keep pets in.
- Whether anyone needs to be home for access.
- Who to call with questions, and a phone number that is answered.
During the work
Post an update when the crew moves to the next building, keep walkways clear, and clean up and stow equipment at the end of every day. At Oak Tree in Surrey, the strata president wrote that owners were contacted before work was scheduled around their unit.
This guide is general information for strata councils and property managers in British Columbia, not legal advice. Check your registered bylaws and the current Strata Property Act, or ask your property manager or a lawyer, before relying on it for a decision.
