Strata corporations in BC have clear legal obligations for maintaining and repairing common property — including parkade structures. Understanding these obligations is important for strata council members who are responsible for fulfilling them and for owners who want to ensure their strata is being properly managed. Failing to maintain common property exposes the strata corporation to legal liability and can result in significantly higher repair costs when deterioration goes unaddressed.
What the BC Strata Property Act Requires
The BC Strata Property Act (SPA) Section 72 places a duty on every strata corporation to repair and maintain common property and common assets. Parkade structures — including the concrete slab, waterproofing membrane, drainage system, columns, beams, and building envelope elements that protect the parkade from weather — are invariably common property. This maintenance obligation exists regardless of whether individual owners have assigned parking stalls or whether some strata lots are assigned more parking stalls than others.
The SPA also requires strata corporations to comply with any enactments of British Columbia that apply to common property — which includes the BC Building Code requirements for structural maintenance of building elements. A strata council that knowingly defers necessary structural repairs may be exposed to personal liability in addition to corporate liability. Our parkade maintenance and waterproofing services help strata corporations meet these obligations.
Council Duties and Decision-Making for Parkade Maintenance
Strata councils are required to act honestly and in good faith, and to exercise the care, diligence and skill of a reasonably prudent person. For parkade maintenance decisions, this means obtaining professional condition assessments rather than relying on visual inspection alone, soliciting competitive bids from qualified contractors, and acting on professional recommendations within a reasonable timeframe.
A council that receives a professional recommendation to proceed with urgent parkade repairs but votes to defer indefinitely for financial reasons may be found to have breached its duty of care if subsequent deterioration causes property damage or personal injury. The courts have consistently held strata councils to a standard of reasonable action on maintenance matters.
Creating a Parkade Maintenance Plan for Your BC Strata
The most effective way for a strata corporation to meet its parkade maintenance obligations is through a planned maintenance approach — regular condition assessments at defined intervals (every 3–5 years is typically appropriate for parkades over 10 years old), a current depreciation report that reflects the assessment findings, and a reserve fund contribution schedule designed to fund the projected repairs.
This approach prevents the cycle of emergency repair and special levy that occurs when maintenance is deferred. Our concrete repair and assessment services support strata corporations in building and executing effective maintenance plans. Visit our FAQ for more guidance on strata parkade maintenance obligations in BC.
Contact Miyagi Construction for a free site assessment at estimate@miyagiconstruction.com or call (778) 513-7471.
Additional Resources
For more information on concrete standards and construction safety in British Columbia, visit BC Housing and the WorkSafeBC for industry standards and guidelines.
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