Free PDF guide
Strata, rental or partnership: how to own a multiplex in Metro Vancouver
Strata title, small strata rules, keeping the building as rental, living in one unit, landowner and developer partnerships, and the taxes on each path.
48 pages, 7 parts, 37 sources. Written by Trent Praski. Figures re-verified 2026-10-23.
Free guide
Strata, rental or partnership: how to own a multiplex in Metro Vancouver
PDF, 48 pages
Free PDF
Would you like this guide as a PDF?
All 7 parts in one 48-page file to keep or print. Leave your name and email and you can download it right away.
What is inside
Overview
Strata, rental or partnership: how to own a multiplex in Metro Vancouver.
Part 1
How a multiplex becomes strata homes you can sell one by one
Strata plans, freehold and separate titles, owner developer duties, and the 5-lot marketing rule.
Part 2
Running a strata of 2 to 5 homes: bylaws, money and insurance
Council, quorum, reserve fund, depreciation report and insurance rules for small strata corporations.
Part 3
Keeping the whole multiplex as rental housing
Landlord duties, GST self-supply, the rental rebates, the 5-unit financing line and later strata conversion.
Part 4
Living in one unit and renting or selling the others
Title choices, principal residence rules, flipping rules, GST and short-term rentals for an owner who stays.
Part 5
Landowner and developer partnerships: sale, joint venture, co-ownership and GP/LP
The four structures, what BC's Partnership Act says about each partner, co-ownership risks and raising money from investors.
Part 6
Which taxes apply on each ownership path
GST, property transfer tax, the two flipping rules and income or capital treatment, set side by side.
Key points from the guide
- Strata ownership starts when a strata plan is deposited in the Land Title Office under section 239 of the Strata Property Act, giving each strata lot its own title.
- A building that people have already lived in needs city council approval to become a strata, and that decision cannot be appealed (section 242).
- Marketing 5 or more new strata lots needs a disclosure statement filed under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act, and a strata of 5 or more lots must get a depreciation report.
- A rental multiplex owes GST on its full value when the first tenant moves in, and the 100% purpose-built rental rebate needs at least 4 self-contained units, so duplexes and triplexes are excluded.
- An owner who lives in one unit can claim it as a principal residence, but turning part of a home into a self-contained rental unit is a change in use for tax.
- In a general partnership every partner is liable for all of its debts. A limited partner's liability is limited to their contribution unless they take part in management.
- Building to sell is business income for the CRA, and the BC home flipping tax applies to sales within 730 days unless a filed exemption applies.
Let's talk about your property
A conversation, not a commitment.
Whether you're curious about the multiplex value of your land or looking to partner on a missing-middle build, we're here to start the conversation.