CRT Strata Dispute Response in BC

Strata disputes at BC's Civil Resolution Tribunal are not small claims. They have their own rules, their own jurisdictional stream, and no monetary cap — which means a strata council or an owner can bring a dispute worth well over $5,000 to the CRT without going to court. If you have been served with a CRT Dispute Notice for a strata matter, the response mechanics are similar to small claims, but the scope and stakes can be significantly different.

What the CRT's Strata Stream Covers

The CRT has exclusive jurisdiction over most strata property disputes under Parts 10 and 11 of the Civil Resolution Tribunal Act. This includes:

• Bylaw enforcement. An owner or tenant alleging another owner or the strata council violated a strata bylaw (noise, pets, short-term rentals, alterations to common property).
• Strata council decisions. Challenges to decisions made by the strata council, such as refusing an alteration request or imposing fines.
• Common property and common expenses. Disputes about maintenance, special levies, or the allocation of repair costs.
• Governance. Challenges to how meetings are run, voting procedures, or information requests under the Strata Property Act.

There is no monetary limit on the CRT's strata jurisdiction — unlike small claims, where the CRT caps at $5,000. A levy dispute worth $50,000 can still be heard at the CRT if it falls within the strata stream.

The CRT does not handle winding up a strata corporation or appointing a strata administrator — those go to the BC Supreme Court.

Responding to a Strata Dispute Notice

The response process is the same as for small claims:

1. You receive a Dispute Notice package with a file number and access code.
2. Log into the CRT portal at civilresolutionbc.ca using those credentials.
3. Submit your Dispute Response online within the deadline.

The standard response deadline is 14 calendar days from the date of service if you are served in BC, or 30 calendar days if served outside BC. The counting rules follow the same Interpretation Act formula — exclude the service date, include weekends and holidays in the count, but if the last day falls on a weekend or statutory holiday the deadline extends to the next business day.

Online submission is free. Paper responses incur a fee.

How Strata Disputes Differ from Small Claims at the CRT

No monetary cap. The $5,000 limit applies only to the CRT's small claims stream. Strata disputes can involve any amount.

Different subject matter. You are typically arguing about bylaws, council decisions, or common property — not a contract breach or unpaid invoice. The evidence looks different too: strata meeting minutes, bylaw text, correspondence with the property manager, maintenance records, special levy notices.

Strata council as a party. If the strata council is named as a respondent, the council must designate a Contact Person (usually the strata council president or the strata management company representative) who has authority to act on behalf of the corporation.

The same three stages. Negotiation, facilitation, and adjudication apply to strata disputes just as they do to small claims. The CRT still pushes for resolution before adjudication, and most strata disputes settle during facilitation.

Common Strata Response Scenarios

Bylaw fine dispute. The strata council fined you for a bylaw violation (noise, unauthorized renovation, pet) and an owner or the council filed a CRT claim to enforce the fine. Your response needs to address whether the bylaw was validly enacted, whether you actually violated it, and whether the fine was imposed through proper procedure.

Special levy challenge. A fellow owner is challenging a special levy that you, as a strata council member, voted to approve. The response should identify how the levy was authorized, including the meeting record and the approval required under the Strata Property Act and the strata's governing documents.

Common property maintenance. An owner claims the strata corporation failed to maintain common property and caused damage to their unit. Your response (if you are the strata council) should address whether the damage is actually a strata responsibility and what maintenance steps were taken.

In each case, the Dispute Response should be factual and specific — address the applicant's claims point by point rather than writing a general narrative.

For a complete walkthrough of the CRT response process — including worksheets for organizing strata evidence and tracking deadlines — see the BC CRT Dispute Response Guide.

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