Strata maintenance records used to be an administrative nicety. Now they’re a practical necessity. Depreciation reports are a legal requirement for every BC strata corporation with five or more lots, on a five-year cycle, with no more indefinite deferral by council vote. The report itself depends heavily on a documented history of what’s been maintained and when.
Here’s why good records matter, what’s worth keeping, and how to set up a system your council will actually use.
Why Strata Maintenance Records Matter for Depreciation Reports
A depreciation report forecasts repair, maintenance, and replacement costs for your building’s common property and assets over a 30-year span. The professional preparing that report works faster, and produces a more accurate forecast, when your strata can hand over an actual maintenance history rather than reconstructing it from memory or scattered invoices.
Missing documentation doesn’t just slow the process down. It can lead to less accurate projections, which affects how your strata budgets and funds its contingency reserve fund. Complete strata maintenance records give the report writer real data instead of guesses.
5 Essential Strata Maintenance Records to Keep
- Service dates and frequency for regular maintenance: power washing, carpet cleaning, parkade cleaning, and janitorial service
- Photos or reports from cleaning contractors documenting condition before and after service
- Contracts clearly showing scope of work and coverage areas
- Incident reports related to maintenance issues, such as slip and fall reports or water damage, and how they were addressed
- Invoices, organized by year and by asset or area, rather than filed loosely by date alone
Together, these five categories cover almost everything a depreciation report planner or an owner at an AGM is likely to ask about.
Why Strata Maintenance Records Also Help at AGMs
Owners ask pointed questions at Annual General Meetings about where strata fees are going. “”We have a contractor”” is a much weaker answer than being able to show a documented history of service: dates, scope, and outcomes.
A council that can produce clear records demonstrates active stewardship of the building, which tends to reduce friction around budget discussions and special levy proposals.
It’s also worth noting that regular maintenance itself, not just the records of it, is one of the strata corporation’s legal responsibilities under BC’s framework for common property upkeep. Records demonstrate that responsibility is actually being met.
Records Also Protect Your Council
Documentation matters beyond reports and meetings. If a resident or visitor is injured on common property, a clear log of inspections and service visits shows the strata was taking reasonable care. This is especially important in winter, which we cover in our guide to snow and ice removal liability.
How to Set Up a Simple Record-Keeping System
A simple, consistently used system beats an elaborate one that falls apart after a few months. Many strata councils keep a shared digital folder organized by year and category (cleaning, landscaping, mechanical, structural), with contractor invoices and reports filed as they come in rather than gathered retroactively before a depreciation report is due.
Whoever manages the relationship with your cleaning and maintenance contractors, whether a council member, property manager, or building manager, should have clear responsibility for keeping strata maintenance records updated. Reviewing the folder briefly at each council meeting keeps gaps from building up.
For a sense of which tasks should be showing up in your records month to month, see our strata building maintenance plan.
What to Ask Your Contractors
Not every contractor documents their work the same way. Before signing or renewing a contract, ask:
- Are service visits logged with dates and details?
- Are before-and-after photos taken?
- Can you access that history easily whenever you need it, rather than requesting it piecemeal?
A contractor who already documents well makes your strata maintenance records far easier to keep complete.
Make Record-Keeping Automatic
EcoPlanet Property Services documents every service visit for Greater Vancouver strata buildings through our reporting app, giving your council real-time access to photos, dates, and service history whenever you need it, including when it’s time for your next depreciation report. See our strata support services page or get in touch to see how our reporting works.
