Condo and Townhouse Painting in the Sea-to-Sky: What Strata Rules Mean for Your Project

Painting a condo or townhouse is rarely just a colour decision. In a strata, what you can paint, when the work can happen and how the crew gets in are all shaped by the strata plan and the building's bylaws.

The good news is that most interior repainting is straightforward. The problems arise at the edges, literally: balconies, patios, exterior doors and anything visible from outside. This guide explains where the line sits in British Columbia and what to confirm before booking.

1. Where your strata lot ends

Under the Strata Property Act, unless the registered strata plan says otherwise, the boundary between a strata lot and common property is the midpoint of the structural portion of the dividing wall, floor or ceiling.

In practice that means the painted interior surface of your walls and ceilings normally falls within your strata lot, while the exterior face of an outside wall, exterior trim, siding and railings generally do not, even where that wall forms part of your unit.

In a townhouse, the fact that something is physically attached to your home does not settle the question. The registered plan and the filed bylaws do.

2. Limited common property is still common property

Limited common property, or LCP, is common property set aside for the exclusive use of one or more strata lots. Balconies, patios, decks and yards are frequently LCP, but they can also be part of the strata lot or ordinary common property depending on the plan.

This catches people out regularly. Exclusive use is not ownership. A balcony you are the only person permitted to use may still be common property, which means painting, staining or resurfacing it generally requires written strata approval first.

Two visually identical patios in different buildings, or even different phases of the same development, can have different legal status. Check your plan rather than assuming based on a neighbour's project.

3. What needs written approval

Where the Standard Bylaws apply, an owner needs the strata corporation's written approval before altering a strata lot in ways that involve the structure or exterior of the building, things attached to the exterior such as balconies and stairs, exterior doors and windows or those fronting on common property, fences and railings enclosing a patio or yard, common property inside the strata lot boundaries, or portions of the strata lot the corporation must insure.

A separate bylaw requires written approval before altering common property, including limited common property. Where a change would be a significant change in the use or appearance of common property, approval by a 3/4 vote at a general meeting may be required instead of a council decision.

Applied to painting, the practical rule is simple:

• Repainting interior walls, ceilings and trim inside your unit is usually the owner's decision.

• Anything visible from outside, attached to the building, or on a balcony or patio should be treated as needing written approval.

• Changing the colour of an exterior element is particularly likely to require approval, because it affects the building's appearance.

• Your building's own bylaws may go further than the Standard Bylaws and require approval for interior work too.

A strata corporation must not unreasonably withhold approval, though it may require the owner to take written responsibility for related expenses.

4. Building rules shape the schedule

These requirements come from individual strata bylaws and rules rather than the Act, so they vary building to building. Common ones include:

• Work-hour restrictions, often weekdays only within set hours, with Saturdays by arrangement and no work on Sundays or statutory holidays.

• Advance booking of the elevator or loading area, with protective padding and floor protection required.

• Designated parking or loading stalls for contractors, with no overnight storage of vehicles or materials.

• Proof of contractor insurance and WorkSafeBC coverage, and sometimes a refundable damage deposit.

• Approved routes through common areas, and prompt cleanup of any shared space used.

None of this is difficult, but it does need to be known before the schedule is set. A crew turning up to a building that requires an elevator booking nobody made loses a day.

5. Owner-occupied versus rental turnover

An owner refreshing their own condo usually has flexibility, and work can be phased room by room so the home stays livable throughout.

A landlord repainting between tenants in Squamish or Pemberton is working against a fixed move-in date. There, the empty window is the whole constraint, and the priority is a crew that can complete the unit inside it. Booking that window as early as possible matters more than any other decision in the project.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need strata approval to paint my living room?

Usually not, where only ordinary interior surfaces inside your unit are involved and your building's bylaws do not say otherwise. Check the filed bylaws rather than relying on what was true in a previous building you lived in.

Can I paint or stain my own balcony?

Treat this as requiring written approval until you have confirmed otherwise. Balconies are frequently limited common property, and altering them without approval can leave you responsible for restoring the original finish.

What about my front door?

Exterior doors are one of the most commonly misunderstood items. Written approval is generally required for alterations involving a door on the exterior of a building or one fronting on common property, regardless of who maintains it. The inside face is usually a different matter from the outside face.

How do I find out what my strata actually requires?

Request the registered strata plan, the current filed bylaws and rules, and any renovation or move-in policy from your property manager. A short email to the manager describing the work is usually enough to get a written answer before you book anything.

Plan the project around the building

Confirm your building's rules first, then get a quote that accounts for access and scheduling rather than square footage alone. That is usually the difference between a project that runs smoothly and one that stalls waiting on an approval nobody requested.

See our interior house painting services, or learn about our work with strata and multi-unit properties.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Your registered strata plan, filed bylaws and the current legislation govern your specific situation.