Jurisdictions
One standard for strata and condo communities across Canada
BC calls them strata corporations; Ontario and Alberta call them condominium corporations. The concepts are largely shared — the words, documents and rules differ. COOS is designed to represent both.
Coverage
Where the standard stands in each province
Proudly Canadian
- BCWorking draft
British Columbia
Strata
Strata Property Act
- ONNext priority
Ontario
Condominium
Condominium Act, 1998
- ABNext priority
Alberta
Condominium
Condominium Property Act
- +Welcome
Other provinces and territories
Strata, condominium and co-ownership
Provincial and territorial legislation
The first working draft is modelled on BC strata, so entity names such as
StrataCorporation currently use BC terms. Supporting Ontario and Alberta condominiums is the next priority; how to name entities across jurisdictions is an open proposal.Terminology crosswalk
Same concept, different words
How each province names the concepts the standard models. Informative only: these are summaries of common usage, pending legal review, and not legal advice.
| Concept | BC (strata) | Ontario (condo) | Alberta (condo) | Draft entity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The community's legal entity | Strata corporation | Condominium corporation | Condominium corporation | StrataCorporation |
| Registered plan creating the community | Strata plan | Declaration and description | Condominium plan | StrataPlan |
| Individually owned property | Strata lot | Unit | Unit | StrataLot |
| Shared areas | Common property | Common elements | Common property | CommonProperty |
| Shared areas for one owner's exclusive use | Limited common property | Exclusive-use common elements | Exclusive use common property | CommonProperty |
| Owner's share of expenses | Unit entitlement | Proportion of common interest | Unit factor | StrataLot |
| Elected governing body | Strata council | Board of directors | Board of directors | StrataCouncil |
| Regular owner payments | Strata fees | Common expense contributions (condo fees) | Contributions (condo fees) | Levy |
| Long-term repair savings | Contingency reserve fund | Reserve fund | Capital replacement reserve fund | Fund |
| Study of long-term repair needs | Depreciation report | Reserve fund study | Reserve fund study | Document |
| Governing rules | Bylaws and rules | Declaration, by-laws and rules | Bylaws | Bylaw |
| Resale disclosure document | Information certificate (Form B) | Status certificate | Estoppel certificate | Not yet modelled |
Approach
How the standard will handle provincial differences
- Shared core. Concepts that exist everywhere — the corporation, owned units, shared areas, the governing body, meetings, budgets, reserve funds — are modelled once.
- Jurisdiction profiles. Province-specific values, documents and vocabularies (for example vote thresholds, or a BC information certificate versus an Ontario status certificate) are captured per jurisdiction.
- Local terms in documentation. Each province's own terminology is shown alongside the shared definition, so a condo board member in Toronto and a strata council member in Vancouver can both recognise it.
- Contributors from every province. Ontario and Alberta practitioners are especially welcome to review the mappings.