Half the garage door calls we take in Richmond, Burnaby and Coquitlam are from townhouses or buildings run by a strata. The first question is always the same: is this my problem or the strata's? We are a door company, not lawyers, but we read a lot of bylaws and we deal with a lot of strata managers. This page explains the rules as they are written and how garage door strata responsibility usually falls in practice.
Where the rules come from
Every strata in BC is governed by the Strata Property Act. The Act includes a Schedule of Standard Bylaws that apply to every strata unless the strata has filed its own amended bylaws at the Land Title Office. Two standard bylaws decide most garage door questions:
- Standard Bylaw 2: an owner must repair and maintain their own strata lot, except for the parts the strata corporation is responsible for under the bylaws. An owner who has the use of limited common property must also maintain it, except for what the strata is responsible for.
- Standard Bylaw 8: the strata corporation must repair and maintain common property and common assets, and also certain limited common property regardless of how often the work is needed, including the structure and exterior of a building, and doors, windows and skylights on the exterior of a building or that front on common property.
That last phrase is the one that matters. A garage door on the outside of a townhouse is a door on the exterior of a building. Under the unamended Standard Bylaws, that makes it the strata corporation's job to repair and maintain, even if the door only serves your unit. The provincial government's own strata housing guidance reads Bylaw 8 the same way.
Garage door strata responsibility, part by part
The door itself: panels, springs, cables, track, rollers
Under the standard bylaws these are part of the exterior door and the strata is responsible. In practice, many stratas have amended Bylaw 8 to push garage doors back to the owner, especially in townhouse complexes where each door serves one unit. Your registered bylaws win over the standard ones, so read them. Search the bylaws for the words door, garage, limited common property and exterior.
The opener: the motor, rail, remotes and wall button
This is where most disputes sit. The opener is not part of the building structure and is not the door. It is equipment inside the strata lot, usually installed by a builder or a previous owner, and most stratas treat it as the owner's. We see three common positions in bylaws:
- The strata maintains the door; the owner maintains the opener and everything attached to it. This is the most common split in Lower Mainland townhouse bylaws.
- The owner maintains both door and opener, with the strata keeping only the exterior finish or the framing. Common in bare land stratas and newer complexes.
- The strata maintains both, and the cost is shared through strata fees. Less common, found in some older apartment style complexes with individual garages.
If your bylaws are silent on the opener, the default is usually that it is part of your strata lot and therefore yours under Bylaw 2. Ask the strata manager in writing before you book a repair you expect them to pay for.
Parkade gates and shared garage doors
A gate or overhead door into an underground parkade serves everyone and sits on common property. That is the strata's responsibility in nearly every case, including the commercial operator, the loops and sensors in the slab, and the remotes system. Owners pay through strata fees or a special levy, not individually. We service these for property managers across Metro Vancouver; see our parkade operator guide and our commercial door page.
Who does the work, even when the strata pays
Even if the strata is responsible, most bylaws say the owner cannot hire their own contractor for common property and bill the strata afterward. The strata council or manager has to approve the contractor. Call the manager first, get the approval or a work order, and then book. If the door is stuck shut and you cannot get your car out, say so; most managers will authorise an emergency call the same day.
When the owner is responsible, you can hire who you like, but anything that changes the look of the door from outside (a new door, new windows, a different colour) usually needs council approval first because it alters the appearance of common property. Our guide on strata approval for garage door replacement covers that process.
Damage you caused versus wear
The bylaws cover repair and maintenance, which means wear and tear. If a resident backs into the door, most bylaws let the strata charge the repair back to the owner of that unit, and the strata's insurance deductible can also be charged back. If a tenant did it, that goes through the owner. The bottom section of a steel door is the usual casualty; our panel replacement page explains when one section can be replaced versus the whole door.
What we do on a strata call
When we attend a strata property, we write the invoice to whoever the manager tells us to, we note which part failed (door hardware versus opener) so the bill can be split if the bylaws split it, and we photograph the failure. Managers like that because it ends the argument before it starts. If you are an owner paying yourself, we still tell you which side the failure was on, so you can ask the strata about it afterward.
Disputes
Garage door strata responsibility ends up at the Civil Resolution Tribunal more often than people think. If you and the strata disagree about who pays, the Civil Resolution Tribunal handles strata disputes in BC and has decided many cases about doors and windows on the exterior of buildings, generally following the wording of Bylaw 8 unless the strata's amended bylaws clearly say otherwise. Get the repair done first if the door is unsafe; a door with a broken spring or a cable off the drum can drop, and that is a bigger problem than the invoice.
Frequently asked questions
Is a garage door covered by strata in BC?
Under the unamended Standard Bylaws, yes: Bylaw 8 makes the strata corporation responsible for doors on the exterior of a building. Many stratas have amended their bylaws to make townhouse garage doors the owner's responsibility, so your registered bylaws decide.
Are garage door motors covered by strata?
Usually not. The opener is equipment inside the strata lot and most bylaws treat it as the owner's responsibility, even where the strata maintains the door itself. Check your bylaws for any clause about openers or equipment.
Who pays for a broken garage door spring in a townhouse?
The spring is part of the door hardware. If your bylaws leave Bylaw 8 unamended, the strata; if they assign exterior doors to owners, you. Wear is covered by whoever maintains the door; damage caused by a resident is normally charged back to that unit.
Can I hire my own garage door company in a strata?
If the door is your responsibility, yes. If it is the strata's, the manager or council normally has to approve the contractor before the work is done, so call them first.
Do you work with strata managers?
Yes, across Metro Vancouver. We invoice the strata or the owner as directed, note which part failed, and photograph the damage. Call (778) 873-7282.