Leaky condos in Vancouver: how to check a strata building
Figures from City of Vancouver open data, October 21, 2026.
From the late 1980s to the late 1990s, many wood-frame buildings in coastal BC let water into their walls: the leaky-condo crisis. Repairing the building envelope (outside walls, windows, balconies) often costs tens of thousands of dollars per unit, paid by special levy.
In Vancouver, 1,543 multi-unit strata buildings were built between 1982 and 2000. For 160 of them (10%), the City has issued a permit for envelope repair, rainscreen or recladding since 2017.
A caution: many buildings were repaired before 2017, and that work is not in the open data. No recent permit means neither that a building leaks nor that it was repaired.
What each building page shows
For strata buildings from 1982 to 2000, our pages say whether there is an envelope-repair permit and in which year. The full report lists the permit numbers and the questions to ask.
Documents to ask for
- The depreciation report: age and condition of the envelope.
- The Form B information certificate: special levies approved or planned.
- Two years of strata council minutes: leaks, complaints, quotes.
- The contingency reserve fund: is it enough for the planned work?
Since 1999, new homes in BC must carry home warranty insurance (2 years for materials and labour, 5 years for the building envelope, 10 years for structure). More about strata
General information, not legal or professional advice.