The Form B Information Certificate
The Form B is a standard certificate that the strata corporation must provide within 7 days when an owner, a buyer or someone they authorise requests it. It discloses the monthly strata fees, special levies already approved, the contingency reserve fund balance, expected overspending on the budget, legal proceedings, outstanding notices or work orders, a summary of the strata’s insurance, and whether an electrical planning report has been obtained. The current budget, the rules and the most recent depreciation report are attached.
The depreciation report
A depreciation report is a long-term plan for repairing and replacing common property, such as the roof, walls, windows, piping and parkade, with estimates of when each will be due. Since July 1, 2024, strata corporations with five or more lots have had to get one every five years, and they can no longer vote to defer it. Compare its timeline with the contingency reserve fund and any levies already approved.
Minutes and engineering reports
Read the council and general meeting minutes going back a couple of years. Look for leaks, insurance claims, special levies under discussion, repair projects, disputes and anything put off. Ask for any engineering reports, such as building envelope assessments or roof, plumbing or parkade reports. They aren’t attached to the Form B, but they often explain what the minutes only mention. The seller can authorise you to request strata records.
Insurance and bylaws
Check the strata’s insurance summary for deductibles, especially for water damage, and ask your own insurer how to match your condo policy to them. Read the bylaws and rules for anything that affects how you’ll live there, such as pets, renovations and flooring.
What a home inspection does and doesn’t do
A home inspection doesn’t review strata documents, and we don’t interpret them or give legal or financial advice. That’s for you, your realtor and your lawyer, before subject removal. What the inspection can do is point to questions: when we find something the documents should explain, such as staining below a balcony door or Poly-B at the water heater, the report says so. More on condo and townhouse inspections.
Buying a condo or townhouse? Book an inspection and tell us your subject-removal date.
Reviewed October 26, 2026 by Nick Hawley, Watch House Inspections. General information, not advice about a particular home.