Strata fees, bylaws and insurance at Silverton

Strata fees

Two public figures exist for Silverton's monthly strata fee:

In a BC strata, each unit pays a share of the operating budget based on its unit entitlement, usually tied to floor area. So a larger direct-entry home pays more than a smaller walk-up, and all fees move together when the owners approve a new budget at the annual general meeting. The two figures above probably reflect both a size difference and a few years of budget increases.

What the fee usually covers, and what to confirm

In a townhouse strata like this one, the fee typically funds the building insurance policy, common-area landscaping and snow clearing, exterior maintenance, dock and beach upkeep, management (if there is a manager) and a monthly contribution to the contingency reserve fund. Whether water, sewer and garbage are included varies. For Silverton specifically, the list of inclusions comes from the strata's budget and Form B. To be confirmed

The contingency reserve fund matters more than the fee

A low fee is not a bargain if the reserve fund is thin and the depreciation report shows a roof, deck or dock replacement coming. Ask for three numbers: the current contingency reserve fund balance, the amount the depreciation report recommends, and any special levies approved or discussed in the last two years of minutes. A buyer who gets a Silverton unit for $20,000 under the last sale and then pays a $25,000 levy for dock work has not saved anything.

Rentals: long-term yes, short-term mostly no

Long-term rentals

BC's Bill 44 received Royal Assent on 24 November 2022. Since then, strata corporations cannot prohibit or limit owners from renting their units long-term, and older rental-restriction bylaws are unenforceable. Recent Silverton listings also say rentals are permitted. That makes a Silverton unit a legal long-term rental, which matters to investors and to owners who want to rent out a unit for a year or two before retiring into it.

Short-term (Airbnb-style) rentals

Short-term accommodation is different. Three layers of rules apply:

1. The strata. Bill 44 left stratas free to restrict short-term stays. Silverton's current bylaw on this is To be confirmed.
2. The City of Vernon. A short-term rental operator must be a principal resident, meaning they live in the home longer than anywhere else in the year. Maximum two guests per bedroom and eight per unit. The standard licence costs $150 to apply plus $400 a year, renewed by 31 January.
3. The Province. Every host must register with the provincial short-term rental registry. Listing platforms have required a registration number since 1 May 2025 and have removed non-compliant listings since 1 June 2025. The host fee is $100 a year for a host-occupied home.

Put together: a Silverton owner who lives in the unit as their principal home can, if the strata allows it, rent it short-term while they are away. An owner who lives elsewhere cannot run it as a nightly rental. Vernon's principal-residence rule has an exemption for strata-titled hotels, which is why The Strand's short-term rental situation is different; Silverton is a residential townhouse strata and is very unlikely to qualify. To be confirmed

Sources: BCFSA, Bill 44; City of Vernon short-term rental regulations; BC Government, provincial registry.

Pets

Listing information describes Silverton's pet bylaw as one cat or one dog, with dogs limited to 60 cm at the shoulder. That rules out large breeds and two-pet households. Bylaws can be amended at any general meeting by a three-quarter vote, so read the current registered bylaws, not an old listing. To be confirmed

Good news for dog owners: Marshall Field, a short drive toward town at 6891 Okanagan Landing Road, has an on-leash dog park, and Ellison Provincial Park has a leashed-dog beach.

Age restrictions

No age restriction appears in public listing information. Under Bill 44, the only age bylaw a BC strata can have is "55 and over", with exemptions for caregivers. If you are counting on a quiet, adult-only complex, or on bringing children, check the current bylaws. To be confirmed

Insurance and deductibles

This is the section most buyers skip, and the one that most often costs them money.

The strata insures the buildings under one policy. When water leaks from your unit (a failed water heater, a dishwasher line, a toilet supply), the strata's insurer pays the claim above the deductible, and the strata can charge that deductible back to the owner whose unit the damage came from. In BC, water-damage deductibles are not small:

Source: StrataReports, 12 September 2026, analysis of more than 2,000 BC strata insurance certificates.

What to do about it:

• Get Silverton's current insurance certificate and note the water, sewer back-up, earthquake and flood deductibles. To be confirmed
• Buy a condo unit-owner policy with deductible coverage (loss assessment) at least as high as the strata's highest deductible you could realistically trigger. Insurers write this routinely; ask for it by name.
• Replace an old water heater before it replaces your savings. Many owners fit leak detectors and automatic shut-off valves.

More: InsureBC, when strata owners pay the deductible.

Management

Whether Silverton uses a professional property manager or is self-managed by its council is not in any public source. To be confirmed Some small stratas self-manage, which keeps fees down but puts more on the volunteers. Either way, the name of the manager or council contact is on the Form B.

Documents to request before you buy

1. Form B information certificate: fees, levies, reserve fund balance, bylaw breaches, parking and storage assignments.
2. Registered bylaws and rules, including every amendment.
3. Two years of minutes: AGMs, special general meetings and council meetings.
4. Depreciation report and any engineering reports on roofs, envelope or docks.
5. Current budget and financial statements.
6. Insurance certificate with all deductibles.
7. Strata plan showing your unit, limited common property (parking, yard) and slip assignment.
8. Dock tenure documents from the Province. See dock tenure.

If you are working with Sean, he will go through these with you and flag anything that deserves a lawyer's or engineer's eye. The full buying guide walks through the rest of the process.