Vancouver Condo Heat Pumps: Navigating Strata Approval in 2026

Reference guide for Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, and Surrey strata owners — February 2026

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Two Deadlines You Need to Know

If you own a condo in Metro Vancouver, two compliance timelines are converging in 2026 that directly affect heat pump installation planning.

December 31, 2026 — Electrical Planning Report (EPR) deadline. Under requirements applicable to Metro Vancouver stratas with 5 or more strata lots, strata corporations must obtain an Electrical Planning Report from a qualified electrical engineer. The EPR assesses the building's existing electrical capacity and its ability to support anticipated future loads — including EV charging infrastructure and individual unit heat pump installations.

Why this matters for heat pump installation: If your building's EPR identifies insufficient electrical capacity for unit-level heat pump loads, the strata may need a service upgrade before individual unit approvals can proceed. Getting ahead of this now — before the EPR is filed, before the upgrade queue forms — is the correct sequence.

Action for strata councils: Commission your EPR now. Do not wait until Q4 2026. Qualified electrical engineering firms in Metro Vancouver have finite capacity, and the EPR queue will be congested as the deadline approaches. An early EPR also positions your building to apply for any available utility or government support for the electrical infrastructure upgrade.

Action for individual unit owners: Ask your strata council whether an EPR has been commissioned or completed. If the building has existing electrical capacity, proceed with your individual heat pump application. If the EPR is pending or identifies a capacity issue, plan accordingly.

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Strata Approval: The Process in 2026

Most Vancouver-area stratas now have one of three postures on heat pump approvals:

1. Blanket approval with conditions — CleanBC engagement since 2021 has pushed many urban stratas to adopt pre-approval resolutions. Conditions typically include: licensed contractor only, balcony or wall-bracket placement as specified, noise limit compliance, written documentation submitted post-installation.

2. Standard alteration application (Section 71, Strata Property Act) — Required when no blanket policy exists. Council must respond within a reasonable time. Council may impose conditions but cannot refuse on grounds that are unreasonable or discriminatory.

3. Blanket refusal or unwritten prohibition — Less common now, but still encountered in older buildings with restrictive bylaws. These are challengeable (see below).

What Your Application Must Include

• System type, brand, model, and specifications
• Outdoor unit placement (balcony corner preferred; include dimensions and weight)
• Refrigerant line routing (describe path, penetration location, seal method)
• Outdoor unit sound rating in dB(A) — required; modern mini-splits are 40–50 dB
• Contractor name, TSBC license number, and CleanBC registration
• Statement that installation will be fully reversed if you vacate, with penetrations properly sealed

Reference the strata's existing bylaws in your application. If another unit in the building has an approved heat pump, cite it as precedent.

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The Duty to Accommodate

Under the BC Human Rights Code, strata corporations have a legal obligation to accommodate residents with disabilities or protected health conditions — up to the point of undue hardship to the strata.

For heat pump applications, this means: if an owner has a documented health condition that makes temperature regulation medically necessary (chronic respiratory conditions, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular conditions with heat sensitivity, or conditions requiring cooling for medication storage), a strata cannot refuse a heat pump installation solely on aesthetic or administrative grounds.

How to invoke this:

1. Obtain documentation from your physician specifying the medical need for temperature control
2. Submit the documentation with your alteration application as a confidential health accommodation request
3. State explicitly in your letter that you are requesting accommodation under Section 8 of the BC Human Rights Code
4. The strata must consider this seriously and cannot refuse without demonstrating undue hardship (which, for a standard mini-split on a balcony, is very difficult to establish)

This is not a loophole. It is an established legal protection. The BC Human Rights Tribunal has recognized temperature control as a legitimate accommodation need in residential settings.

If a strata refuses despite a documented health accommodation request: file at the BC Human Rights Tribunal (no filing fee for individuals) or raise the matter at the Civil Resolution Tribunal.

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What Stratas Cannot Do

Strata councils frequently overreach. These actions are not compliant with the Strata Property Act or BC Human Rights Code:

• Blanket refusal of all heat pumps — Enforceable only if written into strata bylaws and not overriding accommodation rights
• Refusing because "it looks bad" — Aesthetics is a valid condition (requiring screening, specific placement) but not a complete refusal basis
• Refusing without written reasons when asked — Owners have the right to request written reasons; council must provide them
• Refusing solely because other owners haven't installed one — Precedent runs in favour of approval, not against it
• Indefinitely deferring an application without response — A reasonable response time is expected; unreasonable delay is effectively a refusal and can be challenged

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Rebates Available to Vancouver Strata Owners (2026)

Individual strata owners access the same provincial and federal programs as detached homeowners, subject to strata approval being in place before installation.

Program	Upgrade	Maximum Rebate
CleanBC Energy Savings	Ductless mini-split (Income-Qualified)	Up to $5,000
BC Hydro Condo Program	Ductless mini-split (Standard)	Up to $2,250
Canada Greener Homes Loan	Heat pump (any eligible type)	Up to $40,000 (0% interest)

Income-qualified thresholds for CleanBC Energy Savings: Confirm current thresholds at betterhomesbc.ca — eligibility is based on household income and typically favours households under $75,000–$95,000 depending on household size.

BC Hydro Condo Program: Specifically designed for multi-unit residential buildings. Contact BC Hydro's Energy Conservation team directly to confirm your building's eligibility and whether a building-level application (for multiple units simultaneously) provides additional incentives.

Important sequencing: Do not purchase equipment before confirming rebate eligibility. CleanBC requires pre-approval in some streams. The Greener Homes Loan requires a pre-retrofit EnerGuide assessment. Do not install before strata approval is in hand — rebates require proof of compliant installation.

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Equipment Selection for Strata Installations

Noise Is the Primary Approval Barrier

Most strata bylaw noise provisions reference levels at the property line or adjacent unit — typically 45–55 dB(A). Modern cold-climate mini-splits operate within this range:

• Mitsubishi Hyper Heat MSZ series: 42–49 dB(A) outdoor at rated capacity
• Daikin Aurora: 44–51 dB(A)
• Fujitsu AOU series: 42–48 dB(A)
• Bosch IDS: 46–50 dB(A)

Include the manufacturer's outdoor sound rating in your strata application. Request the spec sheet from your contractor if they don't provide it automatically.

Outdoor Unit Weight and Placement

Balcony structural ratings in Metro Vancouver apartment buildings typically exceed 150 kg/m² (15 kPa). A standard mini-split outdoor unit weighs 35–75 kg. This is not a structural concern in any modern building, but including the unit weight in your application preempts that objection.

Preferred placement sequence (easiest strata approval to hardest):

1. Ground-level at grade (townhomes only)
2. Balcony corner, floor-mounted
3. Exterior wall bracket below balcony
4. Rooftop (building-managed only; not individual owner scope)

Refrigerant Line Penetrations

Refrigerant lines require a 3–5 cm core drill through the exterior wall or balcony slab. This is a building envelope penetration and requires strata approval and proper fire-stopping where the penetration passes through fire-rated assemblies (common in concrete construction).

Use a contractor experienced with concrete construction and high-rise strata installations. Ask specifically: "Have you done this in a concrete high-rise? What is your fire-stopping method?"

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If Your Application Is Refused

Step 1: Request written reasons from the council in writing.

Step 2: Assess whether the refusal is based on legitimate bylaw grounds or overreach.

Step 3: If overreach — raise it at the next Annual General Meeting or call a Special General Meeting. A 3/4 vote of owners can override council decisions on significant matters and can amend bylaws to pre-approve heat pumps.

Step 4: File at the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT). Filing fee: $125. The CRT handles strata disputes and has jurisdiction over unreasonable refusals of alteration applications.

Step 5: If a medical accommodation is involved — file at the BC Human Rights Tribunal (no filing fee for individuals).

In practice, most refusals at the council level are resolved through application revision (different unit placement, noise documentation, aesthetic conditions) rather than formal escalation.

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Timeline: Vancouver Strata Heat Pump Installation

Step	Typical Duration
Research EPR status and strata bylaws	1 week
Submit strata alteration application	Day 1
Strata council response	2–6 weeks (depends on meeting schedule)
Contractor quote and equipment selection	1–2 weeks
CleanBC pre-approval (if required for your stream)	1–3 weeks
Installation day	1 day (ductless mini-split)
Rebate application submission	Within 3 months of installation
Total realistic timeline	6–12 weeks

Start in February or March to ensure installation is complete before the summer cooling season — when the rebate demand peaks and contractor availability tightens.

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Next Steps

• Check your electrical panel before applying to council: Can I Install a Heat Pump on a 100 Amp Panel? (Surrey & Vancouver)
• Full BC strata legal framework and sample application language: Heat Pumps in BC Condos and Strata Properties
• Confirm rebate eligibility before purchasing equipment: How to Claim Heat Pump Rebates in BC
• Find a contractor experienced in Metro Vancouver strata installations: BC Installer Directory

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