# What Software Does a BC Strata or Property Management Company Need?

> Maintenance requests, vendor dispatch, council approvals, owner communication and documents in one system, connected to trust accounting: what BC strata and property managers need from their software.

*By AltaPro AI Team · Published 2026-10-27 · Updated 2026-10-27 · 5 min read · Category: British Columbia*

A BC strata or property management company needs one system for maintenance requests, vendor dispatch, owner and council communication, documents and approvals, connected to its trust accounting. In strata work the hard part is rarely the repair itself; it is getting the right approval from the right council, keeping every owner informed and finding the record years later. Software built around that approval chain gives managers hours back each week and keeps the history in one place.

## Strata Work Runs on Approvals

A property manager in a strata building is working for a council, not just a landlord. Spending above set limits needs approval, approvals need a record, and the record needs to survive the next council election and the next manager.

When approvals happen in email threads, every renewal, insurance question and owner dispute starts with an archaeology project. A system that records who approved what, when and against which budget line turns that into a search.

## One Queue for Every Request

Requests arrive from owners, tenants, council members, caretakers and vendors, by phone, email and text. One queue, with each request tied to a unit or common area, gives the team a single list to work and gives owners a consistent answer about where their request stands.

- Every request logged against a unit or common property
- Priority set by rules, so a leak outranks a squeaky door
- Approval routed to council automatically when the cost passes a set threshold
- Owners updated at each step without a manager typing the update

## Vendors and Trades

Dispatching trades means quotes, schedules, access arrangements and paperwork: insurance certificates, WorkSafeBC clearance letters and invoices that match the work order. Keeping those on the vendor record, with expiry dates, means nobody is sent to a building with lapsed coverage.

Invoices matched to approved work orders before they reach accounting remove the most common reconciliation headache in the business.

## Documents Owners and Councils Ask For

Minutes, bylaws, budgets, depreciation reports, insurance documents, past work on a unit: owners, buyers and councils ask for them constantly. A document library tied to the building and the unit, with permissions by role, answers most of those requests without staff involvement.

A portal for owners and council members, of the kind described at /customer-portals, puts status and documents where they can find them themselves.

## Privacy, Accounting and Where AltaPro AI Fits

Owner and tenant records are personal information. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC explains that the Personal Information Protection Act applies to private-sector organizations in the province, so access controls and records of who saw what are part of the design, not an afterthought.

The operational system should feed your trust accounting rather than replace it. AltaPro AI builds property management software for businesses across Western Canada. We come to you. AltaPro AI is based in Edmonton and comes on site for discovery and go-live, wherever your business is. Between visits, the work runs over video, phone and screen-share. The scope is at /property-management-software, and our BC pages include /ai-automation-richmond, /ai-automation-burnaby, /ai-automation-vancouver and /western-canada.

## FAQ

### Does This Replace Our Accounting System?

No need. The operational system handles requests, approvals, vendors and documents, and it integrates with the trust accounting and bookkeeping you already use, so operational and financial records agree.

### Which Privacy Law Applies to a BC Property Manager?

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC explains that the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) applies to private-sector organizations in British Columbia. Public bodies fall under a different act.

### Can Council Members Approve Work From Their Phones?

Yes. Approval requests can be sent to the right council members with the quote and photos attached, and each approval is recorded with who approved, when and against which budget line.

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Source: https://www.altaproai.ca/blog/bc-strata-property-management-software · AltaPro AI (read "Alberta Professional AI"), an Edmonton software development company. Free 30-minute call: https://www.altaproai.ca/#audit