General information only — not legal, tax, financial, or real-estate advice. Verify with a licensed BC professional before acting.
A Property Disclosure Statement (PDS) is a BCREA-standard form completed by a seller that provides information about the seller's knowledge of the property. Common versions include the PDS for a Detached Home, Strata Title Properties, Land Only, and Manufactured Homes. Sellers are asked yes/no/unsure questions about defects, past insurance claims, work done without permits, water ingress, drug production and other material matters. Completing a PDS accurately is not legal advice, and sellers are responsible for the statements they make. Buyers and sellers should discuss the PDS with their own licensed BC REALTOR® and, where appropriate, a lawyer or notary.
Under BCFSA rules, a licensee representing a seller is required to advise their client about the PDS, but a seller is not legally required to complete one in every transaction. Where a PDS is signed, it typically becomes part of the Contract of Purchase and Sale.
No. A PDS is the seller's own knowledge; a home inspection is an independent examination by a licensed home inspector. Consumers commonly use both together.
'Unsure' means the seller does not know the answer. It is not a warranty. Buyers commonly follow up with additional questions, a home inspection, or specific searches (e.g. permit history at City Hall).
Verify the specific statutory language, thresholds, deadlines and current guidance directly with the governing authority: