General information only — not legal, tax, financial, or real-estate advice. Verify with a licensed BC professional before acting.
Moving from Ontario to BC in 2026 involves five specific real-estate differences worth knowing before you start a search.
BC condos are called 'strata'. The Strata Property Act (SPA) governs BC; Ontario's Condominium Act 1998 governs there. Rules on depreciation reports, contingency reserve funds, and bylaw amendments differ.
BC PTT is 1% on the first $200K, 2% up to $2M, 3% up to $3M, 5% above $3M. Ontario's LTT is 0.5%–2.5% (with an extra Toronto municipal LTT). The BC First-Time Buyer PTT exemption is only for first-timers globally — Ontario's LTT rebate is for first-timers in Canada.
BC's Lower Mainland is split between Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR), Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB), and Sea-to-Sky. Ontario uses the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) and its dozens of regional boards. Listings + comparables live on separate MLS® systems.
BC offers typically include 'subject to' conditions (financing, inspection, review of documents) with a subject-removal date. Ontario offers use similar conditions with slightly different language ('conditional on…'). Timing conventions differ.
BC uses the LTSA for title registration; Ontario uses Teranet. Title insurance is common in both, but the underwriting flow differs.