As a lot owner in our building, can I garden on common property? I want to trim the edges, clean up dead leaves, and perform routine garden tasks. Do any strata laws stop me from doing work in the garden or in a common area if I have approval from the strata committee?
At what point does a strata managing agent or committee need to advise the owners corporation that the administration fund is in deficit? Does using capital works fund money to cover payments require a committee meeting? Is this covered under any NSW law?
At a recent EGM for our 119-apartment complex in Zetland, NSW, our building manager advised of strengthened fire protection laws requiring the owners corporation to provide proof of sealing for fire-stopping measures within the walls of all apartments.
The building manager has suggested we penetrate the bathroom walls of all apartments to inspect whether they comply with the new fire regulations. This project would be costly and may require a special levy.
Experts note that disclosure often fails as a regulatory tool because volunteer committees often lack the technical expertise to decipher complex commission structures, tax implications, and broker fees. Does handing a complex disclosure document to a volunteer committee equal transparency? What practical steps must strata managers take to ensure truly informed consent?
Colin Won is a CPA and forensic auditor at Forensic Auditors Melbourne, bringing 15 years of hands-on experience in the Victorian strata sector. Colin helps OC committees, lot owners, and their representatives make sense of complex financial situations — whether that means undertaking statutory audits, investigating irregularities, defending a strata tax audit, or rebuilding financial records from the ground up. As an independent consultant, he cuts through the complexity and delivers clear, objective findings so that everyone involved can make informed decisions with confidence.
Every year, thousands of NSW strata schemes receive an audit report. Many committees glance at it, file it away, and move on. But understanding what a strata audit actually involves, what auditors are looking for, and what the results really mean can make a significant difference to your scheme. In a recent LookUpStrata webinar, Matthew Faulkner from Matthew Faulkner Accountancy walked owners and managers through the process from start to finish.
Our scheme has 127 lots. Over several AGMs, motions to have the body corporate's financial statements uploaded to the owners' portal were defeated, with both the committee and the body corporate manager recommending that owners vote against the motions.
Some documents have been uploaded with limited detail. Reviewing these, we identified a substantial reimbursement paid to a husband-and-wife lot owner for expenses associated with an owner's party. At the time, one of those owners was the treasurer of the committee.
We have three questions:
Non-committee owners in our scheme receive no notice of strata committee meetings, despite the managing agent holding both our postal and email addresses. Our participation as lot owners is now limited to receiving a large AGM agenda by mail and speaking briefly on Zoom at the discretion of the managing agent.
What are the legal rights of non-committee lot owners in NSW to receive notice of, attend, and speak at strata committee meetings?
At a recent meeting, the strata company informed owners that some balconies in the complex need waterproofing work. The total cost is approximately $220,000, and our lot's share is $7,500. A levy notice followed shortly after, requiring payment in full within 30 days.
The strata company had been getting quotes and discussing this work for nearly 12 months. They knew last year the cost would be around $200,000, yet they did not inform owners until the meeting. The works themselves are not scheduled until October, but the money is due by the end of June.