Question: As a potential buyer, what information can a strata inspection report provide me about the history of concrete issues in the building?
Answer: There might be information in the strata records about the existence of concrete issues.
A strata inspection report is prepared following a search of the records for the strata plan. It is not an inspection of the building itself. The strata records inspector will not have been to the building. Nonetheless, if there are past or current concrete issues in the building, there might be information in the strata records about these issues. Some examples of the types of information include:
- Comments in meeting minutes or correspondence expressing concern about the deterioration of concrete in the building.
- Decisions by owners shown in meeting minutes to arrange for an expert to inspect the building to assess any concrete issues.
- Engineering or other expert reports prepared following an inspection of the building, setting out the extent of issues discovered.
- Tender of similar documents providing quotes for remediation works.
- Expenditure shown in the financial accounts for the building for consultants or concrete remedial works.
In some cases, concrete issues may initially be isolated, and an inspection might be limited to the issues visible. Over time, these issues might become evident in other areas of the building. As a result, past remediation works might not mean the problem is completely solved.
If the records don’t provide a clear, up-to-date picture, it’s important that the search agent follows up with the strata manager to find out the status of any current or recent concrete issues.
If you have specific concerns about a particular building, please let the strata inspection business know about your concerns so they can focus on this issue while searching the strata records. If a strata inspection report is already available for the property you are interested in, please contact the business that searched the records to ask about any issues that concern you. You may believe there are potential concrete issues in the building based on what you have seen during a property inspection. If the strata inspection report doesn’t provide any documents showing issues, it might be worthwhile to have a qualified building inspector visually assess the building.
This post appears in the June 2025 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
Michael Ferrier EYEON Property Inspections E: michael.ferrier@eyeon.com.au P: 02 9260 5510