Question: Our strata committee defers general maintenance and cleaning to a minimum. Are there best practice guidelines around cleaning frequency based on the size of the strata complex?
Our strata committee continues to defer general maintenance around the property and keep garden maintenance, general cleaning (pressure cleaning the paths, etc) and gutter cleaning to a minimum. Their view is that the paths should be cleaned ‘when required’.
Are you aware of any best practice guidelines or documents around cleaning frequency based on the size of the strata complex? For example, a strata site of 50 units should clean internal areas bi-monthly, etc. We’ve contacted NSW government departments, but they could not assist us.
Answer: No mandated guidelines specify cleaning frequencies based on the size of a strata complex.
Unfortunately, there are no mandated guidelines that specify cleaning frequencies based on the size of a strata complex. Cleaning and maintenance schedules often depend on factors such as the property’s specific needs, foot traffic, conditions, and the expectations of the owners or residents. The needs must be addressed within the contractual agreement.
That said, many strata properties adopt cleaning and maintenance schedules as part of their strata management plan or through best practices within the industry. As a general reference, here are some common practices for medium to large strata complexes:
- Internal common areas (e.g., hallways, foyers): Clean weekly or twice a week, sometimes even three times a week, depending on foot traffic and the size of the building.
- External paths and walkways: Pressure cleaning at least quarterly or ‘as needed’ in areas prone to dirt or grime buildup. Safety is a significant concern if the surface is slippery.
- Gardens and landscaping: Weekly to fortnightly maintenance, depending on the season.
- Gutter cleaning: At least twice a year, or more frequently if surrounded by trees.
- Bin areas and waste management: Cleaned and sanitised weekly or twice a week.
If your strata committee is hesitant, they might consider engaging a building manager. A building manager can oversee contractors directly, assist with negotiations, and increase productivity, leading to better value for money. For a complex of 50 lots, the cost of a building manager could average as little as $70 per month per lot, with the potential return on investment significantly outweighing the expense.
Additionally, the committee could conduct a survey or poll of the residents to gauge expectations regarding cleaning and maintenance. This can demonstrate broader community support for more frequent upkeep.
James Delany
Alliance Management Services
E: james@alliancemanagementservices.com.au
P: 02 7201 0418
This post appears in the March 2025 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
Our last AGM was held on 13 December 2023. Our financial year is 31 August to 1 September.
As we have not had an AGM since that time our levies for the current financial year have not been agreed to by the owners, our strata managing company are sending us levy notices with no explanation of the calculation of this amount. On queuing the legality of these amounts with the strata committee they have forwarded my email to the strata managing company who imply that he is complying with the strata committee’s instructions. What obligation does our strata manager owe to our strata committee and ultimately the owners to advise of compliance with the strata Act. The latest information for the date of our AGM is sometime in March 2025.
I have a strata manager who says they wont conduct even a phone meeting and that the quorum is achieved by people sending in their voting forms prior to the date/time of the (non) AGM meeting. I am very frustrated by this as there is no forum to talk to other owners at all. Any assistance would be appreciated as I dont think the strata manager who receives our fees is carrying out all their required duties including convening the AGM.
Hi Leanne
Karina Heinz, Progressive Strata has responded to your question in the above article.
it would depend on the building i would think.
we live in a row of townhouses with basically no common property besides the driveway and all owner occupiers, we self manage and do everything via emails and don’t really need to hold formal meetings. the situation in the article sounds like the strata manager isn’t doing their job
Very useful nfw. Thanks.
WA has similar publications.
Hi Phoebe
I’m a member of the committee for a couple of schemes where the strata manager might say we don’t hold meetings because we rarely physically all get together at the same time, instead choosing to confer and make decisions by electronic means, then as Chair or Secretary, I collate responses and we instruct the manager to take action.
It’s certainly not as formal a process as holding quarterly or monthly meetings but does ensure that items of concern are raised and addressed promptly. This approach is perhaps more common than you might expect and the Minutes are contained in a number of text messages and emails between various members and third parties whereby information is sources, shared and decisions made. It is really difficult to amalgamate into formal Minutes, as well as being impossibly time-consuming. In a practical sense, this approach is sometimes the only way for the hard-to-recruit, busy volunteers, who form the committee to “meet” to discuss and decide on these important matters.
My suggestion is to send an email to the manager asking how many members are on the committee and if the Chair or Secretary could contact you electronically.
All the best.
Minutes and electronic voting. If in NSW you are operating in accordance with these are you:
https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-property/strata-and-community-living/strata-schemes/meetings-of-the-strata-committee
https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-property/strata-and-community-living/strata-schemes/meetings-of-the-owners-corporation
The owners corporation must meet at least once each year at its AGM. Additional general meetings can be held when necessary to decide on the general running of the strata scheme and any issues which arise. A lot owner, or owners, who hold jointly at least a quarter of the unit entitlements, may request a meeting to be held at any time.
https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/367946/FT-045-Strata_Living_Guide.pdf
An SP can be run without SC meetings but there are requirements for this to occur.
The agent needs to have been delegated the authority of the SC (s 54 of the SSMA) and the agent needs to record every time he/she exercises that authority and present the record to the OC at least once a year (s 55 of the SSMA).
Under s 54 the agent has the function of SC if it is delegated in the management agreement. The agent can make SC level decisions but the agent needs to record these decisions (exercise of function).
In these circumstances there would be no SC meetings and no minutes but there would be a history of the exercise of the authority.
If the agent has this delegation of authority it will be in the management agreement.
It is standard for most agreements to have this delegation.
Check the agreement and if the delegation is in the agreement then see if there is a record of exercise of functions.
54 Functions of officers and strata committee may be given to strata managing agent
(1) The instrument of appointment of a strata managing agent may provide that the strata managing agent has and may exercise all the functions of the chairperson, secretary, treasurer or strata committee of an owners corporation or the functions of those officers or the strata committee specified in the instrument.
(2) However, the chairperson, secretary, treasurer and strata committee of an owners corporation may continue to exercise all or any of the functions that the strata managing agent is authorised to exercise.
(3) Any act or thing done or suffered by a strata managing agent in the exercise of any function of the chairperson, secretary, treasurer or strata committee conferred on the strata managing agent in accordance with this section:
(a) has the same effect as if it had been done or suffered by the chairperson, secretary, treasurer or strata committee, and
(b) is taken to have been done or suffered by the chairperson, secretary, treasurer or strata committee.
(4) This section is subject to section 56.
55 Strata managing agent to record exercise of functions
(1) A strata managing agent who exercises a function of the owners corporation or of an officer of the owners corporation must, immediately after its exercise, make a record specifying the function and the manner in which it was exercised.
(2) The strata managing agent must give a copy of the records kept for the preceding 12 months to the owners corporation at least once each year.
NSW: Q&A Can Our Owners Corporation Be Run With No Meetings? This question was related to Strata Committee meetings, not Strata Management meetings. I would like to know the answer to the question regarding having no Strata Committee meetings apart from the one after the AGM each year. Regards.
I forgot this booklet: https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/367946/FT-045-Strata_Living_Guide.pdf