Living in a body corporate community is about more than just shared spaces—it’s about being part of a community, which by Macquarie Dictionary definition is “a group of people living in the same locality, sharing common interests, or having a common character.”
This shared understanding of behaviour and expectations—both written and unwritten—helps communities function smoothly.
However, every community is unique, with its own mix of individuals, dynamics, and ways of doing things. In a body corporate, people live, work, and make decisions together while owning common property as tenants in common.
The moving parts of a Community Titles Scheme
To get along in your body corporate, it’s important to understand the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved:
- Body corporate: a legal entity created when land is subdivided and registered under the Land Title Act 1994.
- Lot owners: automatically members of the body corporate when they purchase a lot.
- Occupiers: residents who rent lots, along with their invitees and visitors, contribute to daily community life.
- Committee: volunteer owners or their representatives that are appointed annually to handle administrative functions, typically including a chairperson, secretary, treasurer, and ordinary members.
- Body corporate manager: may be engaged under contract to provide administrative, financial, secretarial or other agreed services to the body corporate.
- Service contractors: provide services such as caretaking, letting, or maintenance for common property or lots.
With so many people involved, it’s easy to see how misunderstandings or disagreements might occur over time.
When things go wrong
Some bodies corporate operate smoothly for years without major issues. Others face regular or escalating conflicts that deeply affect individuals and the broader community.
Conflict is not a sign of failure—it’s a normal part of communal living. When people live and make decisions together, disagreements are inevitable.
Again, referencing the Macquarie Dictionary, it defines conflict as “to come into collision, clash, or be in opposition or at variance; to disagree.” With this in mind, most conflicts aren’t about someone being “right” or “wrong.”, but stemming from differences such as:
- background, trauma, or lived experience
- knowledge and expertise
- power imbalances
- age, education, principles or communication styles.
Why it’s worth the effort
Shared decision-making means that actions affect others, and limited resources—like time, money, or space—can amplify tensions. Learning to navigate the challenges is a skill that benefits everyone. It improves your own wellbeing, strengthens relationships within the scheme, and ensures the best use of everyone’s time—especially when many roles are voluntary.
While conflict may be unavoidable, it can be managed effectively with the right tools and mindset.
This post appears in Strata News #801.
Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management P: Information Service Freecall 1800 060 119
This article has been republished with permission from the author and first appeared on the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management website.