Question: Our strata management and council of owners harass, intimidate and bully owners. What can we do and where can we make a complaint?
Answer: Try to resolve the issue internally without external intervention (if the parties feel comfortable doing so).
The options available to an owner experiencing harassment, intimidation, or bullying by a strata manager or council of owners depend on several factors, including the strata company’s by-laws or, in the case of a strata manager’s behaviour, the terms of the strata management agreement.
Before making a complaint, we suggest trying to resolve the issue internally without external intervention (if the parties feel comfortable doing so). Sometimes these matters simply require open communication in a safe and comfortable environment.
Owners can make a complaint to the Strata Community Association WA (SCA WA) in relation to alleged breaches of its Code of Conduct by its members, noting the strata manager will need to be a member to make such a complaint. For more information about the SCA WA Code of Conduct, the complaints form, and its members, please visit the SCA WA website.
Otherwise, if the issue cannot be resolved internally, the owner may be able to apply to the State Administrative Tribunal to resolve a scheme dispute. However, certain steps must be taken before an application can be made to the Tribunal. These steps will depend on the specific conduct you are complaining about, and legal advice should be obtained prior to commencing an application in the Tribunal.
Disclaimer: The above response contains a summary of relevant information or an opinion which is current at the date of publication. This document is not intended to constitute legal advice and does not take into account individual facts and circumstances. The reader must not rely on the above response as advice.
This post appears in the September 2025 edition of The WA Strata Magazine.
Jason O’Meara McWilliams Davis Lawyers E: jo@mcwilliamsdavis.com.au P: 08 9422 8910