Question: If no one is interested in helping, how does the only active owner stop being the contact person who does all the unpaid tasks at the scheme?
We have an eight lot strata scheme. I am struggling with the workload because no one nominated for the council of owners, and only a few owners attend the AGM.
I am retired, and as the only active owner, the strata manager expects me to be the contact person when contractors attend the site. I find this stressful, and I have tried to step back, but the strata manager says no one else is available. Contractors often want someone to open gates or provide access codes.
I also end up doing other unpaid tasks for the scheme, such as putting bins out and bringing them in, turning reticulation off in winter, approving accounts for payment in an automated system, reporting emergencies, and following up on maintenance.
Do I have the right to refuse to act as the contact person and stop doing these tasks? What process should the scheme follow if no one else is willing to take them on?
Answer: An owner who no longer wishes to perform tasks is entitled to withdraw from them, and the strata manager must ensure the scheme’s functions are carried out through appropriate contractual or organisational arrangements.
In a strata scheme, the duties of the council of owners are set out in Schedule 1, By‑law 8 of the Strata Titles Act 1985 (WA) (the Act). These duties fall on the council as a whole, not on any individual owner, unless that owner has been formally elected to the council or has voluntarily agreed to take on specific tasks.
If no owners nominate for the council of owners at the annual general meeting, the strata company is still required to function, but this does not create an obligation for any particular owner to act as the default contact person or to perform operational tasks on behalf of the scheme.
Tasks such as:
- meeting tradespeople
- opening gates or providing access
- taking bins in and out
- managing reticulation
- approving invoices
- reporting emergencies
- coordinating maintenance
are not statutory obligations of an ordinary lot owner. These are administrative and operational functions that should be managed by:
- the strata manager, if one is appointed under a written contract and these tasks are included in the contract for the strata manager to perform, or
- the council of owners, if a council exists.
If an owner has been informally relied upon because they are available or willing, this does not create a legal duty to continue performing those tasks. An owner is entitled to decline ongoing involvement, and the strata manager must then make alternative arrangements. The strata company may need to:
- appoint a functioning council of owners,
- increase the strata manager’s contracted duties (and likely the payment for service), or
- engage contractors who can operate independently without requiring an owner’s presence.
The fact that other owners do not attend meetings or volunteer for roles does not impose additional responsibilities on the owner who happens to be available. The strata manager cannot require an owner to act as the point of contact or perform operational duties simply because it is convenient.
In summary, a lot owner has no legal obligation to act as the contact person or perform administrative or maintenance tasks for the strata company unless they have been formally elected to the council of owners or have expressly agreed to undertake those duties. An owner who no longer wishes to perform these tasks is entitled to withdraw from them, and the strata manager must ensure the scheme’s functions are carried out through appropriate contractual or organisational arrangements.
This post appears in the April 2026 edition of The WA Strata Magazine.
Luke Downie
WA Strata Consultant
E: Email
P: 0456 589 639
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