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The Strata Hub is an online digital platform created by the NSW Government, designed to make it easier for people who build, own, live, or work in strata to get the information they need about a strata building.
By providing better transparency, accountability, and regulation of all strata schemes in NSW, the Strata Hub will also help ensure strata schemes are well managed.
As a central point for strata schemes to report key information each year, the Strata Hub will include:
Strata owners and strata managing agents will be able to register with the Strata Hub from 30th June 2022, with the initial report for all strata buildings in NSW required to be submitted by 31st December 2022.
At the moment, the NSW Government is considering extending the initial reporting period – Fresh Strata will update all of our clients if and when this happens.
Yes, all strata schemes in NSW are legally required to upload their strata information to the Strata Hub. An initial penalty of $220 applies if your strata information is not uploaded by 31st December 2022 – or the new extended due date, if applicable.
There is also a legal obligation to upload correct information and update information already provided within 28 days after the secretary or managing agent becomes aware of it and these requirements will be enforced by fines of up to $2,200.
After you have uploaded your initial Strata Hub report before 31st December 2022, you will need to update your strata plan details to the Strata Hub EVERY calendar year, within three months of your AGM being held.
An administration fee of $3 per lot will be charged by NSW Fair Trading, this fee will also be applicable to any utility lots and subdivision lots within the scheme as well as residential and commercial lots. GST will not apply to this $3 fee.
There will be an initial fee payable to your strata manager for facilitating the collation and upload of this data by 31st December and an ongoing Admin fee for annual updates.
The information required to be uploaded onto the Strata Hub will include key information for each strata building, including but not limited to:
Your strata scheme information held on the Strata Hub will have robust privacy and security measures in place, including user verification.
There will be four levels of access to information on the Strata Hub:
Level One – The general public
Level Two – All strata owners and tenants who are registered on your strata roll
Level Three – Your Local Council and the NSW Fire Brigade
Level Four – NSW Police, SES and Ambulance emergency services.
This table below details what information is provided to different levels of user access, as well as what information needs to be updated and uploaded annually.
As a Fresh Strata customer your Strata Committee will shortly be receiving further information explaining how we can assist our customers by updating the strata hub on behalf of your Owners Corporation.
Got further questions? Get in touch with your Fresh Strata manager today.
If you have recently purchased a unit in a strata scheme, you’re likely to be invited to attend a strata meeting. While you aren’t legally required to attend a strata meeting, it’s in your best interest to attend to make sure you are kept up to date with any decisions made regarding your property.
As a consequence of the Covid pandemic, many owners corporations have pivoted to holding their meetings online, thereby eliminating the need to hold evening meetings at the strata manager’s office. At Fresh Strata we use Zoom which is widely available online. There are three types of strata meetings, so read on to learn more about their differences and what you need to know about each one.
AGMs are probably the most critical strata meetings for owners to attend. All kinds of residential strata properties (apartment buildings, caravan parks, multi-dwelling development, and retirement villages) and commercial or retail properties, are required to hold an annual general meeting.
AGMs, as their name implies, occur yearly. Legislation dictates that all owners must receive a minimum of 7 days written notice of a forthcoming AGM.
During an annual general meeting, property owners come together to discuss and vote on important issues such as:
Typically, the format of a strata AGM follows that of any organisation, where attendees are allowed to ask questions, vote, and raise their concerns in a formal setting.
There are certain agenda motions which are prescribed by legislation, but individual owners or the strata committee can propose additional motions. Only motions included on the agenda can be voted on. If an owner wants a motion placed on the agenda, they must contact the secretary in writing, providing the motion and an explanation as to why it is being proposed.
Typically, the annual general meeting agenda will include:
EGMs are meetings held as and when they are needed. They are often called to discuss a specific agenda item, such as major repairs or deal with an owner’s renovation application that can’t wait until the next AGM.
There are two ways to arrange an extraordinary general meeting:
Strata committee meetings can be held as frequently or infrequently as needed. These meetings usually discuss and vote on day-to-day administration matters of the owner’s corporation. Some committees meet monthly, some quarterly and some annually. The frequency of these meetings is often a reflection of the standard of the strata management and at Fresh Strata we try to relieve the committee of frequent meetings. Generally, the secretary will call a meeting. If one-third of the committee members desire, they can ask the secretary to convene a meeting.
The secretary must post a notice of the meeting on the strata noticeboard at least three days before a committee meeting is set down to be held. If your owner’s corporation doesn’t have a noticeboard, or if your owner’s corporation is large, the meeting notice must be given or sent to each owner and committee member and must include a detailed agenda.
Lot owners not on the committee may attend these meetings but have no voting rights. Owners also have no right to speak at the meeting without the committee’s approval.
Fresh Strata has a unique approach to strata management. We are committed to constantly integrating new procedures and we welcome new ideas to enhance our exceptional customer service standards.
At Fresh Strata we are passionate about delivering excellent strata management services, with complete transparency and a core focus on managing strata properties in a friendly and efficient way.
With over 20 years in the industry as an Australian family-owned company, Fresh Strata is your go-to Northern Beaches strata management company in Sydney. Contact us today.
Strata living can be a beneficial home ownership choice for new home owners, investors and those looking to downsize.
From the lower purchase price of the property through to the tight-knit community, strata properties come with a range of benefits that you don’t get with normal property ownership.
Fresh Strata based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, is committed to an approach to strata management like no other, the team at Fresh Strata are passionate about sharing the benefits of strata living in New South Wales.
According to Fair Trading NSW, a strata scheme is a building, or collection of buildings, where:
Whether you live in a townhouse, unit, or apartment, strata living lends itself to knowing all of your neighbours as you work together to care for the property.
This results in long-term savings for property owners, as you aren’t paying for large repair or maintenance bills on your own.
Residents have access to these common facilities and pay for the upkeep through strata fees, which works out at a lower cost than having individual memberships to separate gyms, pools and recreation centres.
If you’re looking to purchase a strata property in the Northern Beaches or North Shore of Sydney, or you’re just looking for a new strata management company, choose the team at Fresh Strata.
Fresh Strata has a unique approach to strata title management. We exist to help owner’s corporations and strata committees to navigate the sometimes-confusing world of common property dilemmas, strata schemes, taking on critical roles such as property maintenance, updating important registers, organising meetings, and keeping your strata scheme in line with the law.
At Fresh Strata we are passionate about delivering excellent strata management services, with complete transparency and a core focus on managing strata properties in a friendly and efficient way.
With over 20 years in the industry as an Australian family-owned company, Fresh Strata is your go-to Northern Beaches strata management company in Sydney. Contact us today.
If you live in a residential or commercial strata property the question of who owns what needs to be established. This answer will determine how a strata scheme is managed and who is responsible for each element of that scheme.
Common property is the responsibility of the owner’s corporation and lot property is the lot owner’s responsibility. But it’s not quite as simple as that. What is and what is not common property is a bone of contention for many residents of strata living regarding property maintenance and deciding who pays for what.
Fresh Strata is based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, so we’ll focus on NSW legislation where the team at Fresh Strata are highly knowledgeable about strata common property in New South Wales.
Everyone shares ownership of the common property in a strata scheme, typically defined as external walls, foyers, and driveways. The lot owner owns the inside of their residential or commercial unit but not the main, external structure of the building. The four walls, the ceiling, roof, and floor, are considered common property. Everything inside the lot is the owner’s property, including all internal walls, fixtures, carpets, and paint.
Common property can include:
If strata plan registration occurred after 1974, balcony doors are also usually considered common property. Similarly, a slab between two storeys of the same lot, or one storey from an open roof area/garden areas (e.g., townhouse or villa), falls into ‘common property’ unless the registered strata plan says differently.
One of the most significant issues causing problems between people living in a strata complex is when other residents’ or visitors’ behaviour directly impacts them. Things such as leaving unwanted items in a common area, visitors’ cars overstaying their welcome, dumping of rubbish – these can cause problems needing to be addressed.
If you have concerns around something that may be impeaching on common property, bring it to the attention of the strata committee or your strata manager. They will advise you on an appropriate course of action.
Fresh Strata has a unique approach to strata title management. We exist to help owner’s corporations and strata committees to navigate the sometimes-confusing world of common property dilemmas, strata schemes, taking on critical roles such as property maintenance, updating important registers, organising meetings, and keeping your strata scheme in line with the law.
At Fresh Strata we are passionate about delivering excellent strata management services, with complete transparency and a core focus on managing strata properties in a friendly and efficient way.
With over 20 years in the industry as an Australian family-owned company, Fresh Strata is your go-to Northern Beaches strata management company in Sydney. Contact us today.
Are you thinking of jumping into the property market and investing in a strata titled duplex, unit, or townhouse? Before you do, it’s essential to understand what a strata title is and what you are actually buying.
Strata title properties come in various forms, with residential apartments and townhouses the most common. Strata titles also exist in commercial property, serviced apartments, retirement villages, and retail spaces.
Buying a strata property isn’t the same as purchasing a Torrens title home. A strata title property comprises the individual lots, each under their own registered title, plus common property. Torrens title property on the other hand is under one registered title.
The owner of a strata lot owns the cubic space of that lot and has shared ownership of the remaining land and buildings. Think of it like this, you own the inside of your property, ceiling, walls, and floors and are free to make cosmetic changes to your space as you choose. If you wanted to make more significant changes like, bathroom alterations, reconfiguring walls, kitchen upgrades or changes to flooring further rules and legal requirements often apply, so you would need to check what modifications you can make before you start. If you are thinking of buying a cat or a puppy, check the rules around owning pets. The last thing you want is to discover your new home doesn’t fit your lifestyle.
Learn more about the rules on having a pet on a strata property.
As the strata living homeowner and subject to the strata plans by-laws, you’re also allowed to use those parts of the property designated to be common property. Common property is a shared space you can use with other property owners who have the same rights as you to use the space. We recommend you consult the strata title document to find out the exact location of the common area & its boundaries as well as the by-laws applicable to the strata plan.
Common property generally includes:
Out of all the different property titles, strata title comes with the most responsibility for owners. This is because it comes with various duties and restrictions you need to follow. The strata act lays down rules that apply to all owners corporations such as:
While misconceptions and negative assumptions abound regarding strata title, realistically, you’re likely to experience similar issues as you would with a Torrens title property. Ongoing maintenance costs always exist, no matter what the title type and you often still need approvals from the council or your neighbours if you want to make external changes. Experiencing challenges with your next-door neighbours is as likely in a free-standing house as in a strata property.
If you would like to know more about strata title, we suggest you download the NSW Fair Trading Strata Living Guide. This excellent guide takes you through questions frequently asked by prospective strata title buyers, along with lots of other topics like building alterations, insurance, by-laws, and dispute resolution.
Fresh Strata has a unique approach to strata title management. We take on critical roles such as property maintenance, updating important registers, organising meetings, and ensuring your strata scheme complies with all of the legislative and compliance requirements applicable by law. We help owners corporations, strata committees and owners navigate the sometimes confusing world of common property dilemmas and strata scheme disputes.
At Fresh Strata, we are passionate about delivering excellent strata management services. Our goal is to operate with complete transparency, with a core focus on managing strata properties in a friendly, efficient, and transparent way.
With over 20 years in the industry as an Australian family-owned company, Fresh Strata is your go-to Northern Beaches & North Shore specialist strata management company in Sydney. Contact us today.
Recent data from the RSPCA suggests approximately 61% of Australian households now own pets. Recent amendments to strata legislation have made residential strata generally more ‘pet friendly’, however these legislation changes do not automatically grant pet owners the right to keep pets in their units.
Different Strata Plans may have different rules when it comes to residents and owners keeping pets. It can be confusing to determine if you are permitted to have a pet in your strata plan and if so what decision making process must be followed before the pet is permitted.
The best way to determine if the residential strata property you live in or are considering purchasing/renting in allows pets, is to start by checking the registered by-laws. Typically, you will receive a copy of the registered by-laws when you buy or lease a property. If you are an owner and can’t find your copy of the by-laws, contact your strata manager to request a new copy. If you are a tenant, contact your property manager.
Often by-laws will have a clause that directly relates to pets within a strata property. In most circumstances where there are by-laws in place you’ll be required to get the strata committee or owners corporation’s permission to have a pet. It is common for there to be restrictions in the by-law relating to; the type of pet that can be kept, number of pets and size of pets. This list is not exhaustive so it is very important to familiarise yourself with the restrictions for your building. Proof of the pet have had its recommended vaccinations, micro chipping and registration with the local Council (as applicable) is also not uncommon. In some instances, references regarding the pets nature and behaviour from past landlords and neighbours can also be required.
Fresh Strata has an application form that residents can complete to provide all the required details necessary for the strata committee to make a decision on the application. Each application is assessed on its own merits by the strata committee when considering an application.
Being a responsible pet owner includes cleaning up their mess on common property and repairing any damage they may cause to common property. This responsibility includes removing excrement and backfilling any holes a pet may dig. Every resident has a right to enjoy where they live, so if you have a dog that is an excessive barker or aggressive to other residents, you may be asked to permanently remove the pet from the strata property. You might also be sent a breach notice by the strata committee outlining how your pet has broken the by-laws.
Registered assistance animals can’t be denied residency under the Australian Disabilities Act. The strata committee still has a right to require an application form be completed and proof that your animal is registered with your local council as an assistance animal.
Fresh Strata has extensive experience assisting Owners Corporations and individuals with pet applications. We are committed to providing strata committees with the most up to date information in regard to pets in strata and regularly review new case law and focus papers to ensure our knowledge is current.
As a business our core focus is on complete transparency and outstanding customer service to best support our Owners Corporations and residents.
For a Fresh Approach to Strata Management Contact us today.
When it comes to managing the administrative and financial side of owners corporations it can sometimes become overwhelming with owners becoming lost in all the jargon, legal requirements, by-laws and regulations.
While it is not a legal requirement for owners corporations to employ a professional strata manager to assist with the management of the scheme, it is certainly a worthwhile option to consider if you want help to cut through the confusing terminology and keep your owners corporation running smoothly.
Read on to find out more about how a strata manager can benefit your residential or commercial strata in Sydney.
A strata manager is a paid professional that has the knowledge, experience and understanding of the nuances of strata schemes.
The owners corporation is responsible for appointing a strata manager who is then responsible for managing a variety of areas and issues that may arise.
For more information on the various roles that a strata manager has within your owners corporation check out our last blog: The Different Roles of a Strata Manager.
Strata managers, like the team at Fresh Strata, can be highly beneficial to your owners corporation in four particular areas: Technical Knowledge, Objective Advice, Centralised Communication and Risk Mitigation.
How much do you know about aggregate unit entitlements? What about the ins and outs of the Strata Schemes Management Act (2015)?
A strata manager is qualified and experienced in all things to do with strata management, including the complex legislative side, which takes the stress off the owners to be across every facet of strata living.
This means that the owners can spend less time dissecting the information in by-laws, regulations and other documentation and more time enjoying their strata property.
At Fresh Strata, our strata managers have a minimum of four years of experience in strata management, giving them a solid foundation of knowledge to tackle the curly questions and provide any clarification you need.
When purchasing a property, a significant financial (and often emotional) commitment is involved in the process.
Unfortunately, tying emotion to this kind of financial investment can result in disagreements arising between property owners within your owners corporation – especially if someone is feeling unheard, hard done by, or ignored completely by others within the strata.
Rather than the owners arguing without resolution, a strata manager can step in if there is a dispute, argument or disagreement, to provide impartial objective advice and information.
A strata manager can set the record straight with the facts and technical knowledge and also mediate the various points of view within your owners corporation.
This ensures the best outcome for all involved, gives everyone a say whilst making decisions appropriate to regulations and works to keep relationships among all parties in-tact.
Having a strata manager means that the owners corporation and strata committee can outsource important communications to one trusted source.
This helps to minimise the likelihood that mixed messages and misunderstandings may arise from hastily written emails or text messages from the strata committee and ensures everyone is on the same page with what is expected of them.
A strata manager also has the foresight and deep knowledge of strata rules and regulations to ensure the communications being sent out are aligned to what is documented in the owners corporation’s by-laws as well as the legislative requirements.
Prior experience in dealing with strata properties means that strata managers at Fresh Strata have experienced and dealt with some of the common issues that may occur in the running of your owners corporation.
This knowledge is invaluable in helping the owners and strata committee to mitigate risks and minimise the fallout from any issues that do arise.
You’ve probably heard the saying “too many cooks in the kitchen” – when you have too many people working on a project who want to be in charge, or have their voice heard.
This expression applies to strata properties and their committees too – if too many people have an opinion on how things should be done and can’t come to a resolution, the strata committee or owners corporation may fail to carry out its obligations resulting in legislative breaches, failure to comply with the law and exposure to legal liability to name a few. In some cases where an owners corporation is deemed to be dysfunctional as a result of not complying with the legislation, the appointment of a compulsory strata manager to undertake all of the functions of the owners corporation can occur.
Having a professional, knowledgeable strata manager can help to avoid the “too many cooks in the kitchen” scenario and ensure the consistent, smooth running of your owners corporation.
If you do appoint a strata manager for your owners corporation and you have concerns or are unhappy with their performance in managing your strata property, it is best to try to work through the problems with the manager first.
After documenting the concerns of the owners corporation and strata committee and addressing them with the strata manager, there is a chance things may still not work out. If this is the case, talk to your strata management agency about being assigned another strata manager from their team or review the process for switching agencies.
Strata Community Association of NSW has a great fact sheet on their website that you can reference.
Appointing a strata manager shouldn’t be something to be afraid of – your strata manager is there to make the life of the owners and strata committee easier.
At Fresh Strata, we are committed to delivering an excellent approach to strata management, with a high quality of customer service, complete transparency with our clients and a core focus on managing strata properties in a friendly and efficient manner.
With over 20 years in the industry as an Australian family owned company, Fresh Strata is your go-to strata management company on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
For a fresh approach to residential and commercial strata in Sydney, contact Fresh Strata today on 02 9939 8061.
If you’re unfamiliar with how strata schemes operate, you may not quite understand just how much is involved in managing commercial and residential strata plans.
Strata schemes can include properties such as retail complexes, factory complexes, apartment buildings, townhouses and even caravan parks, so having the help of someone that understands the nitty gritty details of how strata schemes work is an invaluable tool to any owners corporation.
In a strata, your strata manager is a wealth of knowledge that you, as a property owner, can turn to for answers to questions such as:
As a company that prides itself on customer service and expertise in the area of strata management, our team at Fresh Strata have pulled together the points below to share an insight into the different roles of a strata manager within your strata scheme.
Strata Community Association NSW defines a strata manager as ‘a licensed, professional agent appointed by the owners corporation to manage the affairs of a strata scheme.’
However, a strata manager isn’t just someone who pops in for the occasional visit or works alone to make decisions about your strata scheme – they are your ‘go to’ person for most matters related to managing your strata scheme.
When you buy into a strata scheme, you’re purchasing your own property or lot that shares areas of the overall property with other lot owners within your strata scheme. These shared areas are known as common property and may include gardens, visitor parking, driveways, fences, and the communal pool.
A strata manager oversees the maintenance and upkeep of this common property, generally obtaining quotes from a range of contractors and running these by the owners corporation for approval.
In the event that urgent repairs are needed to your strata property, your strata manager should be the first point of contact.
The value in keeping thorough records of communications, contracts and agreements often isn’t realised until things go wrong, then good record-keeping is worth its weight in gold!
While the owners’ corporation is responsible for keeping up-to-date records of some documents for a minimum of seven years, this role is usually entrusted with the strata manager.
Section 180 of the Strata Schemes Management Act (2015) outlines the documentation that needs to be retained including;
The benefit of tasking this responsibility to your strata manager is that they are more experienced with the nuances of strata management so they can ensure everything is properly documented and maintained.
Your strata manager is responsible for managing the financial requirements of your strata scheme including the following tasks:
With owners leading busy lives, it can be difficult to organise a time for everyone to get together to discuss your strata issues and management. This is where having a strata manager to organise meetings takes the stress off members of the strata committee
While your strata manager is there to bring everyone together to discuss important topics, it is still up to the owners corporation and/or strata committee to come together to make decisions on contracts and agreements, manage agenda items for discussions during meetings, and suggest property improvements.
An experienced strata manager can help to facilitate the various processes required by your strata scheme, such as organising meetings, but they should never act without the consent of the owners corporation or strata committee.
Your strata manager can act as a mediator during disputes or heated discussions, both as part of organised meetings and issues arising from complaints about parking, noise, pets or other problems within your strata scheme.
As an external, unbiased third-party, your strata manager can help to restore peace to the strata community by sharing and reiterating the rules of your strata, assisting in amending by-laws and working with the unhappy parties to come to an agreement.
Strata managers play a crucial role in ensuring that any relevant local, state and/or national regulations and laws are adhered to at all times within your strata scheme.
This is another responsibility that is best left with an experienced strata manager, as it can become quite overwhelming to try to understand all the different requirements of your strata scheme at the various levels of regulation and law.
The strata roll contains information about common property, by laws, insurance details, as well as a register of all lot details, including the names and addresses of owners and their lot entitlements. Its purpose is to ensure all the relevant information about the strata scheme and the lot owners is kept in one easy-to-access place.
While this is the responsibility of the owners corporation, the strata roll can be passed onto your strata manager to update and maintain.
Strata managers exist to help owners corporations and strata committees to navigate the sometimes confusing world of strata schemes, taking on critical roles such as property maintenance, updating important registers, organising meetings and keeping your strata scheme in line with the law.
As an Australian family-owned company, Fresh Strata is passionate about employing a team of reliable, knowledgeable, and qualified strata managers to provide you with an exceptional strata management experience here on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and North Shore.
Freshen up your strata scheme – contact Fresh Strata on 02 9939 8061.
The Strata Committee (SC) is in many respects like the board of directors of a company.
The SC has wide ranging powers to make decisions on behalf of the Owners Corporation unless restricted by the Owners Corporation at a general meeting or by operation of the Act.
Limitations on an SC arising from the Act include:
The SC can range in number from 1 to 9, all of whom are elected annually at the AGM. There is no qualification to being a member of the SC, even non owners can be members. To be a member of the SC it is necessary for an owner to make the nomination either before or at the AGM.
There is no stipulated frequency for holding SC meetings. The quorum for an SC meeting is 50% of the members of the SC. Meetings may be held by post. Meetings are open to all owners, however, owners are not allowed to speak at the meetings unless permitted by the SC. Notice of SC meetings must be given at least 72 hours prior to the meeting by being posted on the noticeboard or, if there is no noticeboard, then all owners must be sent a copy of the notice. Minutes of meetings must be posted on the noticeboard or if there is no noticeboard then posted to every owner, within 7 days of the meeting. A member of the SC may appoint a substitute to attend an SC meeting so long as they are an owner and are approved by the SC at the meeting.
Members can be paid an honorarium if the Owners Corporation decides at a general meeting. Honorariums cannot be paid in advance.
The decisions of the SC are binding on all owners. In the event of a dispute between the SC and the Owners Corporation, the decision of the Owners Corporation will prevail.
Can you smoke on common property?
The answer to this frequently asked question is whether the subject area is an enclosed public space or is an area in which food is prepared or consumed. The definition of an enclosed public place is found in the Smoke Free Environment Act 2000 which requires most enclosed public spaces to be smoke free. An enclosed public space is a place that is open to the public, has a ceiling or roof and apart from doorways, is substantially enclosed. Generally the main entrance and stairwell of a building would be considered an enclosed public space and must be smoke free. The gardens and surrounding area to a building would be considered open space and therefore not subject to the Act. Individual unit owners or occupiers are also exempt from the provisions of the Act by virtue of their unit being private property.
The issue of smoking is an emotional subject for many people and some goodwill and common sense should be used in addressing the problem. Smokers should ensure that they take their cigarette butts with them when they have finished smoking in the open areas of a strata plan building as this avoids any complaints being levelled against them for depositing rubbish on common property, which would be a breach of the by-laws. Another tip to smokers would be to do so away from the open windows and doors or other residents.
New Strata Regulations to be released mid 2016 regarding this matter. Watch this space for more info.