Governance

Your Right to See Strata Records: How Owners Request an Inspection (NSW, Vic, Qld)

Every owner has a legal right to inspect the building's records, from minutes and accounts to correspondence and contracts. This guide explains who can ask, what you can see, the fees and timeframes in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, a request letter you can adapt, and what to do if the request is refused or ignored.

20 October 2026 · 10 min read

On this pageThe short answer

The short answer
Who can ask
What you can see
NSW
Victoria
Queensland
How to ask
A request letter you can adapt
What to ask for
If the request is refused or ignored
Buying? Ask for the certificate instead
Where UnitBuddy fits
Further reading

The short answer

NSW: write to the owners corporation and pay the prescribed fee. You can see almost any record in its custody (SSMA ss 182–183).
Victoria: you can inspect the owners corporation's records free, at any reasonable time. A fee can be charged for copies (OC Act s 146).
Queensland: write to the body corporate and pay the fee. It must let you inspect or give copies within 7 days (BCCM Act s 205).
If they refuse: apply to NCAT in NSW, VCAT in Victoria, or the BCCM Commissioner in Queensland.

Who can ask

	NSW	Victoria	Queensland
Who	Owners, mortgagees, covenant chargees, or someone they authorise in writing (s 182)	Lot owners, mortgagees, purchasers, or their representative (s 146)	Owners, mortgagees, buyers, people given a disclosure statement, others with a proper interest, or their agent (s 205)
How	Written request with the fee	Ask. No fee to inspect	Written request with the fee
When	At an agreed time. If none is agreed within 3 days, the owners corporation sets one within 10 days, between 9 am and 8 pm (s 183)	Any reasonable time	Within 7 days of the request
How you can inspect	In person or by secure electronic access. You can take copies (s 183)	In person. Copies for a fee	In person at a reasonable time and place, or by copies
Fee to inspect	$31 for the first hour, then $16 per half-hour, for an owner. $60 and $30 for an authorised person (Regulation Schedule 4)	Free	18.25 fee units for an owner, about $20.70 in 2026–27. 35.10 fee units for others
Fee for copies	Included. You can take copies	1.15 fee units for the first record, plus a small per-record and per-page charge (Regulation 12)	0.65 fee units per page (Standard Module s 233)
If they don't comply	Offence, up to 5 penalty units	No offence. It's a dispute	Offence, up to 20 penalty units

Committee members in Queensland can see the records free (Standard Module s 232).

What you can see

NSW

The owners corporation must make available (s 182(3)):

the strata roll
the records it must keep, including minutes, financial statements, accounting records, correspondence, meeting notices, proxies and voting papers (s 180)
the plans and documents the developer handed over
the 10-year capital works fund plan
the last financial statements
current insurance policies and the receipt for the last premium
the strata managing agent's appointment, and the agent's accounting and other records for the scheme
any building manager agreement
any other record or document in its custody or control

Records showing how an owner voted in a secret ballot can't be disclosed without an order (s 182(5)).

Victoria

You can see the records the owners corporation must keep under s 144:

owners' names and addresses
the rules
minutes, resolutions and ballot results
proxies and voting papers
correspondence
accounting records, financial statements, and tax and GST records
insurance policies and maintenance plans
notices and orders
contracts, leases and licences

You can also see the owners corporation register free (s 150). VCAT can restrict access to someone's personal information in exceptional circumstances (s 172).

Queensland

You can see the roll, the registers, and the records the body corporate must keep under Standard Module s 231:

accounting records and statements
notices and orders
insurance policies
engagements of managers, contractors and letting agents
exclusive use agreements
correspondence
committee and general meeting minutes and material, including voting papers
manager reports
reconciliations, bank statements and invoices

The body corporate can withhold defamatory material (s 205(3)).

How to ask

Decide what you want to see. Be specific: a date range, a type of record, a particular matter.
Write to the owners corporation or body corporate. Address it to the secretary or the strata manager. In NSW and Queensland, include the fee or ask how to pay it.
Agree a time and method. In NSW you can ask for secure electronic access instead of attending.
Take copies or notes. In NSW you can copy records but not remove them.
Keep a record of when you asked and what you received.

A request letter you can adapt

To: The Secretary / Strata Manager [Owners corporation or body corporate name and plan number]

I am the owner of Lot [number]. Under [section 182 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) / section 146 of the Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic) / section 205 of the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld)], I request to inspect the following records:

[For example: minutes of all committee meetings from [date] to [date]]
[For example: correspondence about [matter]]
[For example: the general ledger and invoices for [year]]
[For example: the current insurance policy and the last premium receipt]

[NSW / Qld: I enclose the prescribed fee of [amount], or please tell me how to pay it.]

I would prefer to inspect the records [in person / by secure electronic access / by receiving copies]. Please contact me at [email or phone] to arrange a time.

[Name], [date]

What to ask for

Minutes of committee and general meetings for the period you care about
Correspondence about the issue, including emails
Financial statements, the general ledger and invoices
Contracts and quotes for any work in question
Insurance policies, claims and valuations
The strata manager's agreement, and any commission disclosures
Notices and orders from councils or tribunals

If the request is refused or ignored

Follow up in writing. Quote the section and give a date.
NSW. Apply to NCAT. It can order the owners corporation, the strata managing agent or a former agent to make records available if they were wrongfully withheld (s 188). Failing to make records available is also an offence (s 182).
Victoria. Make a complaint to the owners corporation, ask Consumer Affairs Victoria about conciliation, or apply to VCAT, which can order a party to comply with the Act (ss 161–165).
Queensland. Apply to the BCCM Commissioner. An adjudicator can order the body corporate to give you the information or make it available where you were wrongfully denied access (Act Schedule 5, item 13). Not complying within 7 days is also an offence (s 205).

Buying? Ask for the certificate instead

Buyers usually need a certificate rather than an inspection:

NSW: a strata information certificate (s 184), given within 14 days.
Victoria: an owners corporation certificate (s 151).
Queensland: a body corporate certificate, given within 5 business days (s 205).

Where UnitBuddy fits

In UnitBuddy, owners can see the documents that apply to them and their own lot information without a formal request. Committees keep the full library and can share records when owners ask.