Self-Managed Strata Software in Australia: What a Committee Without a Manager Needs

We make UnitBuddy, so this is a vendor's page. It's for committees that run their building without a paid strata manager, or are about to, and want to know whether UnitBuddy can be their software. Short answer: yes, for everything except the bookkeeping, which most self-managed committees keep in Xero, a spreadsheet or with a bookkeeper.

If you're still deciding whether to self-manage at all, start with the self-managed strata guide. For a side-by-side of the other platforms, see the buyer's guide.

The short answer

• Levy notices come from UnitBuddy. Each lot's quarterly notice shows its entitlement, levies, arrears and total due, and files to that lot.
• Owners see their own lot. My Lot shows their share, contributions, arrears, due dates and notices.
• Compliance dates are tracked in every state and territory. Each date keeps its certificate and reminder, and service contracts get a reminder before their notice deadline.
• The record belongs to the building. Minutes, motions, quotes, invoices and by-laws stay when the secretary or treasurer changes.
• One flat price per building. From $199 a year plus GST, with every owner and committee member included.
• No trust accounting. UnitBuddy doesn't hold or move money or reconcile the bank account. Exports open in Excel or Xero.

What a self-managed committee has to do

Without a manager, the committee does the manager's job as volunteers. The work falls into five groups, and the software should cover each one:

1. Raise and chase levies. Set the budget, issue notices on time, record payments and follow up arrears.
2. Run meetings. Send the AGM notice and agenda, record each motion's result and keep the minutes.
3. Keep the building compliant. Annual fire safety, insurance, the capital works or sinking fund plan, and your state's reporting deadlines.
4. Handle maintenance. Take fault reports, get quotes, approve the work and keep each contractor's file.
5. Keep the records. Owners can ask to inspect them, a buyer's conveyancer will want them, and the next committee needs them.

The rules differ by state. The NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia guides cover who does what in each.

What UnitBuddy does for each

A levy quarter, start to finish

Levy collection is the heaviest single job a self-managed committee takes on, so here is how a quarter runs.

The treasurer issues the quarter's notices from UnitBuddy. Each lot gets its own notice showing its unit entitlement, the levies for the period, any arrears and the total due. The notice files against that lot, and UnitBuddy won't issue a second notice to the same lot for the same period, so a resend can't double-bill anyone.

Owners open My Lot to see their notice, their share, what they've contributed, what's overdue and when the next payment is due. They can download a PDF lot report. They see only their own lot, and they don't get committee controls.

The money goes into the owners corporation's own bank account, never through UnitBuddy. The treasurer reconciles that account in Xero, MYOB or a spreadsheet, the same way a small business would. Admin and capital works balances, spending by category and contractor, and arrears then sit in one view the whole committee can see, so a question about levies at the AGM doesn't depend on whoever kept the spreadsheet.

Notice periods, interest on late levies and recovery steps differ by state. The NSW guide sets out the NSW rules, and what to do when an owner can't pay covers the owner's side.

Email that files itself

Without a manager, the building's mail usually lands in the secretary's personal inbox and stays there. When the secretary steps down, the quotes and contractor threads go with them.

Every building on UnitBuddy has its own email address. The system reads mail sent there, writes an overview, keeps every attachment, pulls out amounts and dates, and creates the record the email describes: a quote, an invoice, a report, a vote or a work request. The record is linked to the request, compliance item or job it belongs to, so nobody has to copy it across.

Forward a whole email chain and the system counts each vote in it against the motion. Quotes from different contractors line up side by side. For a self-managed committee that does most of its deciding between meetings, this is the feature that keeps the record complete without anyone maintaining it.

Keeping owners informed

Notices go to the lots that need them, with read receipts and acknowledgements. The committee can show what was sent and who saw it, which matters when an owner says they were never told about a water shutdown or a special levy.

The by-law registry holds active, draft and under-review by-laws with their amendments and change history. You can import an existing PDF, structure the clauses and add translated versions. New owners and tenants can get a welcome pack with an AI-drafted by-law summary, which residents see only after the committee approves it.

When the secretary or treasurer changes

Committee turnover is the normal state of a self-managed building. Everyone is a volunteer, and people sell, move or burn out.

In UnitBuddy, minutes, motions, by-laws, contractor files, asset histories and incident logs stay in the building's workspace. A handover pack briefs each new treasurer, secretary or chair from the building's records. The new office-bearer logs in and reads them, instead of waiting for a USB stick.

You can also add someone to the committee as a read-only member. They can see what's going on without being able to change anything, which suits a new owner who wants to learn the job before taking an office.

Finding where the building could save

Building Health compares your spending with similar buildings, once at least 10 of them have figures, and shows the categories where you spend far more per lot. Start a tender opens a work request for that service. Retender on a contract creates a work request from its scope and opens the quote request. Each quote keeps its amount, and selecting one doesn't approve the spend.

UnitBuddy also compares levies, insurance and contractor spend with buildings of a similar size, age, location and facilities. Without a manager to benchmark for you, "is our insurance too high?" can be answered from figures instead of opinion. For the method, see how to benchmark strata levies.

Setting it up

Name the building, set the state and invite the committee. Owners join when you're ready to open it to them. Then bring in what you have: finances, by-laws, minutes and contractor records. Once they're in, the document vault is searchable for whoever comes next.

UnitBuddy is a mobile-ready web app. It runs in the browser on a phone or a laptop, with no App Store or Google Play download.

If you're leaving a manager, set UnitBuddy up before the agreement ends and load the handover records as they arrive. The handover records guide lists what the outgoing manager must give you in each state.

Choosing how to do the bookkeeping

UnitBuddy leaves the books to a tool built for them. Self-managed schemes usually take one of these routes:

• Xero or MYOB, often with a strata add-on. The treasurer or a bookkeeper keeps the books, and UnitBuddy's CSV exports open straight into Excel or Xero.
• A dedicated strata accounting platform. Some self-managed tools bundle levies, bank reconciliation and reporting. The buyer's guide shows which ones do.
• A hybrid. The committee does the bookkeeping in-house and outsources the annual audit.

Bundled accounting is usually cheaper but ties the building's records to one vendor. Keeping the books separate takes more setup but lets you change either tool later. Whichever you pick, most self-managed schemes also keep a strata insurance broker, and many keep an auditor and a property lawyer they can call.

Questions to ask any self-managed software

Whether you're looking at UnitBuddy or anything else, ask these before you commit:

1. Can we export all our data, as often as we like, without a fee or a support ticket?
2. Does it cover our state's terms and compliance dates, or does it assume NSW?
3. Does the price rise with every lot, and what will we pay at our size next year?
4. Can owners see their own levies without seeing everyone else's?
5. If we stop paying, what happens to our records?

Then test it on your own building. Load last year's AGM pack. Take one open problem, such as a leak, and rebuild its history: who reported it, who quoted and what was approved. Answer the questions a buyer's lawyer would ask about one lot. Finally, export everything and open the files without the software. If the committee can't do that in an hour or so, the software isn't doing the job.

What it costs

There are no per-lot or per-user fees. Every plan includes every feature.

Most self-managed tools charge per lot per month, so their bill grows with the building. Compare the yearly total for your lot count, then add what you'll pay for bookkeeping either way. The full price list is on the pricing page.

When UnitBuddy is the wrong choice

• You want bank reconciliation and accounting in the same tool. Pick a platform that bundles it. The buyer's guide lists which ones do.
• You want owners to cast general meeting votes inside the software. UnitBuddy records the result, not the ballot.
• You want a native app from the App Store or Google Play. UnitBuddy runs in the browser.
• You have two or three lots and meet over a kitchen table. A shared folder and a spreadsheet may be enough.

FAQ

Can UnitBuddy be used by a self-managed strata scheme?

Yes. UnitBuddy works with or without a strata manager. Self-managed schemes use it to issue levy notices, track arrears, record meetings and decisions, keep compliance dates and hold the building's documents. The bookkeeping stays in Xero, a spreadsheet or with a bookkeeper.

Does UnitBuddy do trust accounting?

No. UnitBuddy doesn't hold or move money and doesn't reconcile the bank account. A self-managed owners corporation keeps its own bank account, and CSV exports from UnitBuddy open in Excel or Xero.

Which states does UnitBuddy cover?

Every state and territory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the NT. Terms follow your state's law, so a Brisbane committee doesn't have to read NSW wording.

How much does self-managed strata software cost?

UnitBuddy is a flat yearly price per building: $199 for up to 6 lots, $399 for up to 20, $999 for up to 75 and $1,999 above that, all plus GST. Most other self-managed platforms charge per lot per month.

Can we start while we still have a strata manager?

Yes. You can set UnitBuddy up before the management agreement ends, so the records are in the building's hands on handover day. The handover records guide lists what to collect.

Can owners change anything in UnitBuddy?

No. Owners see their own lot, the building's notices and what's happening in the building, but they don't get committee controls. Committee members can also be set as read-only.

What happens to our records if we stop using UnitBuddy?

You keep them. Finances, owners, decisions, notices and the rest of the record export as CSV, JSON or PDF whenever you want, with no fee, quota or support ticket.

Try it on your building

Open the free demo or book a guided tour, and we'll set up your building so you test with your own scheme. No credit card is needed.

Further reading

What changed in strata this month? Read the strata news for your state, with every figure sourced.

Keep the scheme file in one place the committee and the manager can both open. Features, pricing, or book a tour.