Strata Record Keeping: What You Must Keep, for How Long, and in What Format (NSW, Vic, Qld)

The short answer

• NSW: keep most records for 7 years (Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 s 180). Records made since 11 June 2024 must be kept electronically (s 176).
• Victoria: keep most records for at least 7 years. Voting papers and proxies can go after 12 months (Owners Corporations Act 2006 s 145). Electronic records are allowed.
• Queensland: most records can be disposed of after 6 years, and some routine material after 2 years. Anything still relevant must be kept (Standard Module s 231). The roll and registers have no disposal period.
• The legal duty belongs to the owners corporation or body corporate, not to the strata manager or secretary personally. If a manager holds the records, they hold them for the building.

How long to keep what

New South Wales

The owners corporation must keep these for 7 years (s 180):

The Act doesn't say what happens after 7 years. Before destroying anything, check it isn't still needed, for example for a defects claim or an open dispute.

Victoria

The owners corporation must keep the records listed in s 144. Section 145 sets the periods:

The Regulations add more records to keep (reg 11A):

• each owner's phone number and email address
• the dates of gas safety, electrical safety and pool barrier checks
• outstanding recommendations from gas and electrical safety checks
• notices, orders and reports about building defects or safety on the common property

The owners corporation register, with each lot owner's details and the manager's details, must also be kept up to date (ss 147–148).

Queensland

Under the Standard Module, the body corporate must keep the records listed in s 231(1). These include accounting records and statements, insurance policies, contracts and engagements, exclusive use agreements, correspondence, minutes and meeting material, and fund reconciliations with bank statements and invoices.

New information must be added to the roll within 14 days of the body corporate receiving it (s 225).

Paper or digital?

NSW: electronic is required. The strata roll and other records "must be made or kept in electronic form" (s 176). That applies to records made from 11 June 2024. Older paper records don't need converting, and you can keep paper duplicates.

Victoria: electronic is allowed. The Act has no specific rule except that the owners corporation register "can be kept in an electronic form" (s 149). For other records, the Electronic Transactions (Victoria) Act 2000 s 11 lets a law's requirement to keep a document be met with an electronic copy, as long as it's reliable and stays accessible.

Queensland: electronic is allowed. Minutes, the roll and registers can be kept "in their original paper form or in photographic or electronic image form" (Standard Module s 231(2)). When a body corporate manager's engagement ends, the body corporate can require electronic documents in a usable form, at the manager's cost (s 234).

What the strata roll must contain (NSW)

The strata roll is the core record for an NSW scheme (ss 177–178). For each lot it records:

• the owner's name, address for service, Australian postal address, and email if they have one
• any agent of the owner, with their address for service
• information from strata interest notices and tenancy notices

For the scheme, it records:

• the strata plan number and building address
• the original owner's and strata managing agent's details
• the unit entitlements
• insurance details, including the insurer, policy number, amount and when the premium is due
• the by-laws in force

Keeping it current matters every time a notice goes out. A notice sent to an old address invites a dispute about whether it was properly given.

Records checklist for the secretary

Tick these off once a year, for example before the AGM.

• Strata roll or owners register is up to date, including addresses for service and emails
• Minutes of every general and committee meeting are filed, with their attachments
• Meeting notices, proxies and voting papers are filed, and anything past its keeping period is reviewed before disposal
• Financial statements, the audit or review report, the budget and the levy register for the year are filed
• Bank statements and reconciliations are filed for each fund
• Insurance policy, schedule, certificate of currency and latest valuation are filed
• Contracts and agreements are filed: manager, building manager, caretaker, cleaning, maintenance
• Correspondence for the year is saved, including email
• Notices and orders from councils, Fair Trading or tribunals are recorded
• By-laws or rules are current, with registered changes filed
• The capital works plan, sinking fund forecast or maintenance plan is current
• Safety records are filed: fire safety statement or equivalent, and gas, electrical and pool checks in Victoria
• Records are stored somewhere the building controls, not only in one person's email or laptop
• There's an export or backup of the records outside the strata manager's system

Who can see the records?

Owners have a legal right to inspect them:

• NSW: owners, mortgagees and covenant chargees, or someone they authorise, can inspect on written request. A fee applies (ss 182–183). Inspection can be in person or through secure electronic access.
• Victoria: lot owners, mortgagees and purchasers can inspect free of charge at any reasonable time. A fee can be charged for copies (s 146).
• Queensland: owners, buyers, mortgagees and others with a proper interest can inspect for a fee. The body corporate has 7 days to respond (Act s 205; Standard Module s 233). Committee members get access free (s 232).

Getting records back

If a former manager or committee member has the records, the law gives the building ways to get them back:

• NSW: a 14-day notice under s 181.
• Victoria: a former manager must return them within 28 days (s 127).
• Queensland: a 14-day notice under Standard Module s 235. There's also a 30-day rule for a former manager's financial records (s 168).

Where UnitBuddy fits

UnitBuddy's document vault keeps minutes, financial statements, insurance, contracts and correspondence in one place the building owns, with an audit trail. Records stay put when the committee or manager changes. You can export everything as CSV, JSON or PDF at any time.

Further reading

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