Who Is Responsible for What in Strata? Managers, Committees, Owners and Tenants

The short answer

• The owners corporation, body corporate or strata company is the legal entity responsible for the scheme.
• The committee makes the day-to-day decisions the legislation and owners have left to it.
• The strata manager does the work in the management agreement and any written delegation. The manager does not replace the owners corporation.
• The building manager or caretaker looks after site operations under a service contract. They do not make governance decisions unless a separate lawful authority says they can.
• Owners vote, pay levies, maintain their lots and remain responsible for the ownership side of a tenancy.
• Tenants and other occupiers must follow the by-laws, look after the premises and report problems through the tenancy and strata channels that apply to them.

The confusion usually starts with the inbox. The strata manager sends the levy notice, chairs the meeting, calls the plumber and answers the complaint, so residents assume the manager is in charge. Legally, that is often wrong. The scheme owns the duty. The committee decides within its authority. The manager carries out the authorised work.

That distinction matters when a repair sits untouched, a committee refuses to put a motion on the agenda, or a manager says, "The committee has not instructed me." Before blaming a person, identify the duty, the decision-maker and the person authorised to carry it out.

1. 01
   Problem or request is reported
2. 02
   Check lot or common-property responsibility
3. 03
   Identify who has authority to decide
4. 04
   Assign the authorised person to act
5. 05
   Record the decision and evidence
6. 06
   Confirm the work was completed

Responsibility at a glance

Task	Who is ultimately responsible?	Who usually does the work?
Maintain common property	The owners corporation, body corporate, strata company or equivalent	The committee approves routine work; the manager or building manager obtains quotes and instructs contractors within authority
Maintain the inside of a lot	The lot owner, subject to the plan, legislation and by-laws	The owner or landlord arranges the work; the tenant reports faults and provides lawful access
Set budgets and levies	Owners in general meeting	The treasurer and manager prepare figures; owners vote; the manager issues notices and receives payments
Pay levies	The lot owner	The owner pays, even where a tenancy agreement passes some outgoings to a commercial tenant
Arrange building insurance	The scheme	The committee and manager obtain advice and place the approved policy; owners and tenants arrange their own contents or landlord cover
Make or change by-laws	Owners in general meeting using the required resolution	The committee may propose wording; a lawyer may draft it; the manager handles notices and registration
Enforce by-laws	The scheme	The committee authorises the step; the manager prepares and serves notices where delegated; the tribunal or court makes enforceable orders
Keep scheme records	The scheme	The secretary or delegated manager maintains them; every contractor and office-bearer must return scheme records
Run meetings and record decisions	The scheme	The chair runs the meeting, the secretary issues notices and minutes, and the manager assists if contracted or delegated
Manage a tenancy	The lot owner as landlord	The rental property manager acts for the landlord; the strata manager does not manage the lease unless separately appointed
Respond to an urgent common-property failure	The scheme	The resident reports it; the manager, committee contact or building manager uses the emergency process and approved contractors

The table gives the usual allocation. The registered plan, the governing Act, the by-laws, meeting resolutions and written contracts can change who may carry out a task. They do not usually transfer the scheme's underlying statutory duty.

The legal entity owns the scheme's duties

The legal entity has a different name across Australia:

• NSW and Victoria: owners corporation
• Queensland and Tasmania: body corporate
• Western Australia: strata company
• South Australia: strata corporation or community corporation
• ACT: owners corporation
• Northern Territory: body corporate or owners corporation, depending on the Act and scheme

Every lot owner is a member. The entity administers the common property, raises contributions, arranges required insurance, keeps records, administers meetings and enforces the rules. In NSW, those functions sit under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015. Queensland puts the body corporate's administration, common-property and by-law functions in sections 94 and 95 of the BCCM Act. The equivalent framework sits in the Victorian Act, WA Act, SA Strata Titles Act, SA Community Titles Act, Tasmanian Act, ACT Act and the two NT Acts.

Appointing a committee, strata manager or caretaker does not make the entity disappear. If common property is not maintained, the legal claim is usually about the scheme's failure to perform its duty. The manager's contract and the committee minutes then show who was supposed to turn that duty into work.

What the committee can do

The committee is the elected decision-making group between general meetings. In Queensland, a committee decision within its authority is a body corporate decision. In NSW, a strata committee decision within its functions is treated as a decision of the owners corporation.

A committee will usually:

• approve routine repairs and contractor instructions within the budget and its spending authority;
• monitor insurance, finances, arrears, compliance and maintenance;
• respond to owner and resident requests;
• authorise by-law enforcement under the local process;
• supervise the strata manager and building manager;
• prepare recommendations and motions for a general meeting; and
• carry out lawful decisions already made by owners.

The committee acts by resolution. The chair, secretary and treasurer do not gain a personal power to bind the scheme merely because they hold an office. A committee WhatsApp chat may help people compare dates. It is not a substitute for the voting and minute requirements that apply in that jurisdiction.

Some matters must go to owners in general meeting. Common examples include setting levies, approving the annual budget, making or changing by-laws, appointing or renewing a strata manager, granting exclusive use of common property and approving major work or expenditure beyond committee authority. The exact boundary differs by state and by scheme.

What the chair, secretary and treasurer do

Office-bearers have defined jobs. They are not ranks in a chain of command.

Chair

The chair runs meetings, follows the agenda, manages debate and declares the result of votes. A chair should stop interruptions and conflicts from derailing a meeting. The chair does not get an extra vote or a general power to approve spending, repairs or by-law action alone.

Secretary

The secretary handles meeting notices, agendas, minutes, correspondence and the non-financial records of the scheme. In practice, a strata manager often performs much of this work under delegation. The secretary still needs to know whether notices went out, motions were included and minutes reflect the decision made.

Treasurer

The treasurer oversees budgets, levy schedules, payments, bank balances, financial reports and accounts for the AGM. An appointed manager may run the accounting system and issue notices, but the committee should still review arrears, unusual invoices, budget variance and the balances of each fund.

The ACT states these office-bearer functions in detail in the Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011. Other jurisdictions divide the work differently, but the practical split is similar.

What a strata manager can do

A strata manager is a paid agent. The appointment, management agreement and written delegations define the job.

Depending on the contract, a manager may:

• prepare meeting notices, agendas and minutes;
• maintain the roll and statutory records;
• prepare budgets and financial reports;
• issue levy notices and follow the approved arrears process;
• arrange insurance quotations and claims;
• seek repair quotes and instruct contractors within an approved limit;
• issue certificates and respond to records requests;
• prepare by-law notices authorised by the committee; and
• report on compliance deadlines and work in progress.

The manager cannot give themselves more authority than the owners granted. They cannot make a new by-law, approve a major common-property change reserved for a general meeting, spend beyond their limit or treat their own commercial preference as a scheme decision. In NSW, the owners corporation keeps the power to exercise a delegated function itself under sections 52 to 55 of the SSMA. Queensland also requires written authorisation for a body corporate manager's powers and allows the body corporate to revoke it.

A manager can advise that a proposed decision is unlawful, uninsured or outside budget. That is part of the job. The manager should identify the missing resolution, authority or document instead of leaving the request in limbo.

What a building manager or caretaker can do

A building manager or caretaker looks after the physical operation of the property under a service contract. That may include inspections, access, keys, cleaning supervision, contractor attendance, resident moves, minor maintenance and an after-hours response.

The title does not make them the building's decision-maker. They usually cannot approve unbudgeted work, make by-laws, decide a dispute, issue a tribunal order or speak for the committee outside their contract. In Queensland, the legislation treats a body corporate manager and a caretaking service contractor as different roles, even where one business performs both.

The service contract should answer five questions:

1. What must the building manager inspect and how often?
2. What work can they order without another approval?
3. Who do they call for urgent safety or property damage?
4. What reports, photos, keys and contractor records must they keep?
5. How quickly must they return those records when the contract ends?

What owners are responsible for

An owner has two roles. They are a member of the scheme, and they are responsible for their lot.

As a member, an owner can attend general meetings, vote, submit motions, inspect records and stand for the committee where eligible. Owners collectively approve budgets, levies, by-laws and other matters reserved for general meetings.

Individually, an owner usually must:

• pay levies and other valid contributions on time;
• maintain the parts of the lot that belong to them;
• obtain approval before work affects common property or the building's appearance;
• comply with the by-laws and not create a nuisance or hazard;
• ensure tenants and invitees receive the rules and comply with them where the legislation places that obligation on the owner;
• give required notices about leases or changes of address; and
• provide lawful access when the scheme needs to inspect or repair common property.

If the lot is rented, the owner remains the scheme member and levy debtor. The landlord or rental property manager handles rent, bond, entry notices, tenancy breaches and termination under residential tenancy law. The owners corporation can enforce by-laws against an occupier, but it cannot evict the tenant or take over the landlord's lease.

What tenants and other occupiers are responsible for

Tenants must comply with the scheme's by-laws or rules as occupiers. In NSW, section 135 binds owners and occupiers. Victoria uses section 141. Queensland's nuisance and unreasonable-interference duty applies to occupiers under section 167, and ACT rules bind occupiers under section 107.

A tenant should:

• follow the registered by-laws and lawful building procedures;
• avoid damage, nuisance, hazards and unreasonable interference;
• report lot defects to the landlord or rental agent;
• report common-property problems through the building's stated channel;
• give the landlord and scheme lawful access when properly arranged; and
• keep evidence of unresolved leaks, mould, noise, access or safety issues.

A tenant is not usually responsible for the owner's levies, capital works decisions or maintenance of common property. They also do not normally vote as the lot owner at a general meeting unless they hold a valid proxy or the local legislation gives a tenant representative a limited role. In NSW schemes where tenants occupy at least half the lots, tenants may nominate a non-voting representative who can attend and speak at most committee meetings.

Tenancy and strata processes can run at the same time. If a tenant repeatedly breaches a noise by-law, the scheme may issue a by-law notice while the landlord considers a tenancy breach. If a common-property leak damages a rented bedroom, the scheme deals with the common-property repair while the landlord deals with the tenant's right to a habitable premises and any rent or accommodation issue.

What the developer or original owner is responsible for

The developer, often called the original owner, controls the scheme at the start because it owns most or all of the lots. During that initial period it sets up the scheme's records, insurance, accounts and first meetings under the local legislation, and may enter management or service contracts. It also has handover duties when control moves to the owners.

The developer does not keep a permanent right to run the building. As lots settle, its voting power falls. It remains an owner for any lots it still holds and must pay their levies, comply with the by-laws and disclose interests where required. Long caretaker, management or service contracts entered during developer control need close review because later owners may inherit them.

People who advise but do not decide

Engineers, lawyers, accountants, auditors, insurance brokers and contractors give advice or perform scoped work. Their report may be necessary before a decision, but it does not replace the decision.

An engineer can say a balustrade is unsafe. The scheme still needs an authorised person to commission the repair. A lawyer can draft a by-law. Owners still need to pass it with the required resolution. An insurance broker can recommend a policy. The scheme still has to approve and place the cover.

The same applies to a rental property manager. They act for one landlord and tenancy. They are not the strata manager and cannot approve common-property work or direct the committee on behalf of the scheme.

What to do when the job is not being done properly

Start with the failed function, not the person you are annoyed with.

1. 01
   Identify the duty and property boundary
2. 02
   Find the resolution, contract and delegation
3. 03
   Send a decision-ready written request
4. 04
   Use records, motions and meeting rights
5. 05
   Use the local dispute process
6. 06
   Record the action and completed outcome

1. Identify the duty and the boundary

Ask whether the issue belongs to the lot, common property, the tenancy or a shared service. Read the registered plan, by-laws and any approval that changed maintenance responsibility. A leak at a balcony door cannot be allocated from a photograph alone.

2. Find the decision and the delegation

Ask for the exact motion, adopted minute, management agreement, delegation and relevant contract. An AGM resolution may approve an idea without authorising a person to sign a contract or spend outside the budget. A manager may be waiting for a committee resolution. A committee may be waiting for owners to approve a special levy.

3. Send a decision-ready request

Write to the secretary and any manager exercising the secretary's functions. State:

• what happened and when;
• whether the problem is continuing or urgent;
• the decision or statutory duty you rely on;
• the action you want;
• the person you understand is authorised to act; and
• a reasonable date for a substantive response.

Ask for missing authority to be put into a committee or general-meeting motion. An email asking "Any update?" is easy to circulate without deciding anything.

4. Use the records process

Request the minutes, contract, invoices, reports, correspondence and delegation through the statutory records process. In NSW, sections 182 to 188 cover inspection and orders for withheld records. Victoria and Queensland also give owners formal access rights, with different fees, timeframes and exclusions.

5. Put the matter into a meeting

Submit a properly worded motion. If the committee lacks authority, ask for a general meeting. Meeting-request thresholds and deadlines vary, so use the procedure in the governing Act rather than copying a rule from another state.

6. Escalate the legal failure

Use the internal complaints process, mediation, conciliation or tribunal route for the jurisdiction. Ask for an order the forum can make, such as access to records, performance of a maintenance duty, a decision on a motion or compliance with the by-laws.

If the manager is failing, the scheme can review the delegation, use the contract's performance process, vary or revoke authority where permitted, decline renewal or resolve to terminate under the agreement and legislation. If the committee is failing, owners can vote, replace office-bearers or committee members where permitted, and seek tribunal orders. Compulsory or statutory management is a last resort for schemes that cannot function or perform their duties.

Urgent danger sits outside the normal email queue. Call emergency services for immediate threats to life, and use the building's emergency contractor process for active flooding, fire-system faults, unsafe structures or loss of essential access.

Where unresolved failures go

Jurisdiction	Usual escalation route
NSW	NSW Fair Trading mediation, then NCAT for a specific strata order. Some applications and urgent matters are exempt from mediation.
Victoria	The owners corporation's written complaint process, then the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria or VCAT, depending on the dispute and applicant.
Queensland	Document self-resolution, then usually Commissioner conciliation and adjudication. QCAT directly hears specified complex or contractual disputes and appeals on questions of law.
Western Australia	The State Administrative Tribunal can decide strata-title disputes and make orders about meetings, councils, managers, contracts and scheme functions.
South Australia	First identify whether the scheme is strata or community title. Ordinary Strata Titles Act disputes go to the Magistrates Court, not SACAT.
Tasmania	Take most issues to the body corporate first, then apply to the Recorder of Titles for relief where available. TASCAT hears appeals and specified direct matters.
ACT	ACAT hears unit-title disputes, including failures to exercise functions, records, meetings, rules and manager issues.
Northern Territory	Identify whether the 1975 or 2009 regime applies. NTCAT hears relevant unit-title disputes and may order a body corporate, committee or delegate to perform a function.

How long strata records must be kept

The scheme owns its records even when a manager, caretaker, committee member or contractor holds the only copy. A change of manager should transfer the records, not reset the history.

Jurisdiction	Minimum retention starting point
NSW	Keep the strata roll for the life of the scheme. Keep changes to the roll, financial records, communications, meeting documents and contracts generally for 7 years. Keep a secret-ballot result record for 13 months. Required records created from 11 June 2024 must be kept electronically.
Victoria	Keep voting papers and ballots for 12 months after the vote, and proxies for 12 months after expiry or revocation. Keep the other records required by section 144 for at least 7 years.
Queensland	Under the Standard Module, some accounts, notices, orders, agreements and manager reports may be disposed of after 6 years. Associated meeting material, routine correspondence and bank or invoice material may be disposed of after 2 years. Minutes are not in those disposal lists, and no record may be discarded while it remains current. Check the regulation module that applies to the scheme.
Western Australia	Keep key scheme documents for the life of the scheme. Keep ordinary minutes, decisions, accounts, notices, disclosures and correspondence for 7 years. Keep unanimous and special resolutions, resolutions without dissent, insurance records and prescribed infrastructure contracts for 20 years. Contract periods vary by type.
South Australia	For a strata corporation, keep minute books and specified original-proprietor documents for 30 years. Keep accounts, statements, notices, orders and correspondence generally for 7 years. Community corporations use a separate Act and regulations, so confirm the scheme type before applying these periods.
Tasmania	The current Strata Titles Act requires proper committee minutes and member access but does not state one general retention period for all body-corporate records. Do not invent a disposal date. Check the Act, scheme rules and the purpose of the record before destroying it.
ACT	Keep minutes, listed court and planning records, and books of account for at least 7 years.
Northern Territory	For schemes using the management modules under the Unit Title Schemes Act, keep financial records, member details, minutes, resolutions, votes, notices, proxies, correspondence, insurance and contracts for at least 7 years. Older schemes under the Unit Titles Act use a different regime.

These periods come from the current NSW record-keeping guidance, section 145 of the Victorian Act, the Queensland Standard Module, the WA General Regulations, the SA Strata Titles Regulations, the Tasmanian Act, the ACT Act and the NT management modules.

A statutory minimum is not a disposal schedule. Keep the strata plan, registered by-laws, easements, approvals that transfer maintenance responsibility, major-work warranties, engineering reports, fire-safety documents and insurance claim files for as long as the building may need them. A seven-year minimum does not help if the next committee needs the waterproofing approval from twelve years ago.

Personal information and security material should not be kept forever without a reason. CCTV, access logs, ID copies and complaint evidence need a written retention rule tied to their purpose, privacy obligations and any active dispute.

The handover test

The clearest test of a functioning scheme is whether a new committee can answer these questions without searching a former chair's inbox:

1. Who can approve routine repairs, and up to what amount?
2. Which tasks are delegated to the strata manager?
3. What does the building manager inspect and report?
4. Which decisions need a general meeting?
5. Where are current contracts, insurance, minutes, approvals and warranties?
6. Which actions are open, who owns each action, and what is the target date?
7. How are owners and tenants told what happened?

If those answers live with one person, the building has a handover risk.

How UnitBuddy fits

UnitBuddy keeps the scheme's operating record separate from any one committee or service provider. Decisions, action owners, approvals, maintenance history, contracts, photos and correspondence stay with the building when the chair changes, the manager's contract ends or a lot is sold.

The strata manager can continue running meetings, levies and statutory administration. The committee can see what it approved and what remains open. Owners can understand the decisions affecting their lot. The record shows who was responsible, what authority they had and whether the work was completed.

Official sources

• NSW Strata Schemes Management Act 2015
• Consumer Affairs Victoria: working with your owners corporation manager
• Queensland Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997
• WA Strata Titles Act 1985
• SA strata titles guidance
• Tasmania body corporate guidance
• ACT Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011
• NT Unit Title Schemes Act 2009

Last updated: 24 August 2026. UnitBuddy publishes general information for Australian strata owners, committees and residents. It is not legal, financial, property-management or tenancy advice. Check the legislation and rules that apply to your scheme before acting.

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