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Finance & Levies guides.
Clear, useful reading for owners corporations and the people who run them.
27 guidesRSS
Finance & Levies
NSW 10-Year Capital Works Fund Plan: How to Prepare It in the Standard Form and Keep It Current
Since 1 April 2026, a new or revised NSW capital works fund plan must use the prescribed standard form. This guide explains the rules in section 80, what the form asks for, how to use the Strata Hub planner, the Word and Excel versions or UnitBuddy's 10-year planner, and how to keep the plan current between five-yearly reviews.
20 October 2026 · 14 min read
Finance & Levies
Queensland Sinking Fund Forecast: Is a 10-Year Forecast Required, and How to Budget It
Queensland law doesn't require a professional sinking fund forecast. It does require the sinking fund budget to reserve for major spending over at least the next 9 years. This guide explains the rule, what the sinking fund can pay for, how to estimate and budget it, and what buyers see.
20 October 2026 · 10 min read
Finance & Levies
Strata Admin Fund Budget Template and How to Set Next Year's Levies (NSW, Vic, Qld)
A blank administrative fund budget template for strata committees and treasurers, the steps for turning it into next year's levies, and the rules in NSW, Victoria and Queensland on who sets the budget, how levies are shared, notice periods and interest.
20 October 2026 · 11 min read
Finance & Levies
Unpaid Owners Corporation Fees in Victoria: Fee Notice, Final Fee Notice and VCAT
When a lot owner doesn't pay, a Victorian owners corporation has to follow a set path: a fee notice, a final fee notice, then VCAT. This guide covers the timeline, interest and costs, who decides to go to VCAT, what VCAT needs, the new hardship payment plans that haven't started yet, and what owners who can't pay should do.
20 October 2026 · 11 min read
Finance & Levies
Victorian Owners Corporation Maintenance Plan: Who Needs One and How to Prepare It
Tier 1 and tier 2 owners corporations in Victoria must have an approved maintenance plan, and every other owners corporation can choose to have one. This guide explains what the plan must cover, how to prepare and approve it, Consumer Affairs Victoria's template, and how the maintenance fund works.
20 October 2026 · 10 min read
Finance & Levies
What Does a Strata Treasurer Do? NSW Duties Explained
Just elected strata treasurer in NSW? Section 44 of the Strata Schemes Management Act sets out the job: levy notices, banking, accounting records, financial statements and strata information certificates. This guide explains each duty, the deadlines and rules that come with it, what a strata manager can take over, and how it works in Victoria and Queensland.
20 October 2026 · 9 min read
Finance & Levies
How to Read Strata Minutes and Financial Statements: A Realistic Example
We follow one made-up 40-lot NSW building through a full AGM pack: the minutes, the chart of accounts, the income and expenditure statement, the balance sheet, the ledger, the bank reconciliation and the arrears report. Every line is explained, with the NSW rules that apply and the checks that catch real problems.
19 October 2026 · 15 min read
Finance & Levies
Negative Gearing and CGT Changes From July 2027: What They Mean for Apartment Owners
From 1 July 2027, negative gearing on residential property is limited to new builds and the 50% capital gains tax discount is replaced with indexation and a 30% minimum tax. Here is who keeps the old rules, what counts as a new build, and why a new apartment loses its tax treatment the first time it is resold.
19 October 2026 · 10 min read
Finance & Levies
How to deal with a Victorian maintenance plan before it sets your levy
A Victorian levy is worked out from a maintenance plan most owners never see. This is how to get that plan, separate a renovation from the plant replacement, and get the question onto a meeting.
29 September 2026 · 11 min read
Finance & Levies
Inside NSW's $45 Million Strata Defect Bill
Only 54% of the serious-defect costs recorded in NSW's 2025 survey went to rectification. Reports, lawyers, insurance pressure and delayed capital works explain why the repair quote is rarely the full budget.
27 August 2026 · 13 min read
Finance & Levies
Admin Fund vs Sinking Fund: What Each One Pays For, State by State
Every Australian strata scheme runs two funds: one for the bills that arrive every year, one for the big works that arrive every decade. Most levy problems trace back to money sitting in the wrong one. Here is what belongs in each fund, how to sort the grey areas, and what the funds are called in every state and territory.
29 July 2026 · 15 min read
Finance & Levies
How to Reduce Strata Levies: A Committee's Practical Guide for Australian Apartment Buildings
How to reduce strata levies without short-changing your building. A practical guide covering insurance, management fees, energy, maintenance contracts, waste, capital works planning and income generation. Realistic savings ranges for each lever, and the political effort required.
30 June 2026 · 17 min read