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Laws & By-Laws guides.
Clear, useful reading for owners corporations and the people who run them.
16 guidesRSS
Laws & By-Laws
How to Change Strata By-Laws in NSW: Special Resolution, Consolidation and Lodging with NSW LRS
In NSW, a by-law change needs a special resolution at a general meeting, then a consolidated copy of all the by-laws lodged electronically with NSW Land Registry Services within 6 months. Until it's recorded, the change has no effect. Here are the steps, a motion template, a checklist and the rules on exclusive use, short-term rentals and pets.
20 October 2026 · 11 min read
Laws & By-Laws
NSW's Fourth Strata Reform Bill Has Passed: The New Protections and Rights for Owners
The Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill has passed NSW Parliament. Duplexes lose committees and meetings, bonds are capped at fair limits, owners get a right to EV charging, and Fair Trading can name non-compliant buildings. Here is what changes and what is still to come.
19 October 2026 · 11 min read
Laws & By-Laws
Tasmania's Draft Strata Titles Amendment Bill 2026: What Changes for Bodies Corporate and Owners
Tasmania is consulting on the first major rewrite of its Strata Titles Act 1998. The draft bill brings in management statements for every scheme, five-year maintenance plans, proxy caps, a flexible quorum, seven-day access to records and a lighter set of rules for small developments. Here is what the consultation documents actually say, what is still left to regulations, and how to make a submission before 25 October 2026.
19 October 2026 · 12 min read
Laws & By-Laws
Who Owns the Balcony Floor? Damjanovski and Interior Face Boundaries in Victoria
The Supreme Court of Victoria has held that, on one older plan of subdivision, the tiles, screed and waterproofing on a balcony were common property, not part of the lot. Here is what the decision says, what it leaves open, and what committees and owners should check before acting on it.
19 October 2026 · 9 min read
Laws & By-Laws
NSW Strata Law: What's Changing Between Now and March 2027
The big April 2026 wave has passed. Here is what actually changes in NSW strata law over the next six months: committee training gets a confirmed start date, two-lot schemes get reporting relief, and battery rules tighten again.
8 September 2026 · 9 min read
Laws & By-Laws
What Happens If Structural Defects Appear After Completion? A State-by-State Guide for Australian Apartment Owners
What happens if structural defects appear after completion? Your apartment building has been flagged. Who pays, how long do you have to act, and what does your state's law actually say? A state by state guide with practical next steps.
30 June 2026 · 14 min read
Laws & By-Laws
Common Property Trees: Who Decides and Who Pays?
A tree on common property raises two questions every scheme eventually faces: who has the authority to act, and who carries the cost. The answers differ by state but rest on the same few principles.
1 June 2026 · 14 min read
Laws & By-Laws
NSW's 1 April 2026 Strata Changes: New Standard Forms and Embedded-Network Rules Explained
NSW's 1 April 2026 strata changes explained: new standard forms, the 10-year capital works plan, surveyor-certified IMS and embedded-network rules.
31 May 2026 · 15 min read
Laws & By-Laws
The Victorian Owners Corporations Act Review: What's in the Report Sitting With Government
The Victorian Government published its response to the Owners Corporations Act review in June 2026. A hardship and voting Act passed in September 2026, manager education requirements commence by 30 June 2027 at the latest, and the full Act rewrite is still not law. This is what has landed, what has not, and what committees should do now.
12 May 2026 · 16 min read
Laws & By-Laws
Visitor parking in Australian strata: a state-by-state guide
Visitor parking gets difficult when residents use the bays, short-stay guests rotate through the building, or the committee tries to enforce rules it does not have. This guide explains the practical position across Australia.
10 May 2026 · 9 min read
Laws & By-Laws
Changing Floor Coverings in Strata: A State-by-State Guide for 2026
Carpet swaps are usually fine. Timber, vinyl planks, tiles and engineered floors are not. This is the practical state-by-state guide to what owners need before lifting a single floorboard in an Australian apartment.
3 May 2026 · 16 min read
Laws & By-Laws
The 2026 NSW Strata Reform Timeline: Every Date That Affects Your Building
NSW is rolling out the most significant strata reforms in a decade across five distinct stages from July 2025 through late 2026. This is the single-page reference: every date, every obligation, what committees must do, and what owners should know. Updated as commencement dates are confirmed.
30 April 2026 · 16 min read
Laws & By-Laws
The Short-Term Rental Crackdown: New Rules in WA, NSW, VIC and QLD for 2026
Short-term rental regulation has tightened significantly across Australia. WA's registration scheme commenced in January 2025; NSW's 180-day cap continues; VIC is reviewing further restrictions. This is the state-by-state picture and what it means for committees and owners.
13 April 2026 · 9 min read
Laws & By-Laws
Apartment Renovations in Strata: What Needs Approval in 2026
Kitchen refresh, bathroom works, timber floors, air conditioning, walls, waterproofing: renovation approvals in strata depend on the type of work, not how simple it feels to the owner. This is the 2026 guide before you book trades.
13 March 2026 · 9 min read
Laws & By-Laws
Pets in Strata: The Legal Landscape After Recent Tribunal Rulings Across Australia
Blanket pet bans in strata are dead. But that doesn't mean it's a free-for-all. This is the current legal position on keeping pets in Australian apartments, state by state, and what it means for owners, tenants and committees.
19 February 2026 · 6 min read
Laws & By-Laws
Short-Term Rentals Like Airbnb in Strata: What Your By-Laws Say and What's Changing
Airbnb and short-term letting in strata buildings is one of the most divisive issues in Australian apartment living. From mandatory registration to new levies and strata banning powers, this is the full picture for 2026.
16 February 2026 · 6 min read