Resident guide
Strata law in Australia, in plain English
What the law actually asks of you as an owner or tenant — and what it asks of your owners corporation. Use it to work out who is responsible before you write the email.
The four things strata law governs
By-laws and behaviour
Registered by-laws bind owners, tenants and visitors. Pets, noise, parking, smoking and short-term letting are the usual flashpoints.
Repairs and common property
The owners corporation maintains common property; owners maintain their lot. The strata plan decides where that line falls.
Levies and finances
Administrative and capital works (sinking) funds are raised by levies approved at a general meeting, backed by a long-term plan.
Meetings and decisions
AGMs, committee elections, notice periods, quorum, proxies and voting thresholds are all prescribed by legislation.
Your rights as a resident
- • Inspect the strata roll, by-laws, minutes, budgets and insurance details.
- • Receive notice of general meetings and vote (owners), including by proxy.
- • Ask the owners corporation to repair common property and to act on defects.
- • Stand for the committee if you are an owner, or be nominated by one.
- • Raise a dispute through mediation and, if unresolved, your state tribunal.
- • Live free of by-laws that are unlawful, harsh, unconscionable or oppressive.
Your responsibilities
- • Pay levies on time — unpaid contributions usually accrue interest.
- • Maintain your lot so it doesn't damage common property or other lots.
- • Get approval before work that touches structure, waterproofing or common property.
- • Follow the by-laws, and make sure tenants and visitors do too.
- • Tell the owners corporation when your details or your tenancy changes.
Which law applies where you live
Strata is state legislation, so the detail changes across the border — including what it's called (owners corporation, body corporate, unit title scheme).
| State or territory | Principal legislation |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) |
| Victoria | Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic) |
| Queensland | Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld) |
| Western Australia | Strata Titles Act 1985 (WA) |
| South Australia | Community Titles Act 1996 / Strata Titles Act 1988 (SA) |
| Tasmania | Strata Titles Act 1998 (Tas) |
| Australian Capital Territory | Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011 (ACT) |
| Northern Territory | Unit Title Schemes Act 2009 (NT) |
Common questions
Who is responsible for repairs in a strata building?
As a general rule, the owners corporation (body corporate) maintains common property — the structure, roof, external walls, common plumbing and shared services — while lot owners maintain everything inside their own lot. Where the boundary sits is set by the strata plan and your state's legislation, so a leak can be an owners corporation job even when the damage shows up inside a lot.
Are by-laws legally enforceable?
Yes. Registered by-laws (rules, in some states) bind owners, tenants and their visitors. They can cover pets, noise, parking, smoking, renovations and short-term letting. By-laws cannot be unlawful, harsh or oppressive, and in several states blanket pet bans have been found invalid.
Do I have to pay levies I disagree with?
Levies (contributions) approved at a general meeting are a debt owed to the owners corporation and usually attract interest if unpaid. Disputing a levy is a separate process from paying it — challenge the decision through the correct channel rather than withholding payment.
Do I need approval to renovate my apartment?
Usually yes for anything touching common property, waterproofing, structure, plumbing or external appearance. Minor cosmetic work is generally fine without approval. Bigger work typically needs a general meeting resolution and sometimes a by-law recording your ongoing maintenance obligations.
How do I resolve a strata dispute?
Start with a written request to the committee or strata manager, then escalate to your state's mediation and tribunal pathway — for example NCAT in NSW, VCAT in Victoria, or the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management in Queensland. Tribunals generally expect you to have attempted resolution first.
Got a question about your building?
General guides only go so far. Ask the concierge about your actual by-laws, your levy notice or your leak — it's free, and there's no login.
Ask the conciergeThis guide is general information, not legal advice. Check the legislation for your state or speak to a qualified adviser before acting on anything significant.