Highlights
- Delegated Authority: Strata managers act purely as administrative advisors, executing directives passed by the committee rather than inventing building policy.
- Common Property Focus: Managing agents exclusively oversee shared areas, meaning internal apartment maintenance rests entirely on individual lot owners.
- Financial Management: Agents administer capital works funds and collect levies into trust accounts, but they don’t set contribution amounts.
- Conflict Mediation Limitations: Managers can issue formal breach notices for by-law infractions, but they can’t arbitrate personal neighbourly disputes.
- Insurance Coordination: While strata managers arrange building-wide valuations and policy quotes, lot owners must secure private contents insurance.
- Contractor Management: Managing agents engage licensed trades for common property repairs, but routine on-site caretakers handle day-to-day building operations.
Navigating multi-unit living often comes with a steep learning curve, particularly when understanding who does what behind the scenes. Strata scheme apartment owners frequently mistake their strata manager for a site superintendent, landlord or all-powerful decision-maker.
In reality, a licensed, local strata management company operates under a specific legal framework governed by strict delegated authority. Clarifying the exact boundary between a strata manager’s obligations and the duties belonging to the elected strata committee prevents misunderstandings and ensures your scheme operates smoothly.
What Is the Core Responsibility of a Strata Manager?
A strata manager acts as an expert administrative and compliance officer engaged by the Owners Corporation to ensure the property meets strict statutory requirements. Rather than making independent choices, the manager executes decisions made by the lot owners.
- Financial Record Keeping: Preparing annual operating budgets, balancing administrative and capital works funds and issuing levy contribution notices.
- Regulatory Compliance: Facilitating annual fire safety statements, arranging building valuations and updating Work Health & Safety (WHS) reports.
- Secretarial Oversight: Issuing formal notices, organising Annual General Meetings (AGMs), recording voting minutes and maintaining the statutory strata roll.
- Insurance Administration: Placing mandatory building and public liability insurance policies while processing claims on behalf of the scheme.
Does a Strata Manager Decide How Levies Are Spent?
No, a strata manager doesn’t decide how levies are spent or set the annual contribution amounts. The financial budget is drafted based on expected maintenance and operational costs, but the final numbers must be voted on and approved by the majority of owners at a general meeting. The manager simply manages the trust account, collects payments, pays approved invoices and tracks late payments on behalf of the scheme. For further reading on financial governance, review the official regulatory framework at NSW Fair Trading.
Is Your Strata Manager Responsible for Fixing Internal Repairs?
No, strata managers are strictly responsible for common property and have no authority or obligation to repair private property inside an owner’s unit. If an internal item breaks, the responsibility rests entirely on the individual lot owner or their tenant’s property manager.
- What Strata Managers Cover (Common Property): External walls, roof structures, shared plumbing stacks, foyer elevators and communal gardens.
- What Lot Owners Cover (Private Property): Internal light fixtures, kitchen appliances, internal wall paint, carpets and private plumbing fixtures.
- The Boundary Rule: If a pipe bursts inside a cavity wall serving multiple units, it falls under strata management. If an under-sink flexi-hose leaks inside a kitchen cabinet, the owner pays.
Can a Strata Manager Resolve Disputes Between Neighbours?
No, a strata manager isn’t a legal mediator or police officer and can’t directly intervene in personal disputes between neighbours. If a resident plays loud music late at night or parks in the wrong space, the manager can’t forcibly remove the offender or fine them on the spot. Instead, their role is to issue formal written warnings or “Notices to Comply” when an official complaint is lodged alongside evidence. For ongoing issues, parties are advised to access formal dispute resolution channels through government agencies like the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).
Does the Strata Manager Manage On-Site Daily Operations?
No, a strata manager typically works off-site and doesn’t handle daily on-site building operations. Owners frequently confuse strata managers with building managers or property managers. While a strata manager coordinates big-picture maintenance contracts, an on-site building manager handles daily physical operations like cleaning, key fob issuance and supervising trade access. To better understand professional standards and industry distinctions, visit the Strata Community Association.
Understanding the defined boundaries of your strata manager’s role eliminates friction and leads to better outcomes for your community. A strata manager is an indispensable legislative and financial partner, but they operate as an administrator taking direction from the Owners Corporation rather than an all-powerful landlord. By knowing when to contact your managing agent for common property compliance—and when to address internal repairs or tenancy matters independently—you can ensure your property remains compliant, secure and financially sound.
