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Strata managers are professionals who are responsible for the administration of owners corporations.

Strata Managers are responsible for ensuring buildings and common areas within a strata titled or community titled scheme are properly maintained for the benefit of all lot owners. They follow specific instructions issued by the owners committee.

Strata managers are specialists in their field, possessing the knowledge and skill to administer the owners corporation in accordance with the complex legislation requirements. They also work to achieve consensus in decision making by the lot owners, and to otherwise assist the lot owners by assuming onerous responsibilities.

Specific duties

Strata managers are involved in coordinating the affairs of lot owners including conducting meetings, collecting and banking levies, arranging property maintenance, advising on asset management, placing insurance and keeping financial accounts.

Their duties include:

set dates for committee meetings, the annual general meeting, extraordinary meetingsprepare and distribute notices, agendas and minutesattend to correspondenceorganise and co-ordinate repairs and maintenance of common property, including a preventative maintenance programmaintaining the owners corporation registerarrange payment of all invoicesprepare and distribute financial statements and budgetsprepare and distribute contribution noticesattend to orders, submissions and appealsensure the strata scheme complies with all the Work Health & Safety (WHS) regulationsprovide advice in handling ‘difficult’ or complex strata issues.

Professionalism

Engaging a strata manager that is a member of Strata Community Association (SCA) is an important step to ensure the professional and compliant administration of a strata scheme.

Strata legislation is complex and designed to protect the interests of its lot owners. A strata manager who knows the legislation well can prevent inadvertent errors which can be made by self-managing owners.

Members of SCA practising as strata managers are required to keep abreast of all changes in the relevant legislation through a program of continuing professional development and also maintain professional indemnity insurance. Not least, they are required to adhere to an ethical Code Of Conduct.

What Does a Strata Manager Do Day-to-Day?

A strata manager is engaged by an owners corporation to handle the administrative, financial, and compliance functions of running a strata scheme. On a day-to-day basis, this includes collecting and processing levy payments, paying invoices and managing the scheme's bank accounts, arranging routine maintenance and responding to repair requests, coordinating with tradespeople, and maintaining accurate records on behalf of the owners corporation. The strata manager also handles correspondence between lot owners, the committee, and external parties, and ensures the scheme's insurance policies are current and adequate.

Beyond routine administration, a strata manager is responsible for preparing and issuing notices for general meetings, recording and distributing minutes, advising the committee on compliance matters under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, and lodging any required documentation with NSW Fair Trading. For a broader overview of understanding strata and how the various roles within a scheme interact, the Strata One resource centre provides a useful foundation. The Strata Community Association also publishes industry standards that set out what professional strata management should look like in practice.

Legal Responsibilities of a Strata Manager in NSW

Strata managers in NSW operate under a formal agency agreement and are bound by the obligations set out in the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 and the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002. Their legal responsibilities include acting in the best interests of the owners corporation, maintaining proper financial records and trust accounting, holding a current licence issued by NSW Fair Trading, and ensuring the scheme meets its statutory obligations, including the preparation of a 10-year capital works plan and the maintenance of required insurance. NSW Fair Trading's guidance on roles and responsibilities in strata outlines these obligations clearly and is an important reference for any committee member.

A strata manager also has legal obligations around disclosure, conflict of interest, and the handling of trust funds. They must not make decisions that fall outside their delegated authority without committee or general meeting approval, and they are required to keep the owners corporation informed of any matters that may affect the scheme's financial or legal position. Understanding the hidden cost of strata management is part of understanding these legal relationships, particularly when it comes to fee structures, disbursements, and the scope of services included in a management agreement.

What a Strata Manager Is Not Responsible For

One of the most common sources of frustration in strata schemes is the misunderstanding of what a strata manager is and is not responsible for. A strata manager is not the decision-maker for the owners corporation. They do not have the authority to approve major expenditure, alter by-laws, or make binding decisions on behalf of lot owners without the appropriate resolution being passed at a general meeting. Their role is to implement the decisions of the owners corporation and committee, not to make those decisions independently.

A strata manager is also not responsible for the physical maintenance of the building itself. They coordinate and facilitate repairs and maintenance, but the underlying obligation to maintain common property rests with the owners corporation. Similarly, resolving disputes between neighbours or enforcing by-law compliance ultimately requires the owners corporation to take action, with the strata manager providing administrative support rather than exercising independent authority. The Property Owners Association of NSW is a useful resource for lot owners seeking to understand the boundaries of these responsibilities and their own rights within a scheme.

Owner and Committee Responsibilities

The strata committee is elected by lot owners at the annual general meeting and is responsible for making decisions about the day-to-day management of the scheme within the limits set by the owners corporation. Committee members are responsible for approving expenditure within their delegated authority, setting levy budgets for owners to vote on, overseeing the performance of the strata manager, and ensuring the building is maintained to an appropriate standard. These responsibilities cannot be delegated entirely to the strata manager, and a committee that is disengaged or uninformed is one of the most common factors in a poorly performing scheme.

Individual lot owners also carry responsibilities that are distinct from those of the committee and the strata manager. Owners are responsible for maintaining their own lot, paying levies on time, complying with the scheme's by-laws, and engaging constructively in the governance of the scheme through general meetings. Understanding the division of responsibilities between owners, the committee, and the strata manager is fundamental to a well-run scheme, and the strata manager vs committee distinction is one worth understanding clearly before raising concerns or assigning blame when things go wrong.

Checklist: Is Your Strata Manager Meeting the Standard?

Use this checklist to assess whether your current strata manager is performing their duties to a professional standard. If you find yourself answering no to several of these questions, it may be time to review your management arrangement.

Communication and Responsiveness

Does your strata manager respond to owner and committee enquiries within a reasonable timeframe, typically within one to two business days? Are meeting notices and agendas issued with sufficient lead time and in the correct format? Are minutes from general meetings and committee meetings distributed promptly after the meeting?

Financial Management 

Are levy notices issued on time and in line with the approved budget? Are the scheme's financial statements up to date and made available to the committee regularly? Is the capital works fund being contributed to at the level recommended in the 10-year plan? Are invoices paid accurately and on time without unexplained delays?

Compliance and Administration 

Is the scheme's insurance current and adequately valued? Are annual general meetings being held within the required timeframe? Are the strata roll and by-laws being maintained and updated correctly? Are any outstanding orders, notices, or compliance matters being actively managed and reported to the committee?

Maintenance Coordination 

Are routine maintenance requests being actioned within a reasonable timeframe? Are quotes being obtained for works above the committee's approval threshold? Is there a clear and accessible process for owners to report maintenance issues? Are tradespeople being engaged at competitive rates with appropriate insurances in place?

Transparency and Conduct 

Does your strata manager proactively advise the committee of any matters that may affect the scheme? Are all fees and disbursements clearly itemised and consistent with the management agreement? Is the manager acting in the interests of the owners corporation rather than their own commercial interests? Knowing the secret to a high-performing strata manager and the most overlooked quality of an effective strata manager can help committees set the right expectations from the outset.

When to Consider Changing Your Strata Manager

Persistent poor communication, unexplained fee increases, unresolved maintenance issues, and a committee that feels uninformed or unsupported are all signs that a change of strata manager may be warranted. A management agreement that is not delivering value for money, or a manager who is unresponsive to reasonable requests, is not something an owners corporation needs to accept. The process of changing strata managers is more straightforward than many committees realise, and the disruption of transitioning to a new manager is often far outweighed by the improvement in service and engagement that follows.

Under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, an owners corporation can terminate a strata management agreement by resolution at a general meeting, subject to the notice requirements and termination provisions in the agreement itself. A strata manager can also be removed without cause in certain circumstances. If your scheme is at this point, the Strata One guide on how to change strata companies walks through the process in plain language, covering what to check in your current agreement, how to run a proper tender process, and what to expect during the transition.

How Strata One Works With Committees

Strata One's approach to strata management is built on consistent communication, transparent reporting, and treating the committee as a genuine partner in the running of the scheme. We provide committees with regular financial updates, clear maintenance tracking, and proactive advice on compliance and governance matters so that decisions are always made with accurate, current information. Our managers carry manageable portfolios, which means they have the capacity to give each scheme the attention it deserves rather than managing by exception.

We also invest in helping committees understand their role and how to exercise it effectively. A well-informed committee produces better outcomes for the whole scheme, and we see educating and supporting committee members as a core part of what we do, not an optional extra. Whether your scheme is newly established or has been under the same management for many years without a proper review, Strata One offers a straightforward process to assess whether the current arrangement is working and what better management could look like for your building.

Ready for Management That Actually Delivers? Request a Review Meeting Today.

If your owners corporation has been tolerating slow responses, unexplained costs, or a strata manager who seems to be running on autopilot, a management review meeting is the clearest first step toward something better. There is no obligation and no disruption to your current arrangement until you decide to act.

Request a management review meeting with Strata One, and we will assess your scheme's current position, talk through what your committee needs from a strata manager, and give you an honest picture of how we can help. Get in touch with our team to book your review at a time that suits you.