Building management responsibilities: what the owners corporation and its managers must do

Who is legally responsible?

Section 106 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) says the owners corporation must properly maintain and keep in a state of good and serviceable repair the common property and its personal property, and must renew or replace fixtures and fittings. It can only opt out for a particular item by special resolution, and only if that will not affect safety or detract from the building's appearance. An owner can claim damages for reasonably foreseeable loss caused by a breach, within six years of becoming aware of the loss (Strata Schemes Management Act 2015).

NSW Fair Trading can now investigate breaches of this duty, ask for a rectification plan, issue compliance notices or seek enforceable undertakings (NSW Government – Strata repairs and maintenance).

A building manager has no separate duty to fund repairs, but since 27 October 2025 must act promptly to bring repair, maintenance and safety issues to the owners corporation's attention and propose how to fix them (NSW Government – Who's who in strata).

Day-to-day responsibilities checklist

Fire safety

Most strata buildings need an annual fire safety statement confirming fire safety measures have been assessed and are working. The strata manager or committee organises it using the NSW Planning template, an accredited fire safety practitioner does the assessment, and the statement goes to the local council and Fire and Rescue NSW. Critical fire safety measures may need more frequent checks. Class 1a buildings such as townhouses do not need one (NSW Government – Strata safety).

From 13 February 2026 all NSW apartment buildings must have essential fire safety systems inspected, tested and serviced to Australian Standard AS 1851 unless a performance solution applies, and the tester must leave a physical logbook on site. The AGM agenda must include an item on the annual fire safety statement.

Lifts

Lifts are common property in most apartment buildings, so the owners corporation keeps them maintained under section 106 and funds replacement through the capital works fund. NSW Fair Trading uses lifts as its example of the building manager duty: a manager must raise a lift outage they know about, and overdue lift maintenance they ought to know about. Practical tasks include keeping the service contract and logbook current, posting outage notices and managing lift bookings and protective pads for moves.

Repairs and contractors

Minor common property repairs can be handled by the committee, strata manager or building manager without a meeting, usually from the administrative fund. Bigger work follows the 10-year capital works plan. Where the owners corporation approves work valued at more than $30,000, it must get at least two independent quotes, unless it is an emergency repair such as a burst pipe, storm damage or broken glass affecting security. Contracts should be checked for unfair terms (NSW Government – Strata repairs and maintenance).

Access cards, keys and moves

The NSW common property memorandum, if a scheme adopts it, makes keys, security cards and access passes a lot owner responsibility (NSW Government – Common property memorandum). In practice, building management issues and cancels cards under a building policy, checks that a tenant has a current lease and cancels cards when people move out. Issuing keys or access devices to existing residents is a task NSW Fair Trading lists as not needing a strata licence.

Moves are where common property gets damaged. Most buildings use by-laws or house rules to require lift bookings, lift protection and set hours. Under the model by-laws, people must not obstruct common property except temporarily.

Records

The owners corporation must keep the strata roll, financial records, correspondence, meeting documents and contracts with strata and building managers, generally for seven years. Records created from 11 June 2024 must be kept electronically (NSW Government – Record keeping). Approved minor renovations must be recorded for 10 years.

How Watchdog Strata helps

Watchdog Strata gives building management one place for maintenance tickets with photos and status history, access-card requests with lease checks and revocation, and lift and loading-dock bookings that residents request and management approves, with emails to building management. It is A$999 per building per year, residents are free, and there is a three-month free trial. It does not keep an asset register or check contractor compliance.

General information only, not legal advice. Check the current legislation or ask a strata lawyer for your scheme.