Watchdog StrataBuilding & strata app
Guide · Defects

How to report a defect or repair in a strata building

Short answerIn NSW, owners report common property defects to the strata manager, building manager or strata committee; tenants report to their landlord or agent. Keep photos, dates and a tradesperson's report. The owners corporation must repair common property under section 106 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW). Statutory warranties run 6 years for major defects and 2 years for others.
Checked 15 October 2026Australia
  • Common property problem: tell the building manager, strata manager or committee. Inside your lot: usually your own repair.
  • Tenants report to their agent or landlord, not the owners corporation.
  • Evidence wins: photos, video, date first noticed, location, and any trade report on the cause.
  • Builder warranties under the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW): 6 years for major defects, 2 years for other defects.
  • If the owners corporation will not act: motion at a general meeting, free Fair Trading mediation, then a Fair Trading complaint or NCAT.

Is it a repair for me or the owners corporation?

The owners corporation must maintain and repair common property (s 106 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW)). Owners repair what is within their lot. NSW Fair Trading's general split (NSW Government – Strata repairs and maintenance):

Usually the ownerUsually the owners corporation
Internal walls, carpet, internal paintingRoof, gutters, boundary walls, concrete slab
Lights hanging into your lotCommon property lights and recessed ceiling lights
Plumbing in internal walls and fixturesPlumbing in boundary walls and under the floor
Water damage from inside your lotWater damage from common property
Appliances and whitegoodsBalconies, balcony doors, windows and window locks, garage

Your strata plan and by-laws decide the edge cases. A common property rights by-law can make an owner responsible for maintaining a particular area.

How do I report it?

  1. Make it safe. For a burst pipe, turn off the water if you can and tell building management straight away.
  2. Record it. Take photos and video, note the date and time you first noticed it and exactly where it is.
  3. Report it in writing to the building manager, strata manager or committee secretary. A written report creates a date. Since 27 October 2025, NSW building managers must act promptly to bring repair and safety issues to the owners corporation's attention and propose a fix (NSW Government – Who's who in strata).
  4. Check the minutes. For non-urgent items, the issue may already be planned in the 10-year capital works plan or discussed at a meeting.
  5. Follow up with your reference and ask when it will be quoted, approved and fixed.

Tenants should report to their real estate agent or landlord, who takes it up with the strata manager.

Emergency repairs

If the problem is urgent and you cannot reach anyone, an owner can call a licensed tradesperson. You may be able to get reimbursed if you show the cause was the owners corporation's responsibility and the work was necessary and urgent, so get a written report from the tradesperson and keep photos. The owners corporation can raise emergency levies with 14 days' notice where there is a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

What if it is a building defect in a newer building?

  • Statutory warranties: under the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), 6 years from completion for major defects (such as structural elements, fire safety systems and waterproofing) and 2 years for other defects. If you discover a breach in the last 6 months of the period, there is an extra 6 months to start proceedings (Building Commission NSW – Building defect complaints).
  • Building bond: for residential apartment buildings of four storeys or more with contracts from 1 January 2018, the developer lodges a bond of 2% of the contract price, which can fund rectification of defects found in the scheme's inspections.
  • Decennial liability insurance: a developer can instead take out 10-year defect insurance for buildings over three storeys, covering structure, fire safety and waterproofing (Building Commission NSW – Ten-year defect insurance).
  • Serious defects: owners corporations with buildings up to 10 years old can lodge serious common property defects with Building Commission NSW.

The owners corporation, not individual owners, usually brings defect claims for common property. The AGM agenda must include building defects until the warranty periods end.

What if nothing happens?

  1. Submit a motion for the next general meeting so owners decide.
  2. Apply for free NSW Fair Trading mediation. Owners, landlords and tenants can apply where a common property repair is delayed.
  3. Lodge a complaint with Fair Trading. If mediation fails or the owners corporation will not take part, Fair Trading can assess a breach of the repair duty and seek a rectification plan, issue a compliance notice or seek enforceable undertakings.
  4. Claim for loss. An owner can sue for reasonably foreseeable loss from a breach of section 106, within 6 years of becoming aware of the loss.
An owners corporation can delay repairing damage while it takes action against the person who caused it, but not if the delay affects building safety or someone's access to or use of common property or a lot (s 106(4)).

What makes a good defect report?

  • One issue per report, with a clear title ("Water stain on ceiling, unit 1204 bedroom").
  • Wide and close-up photos, plus video for leaks or noises.
  • When it started, whether it is getting worse, and whether it affects safety or access.
  • Any tradesperson's opinion on the cause.
  • Your contact details and access availability.

How Watchdog Strata helps

Residents report issues from their phone with photos, video and priority through maintenance and defect tickets. Each ticket has a timestamped status timeline and internal notes for management. Owners can see all building issues with the reporter's name hidden, while tenants see only their own. The change history exports to CSV, Excel or PDF if a dispute reaches mediation or NCAT.

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

Questions people ask

Who do I report a strata defect to?

Owners report common property problems to the building manager, strata manager or strata committee. Tenants report to their real estate agent or landlord.

How long is the builder’s warranty on a NSW apartment?

Under the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), 6 years from completion for major defects and 2 years for other defects.

Who pays to fix a leak from the unit above?

If it comes from common property, such as pipes in a boundary wall or under the floor, the owners corporation usually pays. If it comes from fixtures inside the upstairs lot, that owner is usually responsible.

What can I do if the owners corporation will not fix common property?

Raise a motion at a general meeting, then apply for free NSW Fair Trading mediation. If that fails, Fair Trading can investigate and take compliance action, and you may claim for loss within 6 years.

Sources

  1. NSW Government – Strata repairs and maintenance
  2. Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) – s 106
  3. Building Commission NSW – Building defect complaints
  4. Building Commission NSW – Ten-year defect insurance for apartment buildings
  5. NSW Government – Who’s who in strata
  6. NSW Government – Strata disputes and complaints

See it running in a real building

Open the live demo as an owner, a tenant or the building manager. No sign-up, and it resets every night.

Open the live demo Book a walkthrough