Is community title the same as strata title?

No, though they overlap. Strata schemes divide a building or group of buildings into lots with shared common property. According to NSW and WA government pages, community schemes can combine land lots, building lots and several tiers in one development. See community title versus strata title for a side-by-side comparison.

Is a body corporate the same as a community title scheme in Queensland?

Most Queensland bodies corporate are community titles schemes under the BCCM Act. Others, with no community management statement registered, fall under older Acts such as the Building Units and Group Titles Act 1980. Titles Queensland can say which applies.

Who sets the rules in a community scheme?

The scheme documents do. In NSW they are the by-laws in the management statement, in Queensland the by-laws in the community management statement, and in SA the by-laws, which can carry a penalty if breached. Owners and tenants must follow them.

Where do disputes go?

It varies. In NSW, the Government's owner page says an association can apply to the Tribunal over by-law breaches, and an owner whose payment plan request is refused can seek mediation through Fair Trading. In Queensland, the Government's body corporate dispute resolution services take conciliation and adjudication applications. The SA Government says there is no government agency to oversee strata or community title management, and disputes can go to the Magistrates Court or Community Mediation Services.

Community title explained: how it works in each state

Community title is a form of land title in which each owner holds a lot, and the owners share common property that a legal body manages for them. The body is called a community corporation in South Australia and Western Australia, an association in NSW and a body corporate in Queensland. This page reflects government sources for those four states as at October 2026.

Some townhouse estates are set up this way, so the label on a contract matters. This guide covers New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. Victoria uses owners corporations, covered in what an owners corporation is. For the other states and territories, check the local land titles office.

A community scheme can be a one-street townhouse estate or a multi-tier development with shops, parks and apartments. The by-laws, levies and insurance duties vary, so read the scheme's own documents, not just its title name.

Checked October 2026. Rules, rates and prices change, so confirm anything that matters with the source linked below.

What community title means

The Queensland Government describes a community titles scheme as at least two lots, common property, a single body corporate and a single community management statement registered with Titles Queensland. Most Queensland bodies corporate are schemes of this kind, regulated by the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997.

The South Australian Government uses similar words. When land is divided into at least two lots and an area of common property, it is a community plan. Each owner receives a community title for a lot, and common property is shared land such as driveways.

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How it works in each state

State	Law	Governing body	Key document
New South Wales	Community Land Development Act 2021 and Community Land Management Act 2021	Association	Management statement with by-laws
Queensland	Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997	Body corporate	Community management statement
Western Australia	Community Titles Act 2018	Community corporation	Scheme by-laws
South Australia	Community Titles Act 1996	Community corporation	By-laws

New South Wales. Community, precinct and neighbourhood schemes are forms of land title for developing land with shared association property. A community scheme must have two or more development lots, often subdivided further by a precinct, neighbourhood or strata scheme. A neighbourhood scheme is like a strata scheme but typically consists of freestanding houses or townhouses. The association starts when the plan is registered, usually by the developer, and every scheme must have a registered management statement.

Queensland. The scheme's community management statement records the scheme land, the regulation module, the lot entitlement schedules and the by-laws. Five regulation modules apply: Standard, Accommodation, Commercial, Small Schemes (six lots or fewer) and Specified Two-lot Schemes. The developer sets the module, and the body corporate can change it later.

Western Australia. Landgate says community titles schemes were introduced in 2021 under the Community Titles Act 2018. A single parcel can be subdivided into up to three tiers of schemes, and building schemes and land schemes can sit in one development. Each scheme has its own community corporation, which Landgate describes as the body corporate managing the by-laws, common property and finances.

South Australia. The community corporation forms when the plan is deposited with Land Services SA. It manages the common property and enforces the by-laws, and each lot owner has one vote. SA describes two kinds. In a community strata arrangement the boundaries are set by the buildings and the buildings are common property. In a community scheme the boundaries are surveyed land measurements, and each owner must maintain and insure the buildings on their lot.

What a townhouse buyer owns and maintains

The split between the owner and the group depends on the scheme.

In Queensland, a townhouse complex registered under a standard format plan is the state's example of a scheme where each lot has a building and a yard. The lot owner is generally responsible for the exterior walls, doors, windows and roof within the boundary and for lawns and driveways inside it. The body corporate usually maintains roads, gardens and facilities on common property.
In Queensland the body corporate must insure each building that shares a wall with another building. The owner insures a freestanding building on a standard format plan, unless a voluntary scheme is set up.
In SA, an owner on a community scheme maintains and insures the buildings on their lot.
In NSW, members are responsible for maintenance and repairs within their own lot, and the association is responsible for the association property.

What owners pay

Costs are shared by lot entitlements, set when the scheme is created.

State	What the sources describe
NSW	A contribution levy set from a budget, special levies for large or unforeseen works shared by unit entitlement, an administrative fund for day-to-day costs and a capital works fund for major work
Queensland	An administrative fund budget and a sinking fund budget approved at the annual general meeting, with each lot's share set by the contribution schedule
WA	Unit entitlements decide relative ownership of common property and the proportion of levies, and a licensed valuer sets and certifies them
SA	Lot entitlements decide each owner's share of insurance and other fees

Worked example (hypothetical). The Queensland Government's example is an eight-lot scheme whose contribution schedule totals 8 entitlements. A lot with 1 entitlement carries 1 / 8 = 12.5% of the costs. If the year's budget were $24,000, that lot's share would be $24,000 x 12.5% = $3,000.

NSW contributions are not refundable when an owner leaves the scheme, and unpaid contributions can attract simple interest of 10% a year, according to the NSW Government. Queensland allows interest of up to 2.5% a month where the body corporate has resolved to charge it. Fee levels are not published as a range by any of these sources, so the proposed budget for the scheme is the figure to ask for. How much strata and body corporate fees are explains how budgets are built.

New schemes and developer control

In NSW, a scheme has an initial period during which the developer controls the association. For a neighbourhood scheme it ends when one-third of the total unit entitlement has been transferred from the original owner. During this period the association cannot, for example, borrow money, give securities or add land to the scheme, unless the Tribunal authorises it. The management statement and its by-laws bind everyone who lives or works in the scheme, including visitors, so they deserve a close read.

Common questions

Is community title the same as strata title?: No, though they overlap. Strata schemes divide a building or group of buildings into lots with shared common property. According to NSW and WA government pages, community schemes can combine land lots, building lots and several tiers in one development. See community title versus strata title for a side-by-side comparison.
Is a body corporate the same as a community title scheme in Queensland?: Most Queensland bodies corporate are community titles schemes under the BCCM Act. Others, with no community management statement registered, fall under older Acts such as the Building Units and Group Titles Act 1980. Titles Queensland can say which applies.
Who sets the rules in a community scheme?: The scheme documents do. In NSW they are the by-laws in the management statement, in Queensland the by-laws in the community management statement, and in SA the by-laws, which can carry a penalty if breached. Owners and tenants must follow them.
Where do disputes go?: It varies. In NSW, the Government's owner page says an association can apply to the Tribunal over by-law breaches, and an owner whose payment plan request is refused can seek mediation through Fair Trading. In Queensland, the Government's body corporate dispute resolution services take conciliation and adjudication applications. The SA Government says there is no government agency to oversee strata or community title management, and disputes can go to the Magistrates Court or Community Mediation Services.

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Sources

This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Get advice that suits your situation before you buy.