How do you change strata manager?
In NSW, an owners corporation changes its strata manager by passing a majority vote at an annual or extraordinary general meeting, after checking the existing contract's end date and exit terms. It can also decline to reappoint the manager when the term ends, or apply to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT). Rules below were checked in October 2026.
Checked October 2026. Rules, rates and prices change, so confirm anything that matters with the source linked below.
Three ways to end a management agreement in NSW
NSW Fair Trading says an owners corporation can:
- choose not to reappoint the manager at the end of the contract
- vote to remove the manager at the next general meeting
- apply to the Tribunal to remove the manager.
Fair Trading lists reasons an owners corporation might remove a manager: ongoing trouble contacting the manager, facilities not being maintained, finances not being managed properly, or commissions not properly disclosed. Since 27 October 2025 there is also a Tribunal ground where a manager acts unlawfully, for example by breaching a duty under the strata laws.
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Step by step in NSW
- Read the contract. A copy of the strata managing agent agreement must be available to the owners corporation at all times. Check the early termination conditions and what they cost. Fair Trading says that if the exit options look unreasonable, the owners corporation should consider applying to the Tribunal.
- Check the dates. The manager must give notice of expiry between three and six months before the agreement ends.
- Choose the meeting. Wait for the annual general meeting (AGM) if it is close, or hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM). Owners holding at least 25 per cent of the unit entitlements can call a general meeting, and it must be held within 14 days of the call. Owners must get at least 7 days' notice of a general meeting and 14 days for an AGM.
- Build a shortlist. Fair Trading suggests at least three candidates from the Strata manager finder on Strata Hub, which shows licence status and compliance records.
- Decide the tasks and request proposals. Agree which jobs to delegate, then compare at least three proposals. Fair Trading suggests weighing experience, responsiveness, how clear the fees are, and the process and cost of leaving before the contract ends.
- Review the draft agreements. The secretary attaches the preferred draft to the AGM agenda, and two independent drafts if fees are expected to exceed $30,000. Fair Trading says every term can be negotiated.
- Vote. Appointing or removing a manager needs a majority vote at the meeting.
- Notify and hand over. If the motion passes, the owners corporation must write to the outgoing manager. Fair Trading says there needs to be a handover to the new manager, or to the strata committee if there is none.
Contract rules that shape the timing
| Rule | NSW position |
|---|---|
| First appointment, at the scheme's first AGM | 12 months at most |
| Later agreements | Up to three years |
| Expiry notice from the manager | Between three and six months before the end date |
| Contract ends before the next AGM | The strata committee can extend it up to three months at a time, giving the manager at least one month's written notice if it will not extend again |
| Manager's extra three months | Available only for a three-year agreement, if the owners corporation did not renew, did not want an extension and did not give the manager three months' written notice |
| Banned terms | The owners corporation paying for the manager's professional indemnity liability, or a cap on the manager's liability unless an approved professional standards scheme applies |
Since 1 July 2025, unfair terms in standard form contracts are also banned. Fair Trading's example is an excessive charge for ending the agreement. The ban applies to contracts made, renewed or varied from that date.
Victoria and Queensland
Victoria. Consumer Affairs Victoria says a manager is appointed by ordinary resolution at a meeting or by ballot, and removed by a vote at a general meeting or a postal ballot, or by applying to VCAT. For contracts made on or after 1 December 2021, appointments cannot exceed three years, and terms are void if they require more than a simple majority to revoke the appointment, or require three months or more notice to revoke for tier one and two owners corporations (one month or more for tiers three to five). After termination the manager has 28 days to return funds and records. See owners corporation managers in Victoria.
Queensland. A body corporate engages a manager by ordinary resolution at a general meeting, for no longer than three years, and the contract terms must be in the meeting papers. The Queensland Government says an engagement can end by agreement, if the manager is convicted of an offence involving dishonesty, fraud or assault, or if they fail to perform or comply with the legislation or code of conduct. In the last case the body corporate first serves a remedial action notice giving at least 14 days to fix the problem, then terminates by ordinary resolution at a general meeting. The page advises getting independent legal advice about the contract.
When the Tribunal is involved
NCAT can hear an application to change or end a management agreement. It is a separate path from the owners corporation's own vote and takes time. The Tribunal can also appoint a compulsory strata manager if an owners corporation is not doing its duties.
Common questions
- How long does it take to change strata manager?
It depends on the contract and meeting dates. Owners can wait for the next AGM or hold an extraordinary meeting, which needs at least 7 days' notice. The contract's termination clause and any notice period also matter, so read it first.
- Can the strata committee change the manager without a meeting?
Fair Trading's steps describe a motion passed by majority vote at an AGM or extraordinary meeting. The only committee power it describes is extending an expiring agreement, up to three months at a time, until the next AGM. Whether a particular scheme has delegated more depends on its own resolutions, so ask the secretary.
- Will leaving early cost money?
That depends on the termination clause. Fair Trading says to check the conditions and the cost of leaving before the contract ends, and treats an excessive charge for ending an agreement as an example of a possibly unfair term. A solicitor or the Tribunal can advise on a specific contract.
- What happens to the records and money?
Fair Trading says there needs to be a handover to the new manager, or to the strata committee if there is no replacement. A copy of the strata managing agent agreement must be available to the owners corporation at all times, so check it for any handover clause. In Victoria, the outgoing manager has 28 days to return funds and records after termination.
Keep reading
- What does a strata manager do?
- Owners corporation managers in Victoria: what they do and what to check
- What is an owners corporation, and what does it do?
- What do strata by-laws cover and how are they changed?
- How much are strata and body corporate fees?
- Community title explained: how it works in each state
Sources
- Appointing strata managers and other workers, NSW Government
- Strata meetings, NSW Government
- Guide to strata law changes for strata committees and owners, NSW Government
- Changes to strata laws, NSW Fair Trading
- Working with your owners corporation manager, Consumer Affairs Victoria
- Body corporate manager, Queensland Government
This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Get advice that suits your situation before you buy.