What is an owners corporation certificate?

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

What the certificate must include

CAV lists the information the certificate must include. It falls into a few groups.

Money for the lot

• the current fees for each quarter, year or other period
• the date up to which fees are paid, and any total unpaid
• special fees or levies that have been struck, with the dates they were struck and are payable

Money and obligations of the owners corporation

• the total funds it holds
• any other liabilities, such as borrowings, with details
• repairs, maintenance or other work done or about to be done that could add charges beyond those above
• contracts, leases, licences or agreements affecting common property, and agreements to provide services to owners, occupiers or the public

Insurance

• details of the insurance cover the owners corporation holds
• whether members may arrange their own insurance

Legal and management matters

• notices or orders served on the owners corporation in the last 12 months
• legal proceedings it is party to, and circumstances likely to lead to proceedings
• any manager appointed, with the manager's name and address
• whether an administrator has been appointed or proposed

Attached to the certificate must be a copy of the rules as recorded on the Register, a prescribed statement of advice and information for prospective purchasers and lot owners, the resolutions made at the last annual general meeting, and a statement that more information is available from the owners corporation register.

Cost and timing

The owners corporation can charge up to a maximum, which depends on how fast the certificate is issued. The maximum is set in fee units, and CAV gives the value of a fee unit as $17.27 for 2026-27. The table converts each maximum for a standard first certificate. CAV lists the maximums as not including GST.

The exact amount on an invoice can differ by a few cents depending on how it is rounded. CAV also lists lower maximums for additional certificates ordered by the same applicant from owners corporations with the same manager (5.3, 7.95 and 9.54 fee units, for the three speeds).

An owners corporation can set a lower fee, or no fee, by a committee decision or an ordinary resolution. CAV also says a fee that recovers more than the actual cost may be unreasonable and in breach of the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012.

If a lot is covered by more than one owners corporation, CAV says each may charge a separate fee. CAV describes developments with an unlimited owners corporation that owns the common property and limited ones that apply to only some lots, so a buyer in such an estate may need more than one certificate.

Townhouse points

• Two-lot pairs. A two-lot owners corporation is exempt from many requirements, but CAV says it must still issue certificates within 10 business days of a written application and the fee.
• Off the plan. An owners corporation comes into being when the plan of subdivision is registered. A buyer who signs before registration may be reading proposed documents rather than a certificate from a running owners corporation. What to check in an off-the-plan contract covers the contract side, and a conveyancer can say what the vendor's statement contains.
• Rules. The attached rules should match those registered at Land Use Victoria, and owners can later change them by special resolution.

Reading it as a buyer

CAV's buyer checklist poses questions that the certificate and register can help answer: whether the fees are manageable, whether there is a maintenance fund, any money owed to or by the owners corporation, any special levy for proposed works, and whether any legal proceedings affect it. For a townhouse, the insurance section shows what cover the owners corporation holds and whether members may arrange their own insurance, so ask who insures each building.

Common questions

Who can ask for an owners corporation certificate?

Any person can apply in writing and pay the fee. A seller needs one for the Section 32 statement. CAV also says a buyer can ask for a new certificate before settlement.

How long does the owners corporation have to issue it?

Within 10 business days after it receives the application and the fee. The owners corporation can offer faster service, at 3 to 5 business days or 2 business days, at a higher fee up to the prescribed maximum.

Does a two-lot townhouse pair need one?

Yes. CAV says all owners corporations, including those for a two-lot subdivision, must issue a certificate to anyone who submits a written application with the fee. Two-lot schemes are exempt from many other obligations but not from this one.

Is there a certificate in other states?

Yes, under different names and rules. Queensland's version is the body corporate certificate, completed on BCCM form 33 (or form 34 for specified two-lot schemes). See what a body corporate is for the Queensland process.

Keep reading

• What is an owners corporation, and what does it do?
• The Owners Corporations Act 2006 in plain English
• What is a strata report and how do you get one?
• How much are strata and body corporate fees?
• What should you check in an off the plan contract?
• Community title explained: how it works in each state

Sources

• Owners Corporations Act 2006, Victorian Legislation
• Owners Corporations Regulations 2018, Victorian Legislation
• Records, owners corporations, Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Fees, owners corporations, Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Two-lot subdivisions, Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Buying an apartment or unit checklist, Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Multiple owners corporations, Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Indexation of fees and penalties, Department of Treasury and Finance Victoria
• Buying a body corporate property, Queensland Government

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