What does a strata manager do?
A strata manager, called a strata managing agent in NSW, helps an owners corporation run its scheme by coordinating meetings, sending levy notices, keeping records, arranging insurance and doing whichever other jobs the owners corporation hands over. No NSW law requires a scheme to have one, but NSW Fair Trading says most do. 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.
The jobs a strata manager can do
In NSW the owners corporation chooses which jobs go to the manager. It can delegate some or all of its functions, including the duties of the treasurer, secretary and chairperson. Fair Trading lists these examples:
- coordinating and conducting meetings, and sending notices and agendas
- collecting and banking levies, and paying invoices
- obtaining insurance and handling claims
- advising on asset management
- keeping the financial records and other scheme records
- issuing a notice to comply with a by-law
- providing section 184 certificates to buyers
- arranging for owners to inspect records
- giving residents at least five days' notice before a pesticide treatment.
Fair Trading describes the manager as often the main contact for owners, with the power to enforce by-laws and access to the owners corporation's money.
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What a strata manager cannot do
Some decisions stay with the owners and the committee. In NSW a strata manager cannot:
- change the by-laws
- remove a strata committee member
- hire a building manager
- set levy amounts
- decide a request for a payment plan
- decide a request to waive interest.
Strata manager, building manager and property manager
These three roles are easy to confuse, and a townhouse scheme may have only one of them.
| Role | What they look after | Who they act for |
|---|---|---|
| Strata manager | The running of the scheme: meetings, budgets, levies, insurance, paying invoices | The owners corporation |
| Building manager | The buildings and common property, such as bins, access and repairs | The owners corporation |
| Property manager | The rental, for the landlord | The landlord |
A tenant usually deals with the property manager, not the strata manager, who represents only the owners.
Who regulates strata managers
| State | Rule in the official source |
|---|---|
| NSW | A strata managing agent licence is required, in two classes, with training. Licence status and compliance records can be checked through Verify NSW |
| Victoria | A paid manager must be registered with the Business Licensing Authority and hold professional indemnity insurance. A volunteer manager does not have to be registered |
| Queensland | The Queensland Government says managers do not currently need a licence, and no formal qualifications are required. A code of conduct applies |
The Victorian page was last updated in 2021 and the Queensland page in September 2024, so recheck both for changes. Other states and territories are not covered here.
Reporting, disclosure and contract rules in NSW
Reporting. A strata manager must record the jobs they do for the owners corporation and give those records to it every six months.
Disclosure. Fair Trading says managers face expanded disclosure duties. They need the owners corporation's approval, with a written explanation, before accepting a commission or training service that is not in line with the management agreement. Before appointment they must disclose connections to routine suppliers and whether they advised the developer on strata plans in the previous two years. Insurance quotes must set out the base premium, any commission and broker fees, who receives them and GST, and a manager cannot take commission on insurance the owners corporation arranged without their help. A manager must offer at least three insurance quotes or explain in writing why that is not possible.
The contract.
- A manager first appointed at the scheme's first annual general meeting (AGM) can be appointed for only 12 months. After that, agreements can run up to three years.
- The manager must give notice of expiry between three and six months before the end date.
- Terms making the owners corporation pay for the manager's professional indemnity liability are banned, as are terms capping their liability, unless an approved professional standards scheme covers the agreement.
- Unfair terms in standard form contracts supplied to owners corporations are banned, for contracts made, renewed or varied from 1 July 2025.
What it costs
Neither Fair Trading nor the other state pages set a fee for strata management, so the price sits in the management agreement. Fair Trading says all terms can be negotiated, even when a manager calls the contract standard, and that the owners corporation should compare at least three proposals. If fees are expected to exceed $30,000, the secretary must attach two independent draft agreements to the AGM agenda. See what body corporate fees usually cover.
New and small townhouse schemes
In a new NSW scheme the developer cannot appoint a strata manager or building manager to continue past the first AGM, so the owners corporation makes its own choice at or after that meeting. Small schemes can run without a manager, because NSW has no legal requirement to hire one. Queensland also says a body corporate is not legally required to have a manager. When owners want to switch, see how to change strata manager.
Common questions
- Do I need a strata manager?
No. NSW Fair Trading says there is no legal requirement to employ a professional strata manager. Many schemes do because committee members are volunteers and a manager helps coordinate the owners' affairs. Queensland likewise says a body corporate is not required to have a manager.
- Who do I contact about a common property repair?
In NSW, Fair Trading says owners should ask their strata manager or strata committee for common property repairs, and tenants should ask their landlord. The strata roll lists the manager's name and contact details, and the Strata search tool can also identify the manager.
- How can I check a strata manager is licensed?
In NSW, Fair Trading's guide points to the Verify NSW licence register. The Strata manager finder on Strata Hub also shows licence status and any compliance records, such as disciplinary action. In Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria says a paid manager must be registered with the Business Licensing Authority.
- Does the strata manager work for individual owners?
No. Fair Trading says a strata manager helps the owners corporation and strata committee, and the owners corporation chooses which jobs to delegate. Tenants generally have no direct dealings with the manager, who represents only the owners. Fair Trading says an owner with an issue about a manager should talk to the owners corporation, which can choose not to reappoint, vote to remove, or apply to the Tribunal.
Keep reading
- How do you change strata manager?
- What is an owners corporation, and what does it do?
- Owners corporation managers in Victoria: what they do and what to check
- How much are strata and body corporate fees?
- What do strata by-laws cover and how are they changed?
- Community title explained: how it works in each state
Sources
- Who's who in strata, NSW Government
- Appointing strata managers and other workers, NSW Government
- Guide to strata law changes for strata committees and owners, NSW Government
- Managing strata finances and insurance, NSW Government
- 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.