Best Practice / Hints & Tips

PLAN AHEAD IN ANY REQUEST FOR BODY CORPORATE RECORDS

Access to body corporate records remains one of the most litigated topics in the Commissioner’s Office, but there are rules around who can access what.

From a committee perspective, for the most part you have to provide the information being requested, with a couple of exceptions. From an owner’s perspective, there are also some rules to follow with any access request.

In our latest 3-minute video and accompanying article, we summarise your rights when it comes to accessing body corporate records, whether a body corporate or lot owner…

SAVE THE DATE: STRATA COMMUNITY EDUCATION SEMINAR SERIES RETURNS THIS OCTOBER

Where Does the Money Go? Demystifying Body Corporate Finances

Save the date! The Strata Community Education Seminar Series returns this October, with events across five Queensland regions and a new topic that affects every body corporate community.

Every year, body corporate committees and owners are faced with important financial decisions that can have a lasting impact on their community…

WHY LIFT DOORS CAUSE MOST BREAKDOWNS

When people think about lifts, they tend to picture the lift car moving smoothly between floors. It feels like the main event. But in reality, the part of the lift that works the hardest isn’t the motor or the cables, it’s the doors. In fact, around 80% of lift breakdowns are related to door systems. It’s a surprising statistic, but once you understand how lift doors operate and how often they’re used, it starts to make sense…

THE TREASURER ISN’T THE BOOKKEEPER: FIVE FINANCIAL MISCONCEPTIONS EVERY COMMITTEE SHOULD UNDERSTAND

Every committee has one.

The chairperson often becomes the public face of the body corporate. The secretary keeps meetings organised. The body corporate manager provides professional advice, administers decisions and keeps the day-to-day operation of the scheme moving.

But when it comes to protecting the long-term financial health of a body corporate, no committee position carries more influence than the treasurer.

Ironically, it’s also one of the least understood…

SELF-RESOLUTION — WORKING THROUGH ISSUES TOGETHER

Many people expect governing bodies to enforce compliance when disputes arise in community titles schemes. However, the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld) emphasises self-management, balancing individual rights with shared responsibilities on the assumption residents should have the capacity to resolve many issues themselves before seeking formal intervention.

Self-resolution is the foundation of effective dispute management in community living. While formal processes like conciliation are available, proactive and thoughtful engagement often resolves issues more efficiently.

Even when formal intervention is necessary, strong self-management and collaboration skills can make the process smoother and more successful…

LED UPGRADES WITHOUT SINKING FUNDS

Strata communities across Australia are facing a significant upcoming change: the national phase out of fluorescent lighting by the end of 2027.

For many buildings, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. While an LED upgrade will eventually become unavoidable, the transition can also improve energy efficiency, reduce running costs and strengthen sinking fund cashflow, even for schemes with limited funds available…

COMMON STICKING POINTS AND HOW TO ADDRESS THEM

Body corporate communities often face challenges that can slow progress or lead to disputes. These “sticking points” arise when people struggle to agree on decisions or resolve issues. Understanding these can help prevent conflicts from escalating and foster smoother resolutions…

KEEPING TRACK OF STRATA LAWS IS A JOB FOR THE SPECIALISTS

Given the scale of the strata community across Queensland – verging on 600,000 strata lots – you would like to think that strata laws, and keeping on the right side of them, would be as simple as possible.

But that’s not always the reality.

The difficulty for people trying to weave their way through strata laws is that there are plenty of rules that work 95% of the time, but there’s an exception for niche circumstances. It’s complicated for us too, and we live and breathe it on a daily basis.

In our latest 2.5-minute video and accompanying article, we highlight some of the exceptions to rules in strata law, and what they mean for you…

MANAGING STRATA TERMITE RISKS

Living in a Queensland strata complex offers wonderful lifestyle benefits, from shared amenities to a strong sense of community. Whilst living in a shared environment offers many shared benefits, shared physical structures also mean shared risks.

When it comes to the ongoing threat of persistent timber pests like termites, the danger is distinctly collective. Termites simply do not respect the boundaries between lots; an issue that starts quietly in one ground-floor unit can spread through a web of shared walls long before anyone notices.

With shared landscaping, garden beds and adjoining construction creating multiple potential entry points for the whole building, proactive strata termite control is essential for committees, managers and residents alike…

OPTIONS IN CARETAKING AND LETTING AGREEMENTS—CAN THE AGREEMENTS BE ENDED?

Most committees are surprised to learn that renewal options in caretaking and letting agreements aren’t just a formality—they can be used to end an agreement. While it might seem like the caretaker or letting agent simply has a right to extend the agreement, it’s often not that simple.

There are conditions that need to be met, and if they’re not, the committee may have more control than expected. Understanding how options work is key when renewal time comes around.