Pending changes to strata legislation – November 2024

As part of its ongoing interest in implementing reforms to strata legislation, the NSW Government is about to amend the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 as follows:

1. Simplifying the process for approving the installation of accessibility infrastructure;
2. Tightening the rules for the provision of documents and information to an owners corporation by a developer;
3. Expanding the duties of strata committee members, and adding a requirement that committee members undergo training as a condition of remaining on the committee;
4. Clarifies the powers of the chairperson at meetings of an owners corporation;
5. Simplifies the process of vacating the office of an officer of the owners corporation;
6. Requires a strata manager to give copies of records to an owners corporation every 6 months instead of every 12 months;
7. Clarifies some of the rules relating to building managers and the powers of the Tribunal in relation to building management and strata management agreements;
8. Changes some of the rules about levy notices, payments and procedures to recover overdue amounts;
9. Permits an owners corporation to defer repairing common property if the owners corporation has taken action against an owner or another person in relation to the damage;
10. Adds a requirement for a strata committee to give written reasons for its refusal to give permission for minor renovations;
11. Amends the consent requirements for the making, amendment and repeal of common property rights by-laws.

There are numerous other minor changes proposed.

Strata law is largely codified in the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015.  It is becoming more and more complex, and the rules are frequently changed. Strata managers, committee members, owners and all other stakeholders in the strata community need to keep on top of these changes.