News
14 May, 2025
Strata-sphere shifts
AS apartment, townhouse and unit living continues increasing across Moreton Bay and Somerset, residents are facing new challenges in shared property management, with experts offering crucial guidance for successful community living.
CEO of Archers the Strata Professionals, Nicky Lonergan, who manages over 850 buildings, warns that transitioning to strata living requires careful preparation and understanding.
Strata, also commonly known as strata title or strata scheme, allows for individual ownership of part of a property called a ‘lot’.
The lot itself can be an individual unit or apartment, townhouse or house.
As well as owning the lot, a strata-titled property owner also shares ownership of common property – such as gardens, lifts and driveways – with other lot owners.
All lot owners are members of the owners corporation, which may also be called the ‘body corporate’ or ‘strata manager’.
The owners corporation is responsible for the maintenance of common property, managing the finances of the strata scheme and taking out insurance for the scheme.
According to Ms Lonergan, understanding how committee elections work, what by-laws actually mean, and how disputes should be handled is more important than ever.
“People often don’t realise the power their body corporate committee has until they come up against a rule they don’t agree with.
By that stage, they may already be facing legal costs, fines, or disputes that could have been avoided,” she said.
“If you’ve never lived in a unit complex, you need to understand the rules and responsibilities.”
Key tips for potential strata residents include conducting thorough research before purchasing.
“You can do a search of body corporate records, which tells you about the administration fund, sinking fund, and levies to understand the scheme’s financial health,” she said.
For those already living in strata properties, Ms Lonergan recommends several strategies:
Read the bylaws carefully;
Attend Annual General Meetings (AGMs);
Understand you can submit up to six motions to the committee annually;
Consider becoming a committee member to protect your investment;
According to Ms Lonergan, the most common complaints in strata living revolve around four key issues: pets, parking, passive smoking, and noise pollution.
She highlighted the significant shift for those moving from standalone homes to shared living environments, stressing the importance of managing expectations and being prepared for closequarters living.
“If you find a building that has no problems, it’s empty, because there is always problems, and it’s mostly around expectations and understanding what the rules are,” she said.
“We see cases where residents assume they can renovate their unit however they like, only to be told they have to rip out brand-new flooring or return balconies to their original state because they didn’t get approval,” Mrs Lonergan said.
“Likewise, many strata property owners don’t realise that if their body corporate is poorly managed, they could be left footing the bill for unexpected or special levies, maintenance blowouts, or even legal disputes.”
For those considering joining a committee, Ms Lonergan offers compelling advice: “Safeguard your biggest asset.
Would you buy a house without understanding rates and maintenance?”
Queensland is home to approximately 52,886 registered strata schemes (as of October 2024), housing around 1.2 million residents.
As medium- and highdensity living continues to rise, strata disputes are only becoming more common.
To help strata owners better understand their rights and responsibilities, Archers will hold a free community education seminar on the Gold Coast on May 21, from 4pm.
The seminar will feature expert panels of strata managers and legal professionals who will break down the nomination and election process, the rights and responsibilities of committee members, and the steps involved in enforcing or disputing by-laws.
The seminar’s panel discussions will explore how committee membership begins and ends, from routine transitions such as owners selling their property to more contentious removals over code of conduct breaches or misconduct.
By-law enforcement and dispute resolution will also be covered, including what happens when a breach is reported, the role of formal notices, and how cases escalate through the Commissioner’s Office and the courts.
Attendance at the seminar is free, and residents, committee members, and property owners are encouraged to attend.
Location: The Sharks, Corner Olsen and, Musgrave Ave, Southport
