Strata Works NSW: Planning Common Property Repairs
Strata work is more than selecting a contractor. A repair must start with responsibility, authority, evidence and scope: what is common property, who can approve the work, whether it is urgent, what investigation is needed and how residents will be protected.
Start by confirming who is responsible
NSW Government guidance says the owners corporation is responsible for repairing and maintaining common property, while an owner generally maintains items within the lot. The boundary is not always obvious. Roofs, external walls, slabs, balconies, windows, services in boundary walls and water entering from common property are common areas of investigation, but the strata plan, by-laws, common-property rights by-laws and project history must be checked.
Do not start with a generic assumption that a leak, crack or failed finish belongs to one party. Identify the source, affected property and legal boundary. A symptom inside a lot may arise from common property, an owner-installed alteration, another lot, an insured event, a construction defect or several contributing causes.
Maintenance or repair
Restore or preserve an existing common-property element. Authority and funding depend on the scheme's governance and the work.
Renovation or change
Alter common property, structure, waterproofing or appearance. Meeting approval and by-law requirements may apply.
Defect or insured event
Responsibility, evidence, notification, warranty and policy pathways may overlap with the immediate need to make the area safe.
Urgent make-safe work versus permanent repair
Emergency work may be needed to protect people, prevent water spread, secure the building or reduce further damage. That does not mean the temporary response is the final repair. Record who authorised the work, why it was urgent, what was isolated or removed, the condition found and what remains outstanding.
A useful emergency record includes photographs with locations and dates, contractor notes, access details, affected lots, temporary controls, waste or samples retained, insurer notifications and a recommendation for permanent investigation. If the source is uncertain, avoid destroying evidence unnecessarily.
Separate three decisions
Make safe now. Investigate the cause. Approve the permanent scope. One urgent invoice should not silently become authority for an undefined remedial project.
A practical strata repair workflow
Register the issue
Record the reporter, location, date, symptoms, urgency, affected residents, previous incidents and available photographs. Give the item a stable reference so emails, quotes and invoices remain connected.
Confirm common-property and authority controls
Review the strata plan, by-laws, resolutions, delegations, managing-agent agreement and any earlier alteration approvals. Identify who can approve investigation, urgent work, quote acceptance, contracts, access and variations.
Investigate before prescribing
Use appropriately qualified people for the issue. Depending on the defect, this may include builders, engineers, waterproofing consultants, roofers, plumbers, electricians, hygienists or other specialists. State the limitations of visual inspection and intrusive testing.
Define the scope and evidence
Describe locations, quantities, access, demolition, protection, temporary works, repair method, materials, interfaces, testing, warranties, exclusions, resident controls and handover records. Separate provisional items and assumptions.
Obtain and normalise quotes
Give each tenderer the same information and return schedule. NSW guidance requires at least two independent quotes where an owners corporation approves work valued at more than $30,000, subject to the stated emergency exceptions. Compare scope and risk, not totals alone.
Approve, contract and communicate
Record the resolution or delegated approval, funding source, contract, insurance and licence checks. Issue resident notices for access, noise, shutdowns, safety zones and programme changes. Confirm who handles complaints and emergencies.
Deliver, verify and close out
Use inspection and test plans, hold points and concealed-work evidence appropriate to the scope. At completion, reconcile defects, variations, certificates, warranties, photographs, manuals and maintenance actions, then update the scheme's records and capital works planning.
What a quote-ready strata scope should contain
| Scope field | What to define | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Location and extent | Building, level, elevation, lot/common-property interface, marked drawings and quantities | Stops different contractors pricing different areas |
| Existing evidence | Reports, leak history, testing, photographs, drawings, approvals and previous repair records | Exposes assumptions and investigation gaps |
| Access and occupancy | Scaffolds, EWPs, apartments, keys, work hours, shutdowns, protection and resident needs | Access can drive cost, programme and safety controls |
| Repair outcome | Performance requirement, compatible materials, finish, tolerance and design responsibility | Moves the quote beyond a vague list of trades |
| Interfaces | Roofing, façade, waterproofing, structure, services, fire, cladding and finishes | Many failures occur between work packages |
| Verification | Inspections, tests, samples, hold points, photos, certificates and acceptance criteria | Defines how completion will be demonstrated |
| Commercial controls | Inclusions, exclusions, provisional sums, rates, programme, variations, warranty and payment evidence | Supports fair bid comparison and change control |
Roofing, waterproofing and façade work
Roof leaks and water entry are prominent in the search data for this page, but the visible leak is not a diagnosis. Water can travel from flashings, penetrations, joints, membranes, gutters, drainage, façade interfaces, services or earlier alterations. A contractor should not be asked to guarantee an outcome from an undefined visual symptom.
A repair plan should document rainfall or usage conditions, entry and damage locations, safe access, moisture findings, relevant drawings, previous work and any intrusive investigation. If replacement is proposed, compare repairable extent, remaining service life, compatible interfaces, disruption, testing and maintenance—not only the square-metre rate.
For commercial enquiries, see SCE's Building Remedial Services and Strata Services. The project scope determines which specialist design, testing, certification and licensed trades are required.
Approvals, by-laws and regulated work
Repairing existing common property and changing common property are not automatically the same approval problem. NSW strata renovation guidance distinguishes cosmetic, minor and major renovations. Work affecting structure, external appearance, waterproofing, ceilings or other common property may need a general-meeting decision, special resolution, written agreement, a by-law or separate development approval depending on the circumstances.
Building and planning requirements sit alongside strata approval. Some work may require development consent, a complying development certificate, a construction certificate, regulated designs or declarations under the NSW Design and Building Practitioners framework. A contractor does not replace the owners corporation's legal adviser, strata manager, designer, principal certifier or insurer.
Confirm the applicable approvals before procurement and again before a variation changes the design or scope. “Like for like” should be evidenced, not assumed.
Insurance repairs and building defects
An insured event, maintenance failure and construction defect can affect the same area but follow different entitlement and evidence pathways. Notify the insurer or broker promptly where relevant, preserve evidence, distinguish the cause from resulting damage, and confirm what policy assessment or authority is required before permanent work.
For newer residential strata buildings, statutory warranties, the building bond process and Building Commission NSW powers may be relevant. Time limits and eligibility matter. The owners corporation should obtain project-specific legal and technical advice instead of delaying necessary common-property action while responsibility is debated.
SCE's Insurance Services page describes the commercial delivery pathway. Availability, response time, policy scope, causation, coverage and approval are confirmed for each enquiry; they are not guaranteed by this informational article.
Resident communication and occupied-building controls
- nominate one instruction and escalation channel;
- give clear notice of access dates, duration, noise, dust, shutdowns and exclusions;
- identify vulnerable residents, pets, accessibility needs and essential services;
- protect common areas and record pre-existing condition;
- control keys, privacy and apartment access;
- keep emergency egress, fire-safety systems and building operations coordinated;
- state how weather delays, discoveries and programme changes will be communicated; and
- issue a closeout notice explaining completed work, remaining defects and maintenance actions.
Good communication does not remove construction risk, but it makes access, decisions and resident impacts easier to manage and verify.
Closeout that supports future maintenance
Do not close a strata repair because the contractor has left the site. Confirm the approved scope, completed quantities, test results, concealed-work evidence, certificates, product data, warranties, defects, variations and invoices. Update asset and maintenance records so the next committee does not have to reconstruct the project from email.
Feed recurring issues and remaining-life information into the 10-year capital works plan and detailed maintenance schedule. A repair can be complete while monitoring, planned renewal or a separate unresolved cause remains open; record those items explicitly.
Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for common-property repairs in NSW strata?
The owners corporation generally repairs and maintains common property, while owners maintain items within their lots. Check the registered strata plan, by-laws and any common-property rights by-laws because boundaries and alteration responsibilities can change the answer.
How many quotes are required for strata repairs?
Current NSW Government guidance says an owners corporation approving work valued above $30,000 must obtain at least two independent quotes, with stated exceptions for emergency repairs. Governance, delegation and procurement controls may require more.
Can urgent strata repairs start before a meeting?
Emergency work may need immediate authority to make an area safe or prevent further damage. The decision-maker and funding depend on the scheme's delegations and circumstances. Record the urgency, authority, work and remaining permanent scope.
Does a roof leak prove the roof must be replaced?
No. Water may enter through roofing, drainage, flashings, penetrations, façade interfaces, membranes or services. Investigation should identify the likely source, extent, interfaces and repair options before a full replacement decision.
Do strata repairs need a by-law?
Not every repair needs a new by-law. Work that changes common property or grants ongoing rights, obligations or exclusive use may require a resolution, written consent or common-property rights by-law. Check the scheme and obtain advice for the exact work.
What should be included in a strata repair quote?
Include location, evidence, access, quantities, methodology, interfaces, resident controls, testing, handover records, exclusions, provisional sums, programme, licences, insurance, warranty and variation rules so quotes can be compared fairly.
Is a contractor also the strata manager or certifier?
No. A contractor performs the agreed work and any stated coordination role. The owners corporation, strata committee, strata manager, designers, certifiers, insurers and legal advisers retain their separate statutory, governance and professional functions.
Official NSW sources
Strata rules change. Check the current law and NSW Government guidance for the scheme and work.
Need a defined strata repair scope?
Discuss the building issue, access, investigation status, approval pathway and delivery requirements with SCE Corp.