Australia | Strata Managers
Strata Managers: What They Do and How to Change One
A strata manager does the paperwork for an owners corporation or body corporate: notices, levies, records, meetings and insurance quotes. No state requires a small scheme to hire one. When owners do, the law sets who can be hired, how long the contract runs and how to end it.
The short answer
- NSW: "There is no legal requirement for you to employ a professional strata manager." Managers are licensed, and Fair Trading's Strata manager finder shows licence status.
- Queensland: managers "do not need to be licensed". The engagement is approved by ordinary resolution at a general meeting and runs no longer than 3 years.
- Victoria: only tier one owners corporations must appoint a manager. A paid manager must be registered, and no appointment runs past 3 years.
- In NSW a manager appointed at the first AGM serves 12 months; later agreements run up to 3 years. Owners remove a manager by majority vote at a general meeting.
What a strata manager does
NSW Fair Trading lists tasks a strata manager can take on, including issuing notices to follow a by-law, providing strata information certificates to buyers, keeping records, arranging record inspections and sending meeting notices. The owners corporation can hand over some or all of the chairperson's, secretary's and treasurer's duties.
In Queensland, the Government lists the secretary and treasurer jobs a manager can be authorised to do: calling meetings, sending levy and by-law notices, sending minutes, managing money and receiving voting papers. A manager who looks after the funds must prepare a reconciliation for every account within 21 days after each month ends.
What a manager cannot do
- NSW: a strata manager cannot change by-laws, remove a strata committee member, hire a building manager, set levy amounts, decide a payment plan request or decide a request to waive interest.
- Queensland: the manager "can only do what the body corporate asks them to", and the committee keeps its own powers.
- Queensland: a manager must follow the code of conduct, which is part of every engagement, and must disclose any commission or other benefit.
Hiring one
- NSW: compare at least three proposals. Before the AGM the secretary attaches the preferred draft agreement to the agenda, or two independent drafts if fees are expected to pass $30,000.
- Queensland, Small Schemes Module: the body corporate can hand the committee's work to a manager only by special resolution after the original owner control period, and that engagement ends at the next AGM or after 12 months, whichever comes first.
- Victoria: registered managers must complete continuing professional development, a rule added on 26 November 2025 (s 198C).
| NSW | Queensland | Victoria | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required? | No | No | Tier one only (over 100 lots), with an opt-out by special resolution |
| Licence or registration | Licensed; check on Strata manager finder | No licence or formal training needed | Registration needed if paid |
| Vote to appoint | Majority vote at the AGM or an EGM | Ordinary resolution at a general meeting (special resolution in the cases below) | Not set out in the sections we read |
| Longest term | 12 months if appointed at the first AGM, then up to 3 years | 3 years | 3 years |
Changing or removing a manager in NSW
The Tribunal can also appoint a compulsory strata manager when an owners corporation is not doing its work, for example not keeping proper financial records or not doing repairs. Since 1 November 2024 Fair Trading can apply for that too, after an investigation.
- Read the contract's ending terms. A copy of the agreement must be available to the owners corporation at all times.
- Pass a motion by majority vote at the AGM, or call an EGM to move sooner.
- Tell the manager in writing and arrange a handover to the new manager, or to the strata committee if there is none.
- A manager must give notice of expiry 3 to 6 months before the agreement ends. The committee can extend an expired agreement up to 3 months at a time until the AGM.
- If the contract terms are unreasonable or the manager acts unlawfully, the owners corporation can apply to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Running the scheme yourselves
For a duplex or a small block, owners can do the manager's jobs themselves: levy notices, the two funds, the AGM, records and insurance renewal. NSW Fair Trading's 2025 and 2026 changes added disclosure and six-monthly reporting duties for strata managers, and owners who self-manage keep the same records and deadlines.
Read on NSW Fair Trading's and the Queensland Government's pages, in the Queensland modules, and in Victoria's Owners Corporations Act 2006 (as at 9 September 2026), on 30 and 31 October 2026.
Common questions
What does a strata manager do? +
The owners corporation's paperwork: notices, levy collection, records, meetings and insurance quotes. In NSW they can take on some or all of the chairperson's, secretary's and treasurer's duties.
Do you need a strata manager? +
Not in NSW or Queensland, and in Victoria only tier one owners corporations (over 100 lots) must appoint one, with an opt-out by special resolution.
Do strata managers need a licence? +
In NSW, yes; Fair Trading's Strata manager finder shows licence status. In Queensland, no. In Victoria a paid manager must be registered.
How do I change my strata manager in NSW? +
Check the contract's ending terms, pass a motion by majority vote at the AGM or an EGM, tell the manager in writing and arrange a handover.
How do I change my owners corporation manager in Victoria? +
The Act caps any appointment at 3 years, so the owners corporation decides at the end of a term whether to reappoint. Check the contract for earlier ending terms.
How long is a strata management contract? +
NSW: 12 months if appointed at the first AGM, then up to 3 years. Queensland and Victoria: no longer than 3 years.
Can a strata manager set the levies? +
Not in NSW. Fair Trading lists setting levy amounts among the things a strata manager cannot do.
Can the tribunal appoint a strata manager? +
In NSW, yes. The Tribunal can appoint a compulsory strata manager when the owners corporation is not doing its duties, and Fair Trading can apply for one after an investigation.
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