Strata Management Act 2013 Explained

Act 757 covers the "maintenance and management of buildings and common property". It must be read together with the Strata Titles Act 1985 and that Act's subsidiary laws (Act 757, s 3). It replaced the Building and Common Property (Maintenance and Management) Act 2007 (Act 663). Two sets of regulations sit under it: the Strata Management (Maintenance and Management) Regulations 2015, in force from 2 June 2015, and the Strata Management (Strata Management Tribunal) Regulations 2015, in force from 1 July 2015.

Section 1(2) says the Act applies only to Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan. Sabah and Sarawak are outside it.

• Parcel (petak): one of the individual units in a building, held under its own strata title. KPKT's handbook adds that a land parcel is a unit on a lot with a building of not more than four storeys.
• Accessory parcel: used with a main parcel by that owner only and not sold on its own, for example a parking bay.
• Strata title (hakmilik strata): the separate title for each parcel. The duty to apply for strata titles lies with the landowner or developer.
• Common property (harta bersama): the part of the lot outside every parcel, used by the occupiers of two or more parcels. KPKT's examples: the roof, lift, playground, corridor lights, prayer room and hall.
• Limited common property: common property set aside by a comprehensive resolution for some owners only, managed by a subsidiary management corporation.
• Share units (unit syer): set each parcel's share of charges and its votes on a poll. Before strata titles are issued, each parcel has allocated share units set by the developer's licensed land surveyor or by the formula in the Act's First Schedule.

The JMB is formed at its first AGM, which the developer must hold no later than 12 months after vacant possession of a parcel is handed to a purchaser (s 17). If an MC already exists before that, no JMB is formed (s 17(5)). The developer must hold the MC's first AGM within one month after owners other than the developer hold at least a quarter of the share units (s 46, s 57).

The State Authority appoints a Commissioner of Buildings (Pesuruhjaya Bangunan) for each local authority area (s 4). The COB receives the JMB's or MC's registration, audited accounts, minutes and by-laws, approves committee allowance rates, can appoint a managing agent where a body is not managing the building properly, and issues warrants to seize property for unpaid charges. KPKT is the custodian of Act 757. On 27 November 2025 KPKT launched eStrata, which replaces eCOB for scheme data such as owner details, financial reports, AGM minutes, by-laws and building insurance.

• An AGM every year, with no more than 15 months between AGMs. Not holding one is an offence (MM Regulations reg 34).
• Two bank accounts, a maintenance account and a sinking fund account, before any money is collected.
• A sinking fund contribution of at least 10% of the charges.
• A yearly audit by an approved company auditor, with the audited accounts filed with the COB within 14 days.
• Building insurance at no less than the reinstatement value, with a registered valuer's valuation at least every five years. Owners of land parcels insure their own buildings.
• A certificate for an owner or buyer within 21 days, for a fee of up to RM50.