Maintenance of Common Property - Roles and Responsibilities

Keeping common property in good shape

Regular maintenance protects property values, reduces long-term costs and keeps everyone safer. This guide includes a practical checklist to help owners and committee members identify what needs attention across the common property.

The legal obligation

Every Australian jurisdiction imposes the same core duty: the body that owns the common property must keep it maintained and in repair. It is not discretionary, it does not depend on whether owners have complained, and in most states it is not excused by a shortage of funds. The name of the body and the section number change from state to state.

• NSW. Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, s 106(1): the owners corporation must properly maintain the common property and keep it in a state of good and serviceable repair, and must renew or replace fixtures and fittings (s 106(2)).

• VIC. Owners Corporations Act 2006, s 46: the owners corporation must repair and maintain the common property. Lot owners must not repair or alter it themselves (s 47A).

• QLD. Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997, s 152, with the operative duty in your scheme regulation module: Standard Module s 180, Accommodation Module s 170, Commercial Module s 127, Small Schemes Module s 99. Check which module applies before quoting a section.

• WA. Strata Titles Act 1985, s 91(1)(c): the strata company must keep the common property in good and serviceable repair, properly maintain it, and renew or replace it if necessary, whether the deterioration comes from fair wear and tear, inherent defect or any other cause.

• SA. Strata Titles Act 1988, s 25(a) for strata corporations. Community Titles Act 1996, s 75(1)(b) for community corporations, which must maintain the common property in good order and condition.

• TAS. Strata Titles Act 1998, Schedule 1 clause 8: the body corporate must administer, manage and control the common property, and maintain the service infrastructure in good and serviceable order.

• ACT. Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011, s 24(1): the owners corporation must maintain the common property.

• NT. Unit Titles Act 1975, s 34(b): the corporation must keep in good repair and properly maintain the common property.

Before working through the checklist below, make sure you know what counts as common property in your group. The boundary between lot and common property is the single most contested question in strata, and it is drawn differently depending on your title type and which plan your scheme was registered under.

How to use this checklist

Walk the property with the checklist in hand. Once complete, the corporation's officers and owners should establish a priority list of what needs doing first, how it will be funded and when.

If your group has a Management Committee they can set priorities and recommend a funding approach to owners.

Practical tips

• Only engage licenced and insured contractors

• Photograph any maintenance issues as you find them

• If your group doesn't have a management committee, appoint one at the next general meeting

• Set up a sinking fund to cover maintenance works over time

Why it's worth the effort

• Lower costs: catching problems early is always cheaper than emergency repairs

• Reduced risk: fewer hazards for residents and visitors

• Property value: well-maintained groups hold their value

• Peace of mind: for owners, tenants, and committee members alike

Property observations checklist

Walk the site and record your observations for each item. Note the condition, flag anything that needs attention and skip items that don't apply to your group.

Download the walk-round checklist (PDF).

Note: This checklist is a practical tool to support regular maintenance oversight. It is not a substitute for a professional building inspection.

Whether you're putting together a maintenance plan, working through a priority list after a site inspection, or just not sure where to start, the Acacia Collective team can help. Get in touch and we'll point you in the right direction.