Maintenance

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

The Strata Titles Act is clear about the corporation's responsibilities.

Section 25 sets out that the strata corporation must:

• Administer and maintain the common property for the benefit of unit holders and the broader strata community
• Administer all other property of the corporation

Before working through the checklist below, make sure you understand what counts as common property in your group — the boundaries differ between strata and community titles.

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 — 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.

Letterboxes

• Type: Metal / Brick / Timber
• Check: Street number visible, unit numbers clear
• Condition: Good to Poor

Fencing

• Type: Metal / Brick / Timber / Other
• Check: Impact damage, leaning, rust
• Condition: Good to Poor

Driveways

• Type: Bitumen / Concrete / Gravel / Brick / Other
• Check: Potholes, trip hazards, cracking
• Condition: Good to Poor

Footpaths

• Type: Bitumen / Concrete / Gravel / Brick / Other
• Check: Trip hazards, uneven surfaces
• Condition: Good to Poor

Common Area Lighting

• Type: Wall-mounted / Path lighting / Timer / Sensor
• Check: Globes working, sensors functional
• Condition: Good to Poor

Car Parking

• Type: Carports / Garages / Open / Visitor bays
• Check: Oil spills, line marking, signage
• Condition: Good to Poor

Carport Structures

• Type: Under main roof / Free-standing / Timber / Steel
• Check: Structural integrity, paintwork
• Condition: Good to Poor

Roofs

• Type: Tile / Metal / Other
• Check: Ridge caps, hip tiles, rust, broken tiles
• Condition: Good to Poor

Gutters and Downpipes

• Type: Plastic / Metal / Gutter guard fitted
• Check: Overflow stains on walls, sagging, blockages
• Condition: Good to Poor

Stormwater Drainage

• Type: Plastic / Metal / Sumps / Street drainage
• Check: Blocked sumps, standing water
• Condition: Good to Poor

External Roof Timbers

• Items: Fascias / Bargeboards / Gables
• Check: Rot, splitting, paint failure
• Condition: Good to Poor

Eaves

• Type: Fibrous cement / Timber / Other
• Check: Rot, flaking, water damage
• Condition: Good to Poor

External Cladding

• Type: Brick / Timber / Fibre cement / Render / Other
• Check: Brick spalling, timber rot, cracking render
• Condition: Good to Poor

External Doors

• Type: Timber / Aluminium / Steel
• Check: Rot, rust, flaking paint, hardware condition
• Condition: Good to Poor

External Windows

• Type: Timber / Aluminium / Steel / uPVC
• Check: Rot, rust, seal condition
• Condition: Good to Poor

Paintwork (General)

• Check: Flaking, fading, chalking, timber rot beneath
• Note: When was the property last painted?
• Condition: Good to Poor

Common Laundry

• Items: Washing machines / Dryers / Trough / Hot water
• Check: Leaking taps, HWS condition, coin mechanisms
• Condition: Good to Poor

Clothes Lines

• Type: Rotary / Fixed line / Other
• Check: Wire tension, rust, stability
• Condition: Good to Poor

Fire Safety Equipment

• Items: Hose reels / Extinguishers / Other
• Check: Gauge readings, service tags, maintenance agreement current
• Condition: Good to Poor

Gardens and Grounds

• Items: Lawns / Garden beds / Trees / Irrigation
• Check: Overgrowth, dead plants, trip hazards from roots
• Condition: Good to Poor

Private Yards (Visible Areas)

• Check: Untidy yards visible from common areas, unapproved structures
• Condition: Good to Poor

Rubbish and Recycling

• Type: Communal bins / Individual bins / Enclosure
• Check: Spills, overflowing bins, bin enclosure condition
• Condition: Good to Poor

Pool (If Applicable)

• Type: Concrete / Fibreglass / Above ground
• Check: Water level, safety equipment, fence and gate compliance, surface condition
• Condition: Good to Poor

Common Antenna / Comms

• Check: Leaning, broken elements, cable condition
• Condition: Good to Poor

Agent Signage

• Present: Yes / No
• Note: Record agent name and confirm the unit for sale or rent is clearly identified

Residents' Comments

Record any feedback received during the walkthrough.

Other Observations

Anything else that doesn't fit the categories above.

Inspected by: ___ Date: ___

Copy provided to Presiding Officer / Secretary: Yes / No

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