At a Glance
In force now (Wave One)
- Your requests count: a committee meeting requested by one-third of members must be held within 14 days, or 28 days for large schemes. The secretary, or the committee member responsible, can now be fined for missing that deadline.
- More flexibility with levies: if the owners corporation agrees, a payment plan can now also include interest and levies already raised but not yet due.
- Clear commission disclosure: your strata managing agent’s report at each AGM must name who paid any commission, so you can see who benefits.
- Insurance money goes to repairs: claim settlements must be spent on the repairs they cover as soon as practicable.
- Access to your records: requests to inspect your scheme’s records must still be met within 10 days, and the fine for not allowing it has risen fourfold.
- Safer windows: fines for missing window safety devices are now ten times higher, at up to $5,500.
Coming in 2027 (Wave Two)
- A right to install EV charging on your lot, with a deadline for the owners corporation to respond
- Bonds that reflect the real risk of damage, and fees capped at reasonable cost
- No exit fees when an embedded network agreement ends
- Shorter building manager contracts
- Simpler rules for duplexes and other two-lot schemes
- Meeting procedures moving into the regulations
What Jamesons is doing: updating AGM agendas and motions, launching an online payment plan request form, and sending newly appointed committee members training reminders.
The reforms amend four Acts: the Strata Schemes Management Act, the Community Land Management Act, the Strata Schemes Development Act and the Conveyancing Act. Many changes also apply to community associations, but not all of them. For example, the committee training requirement doesn’t apply to community association committees. The details are below.
What’s in force now
Wave one took effect on 23 October 2026. It gives owners firmer rights around meetings, money and records. Fines are set in penalty units (one NSW penalty unit is $110) and most are issued to the owners corporation. Some, such as the fines for not convening a requested meeting on time, fall on individuals.
Change | What it means for you |
Committee meeting requests | If one-third of committee members ask for a committee meeting, it must be held within 14 days. For a large strata scheme (more than 100 lots, not counting utility and parking lots) the timeframe is 28 days. The clock starts when the request is received. These timeframes aren’t new, but the secretary, or another committee member responsible for convening the meeting, can now be fined up to 10 penalty units ($1,100) for missing them. |
General meeting requests | Owners holding at least 25% of unit entitlements can still request a general meeting, which must be convened within 14 days. The secretary, or another officer if the secretary is absent, can now be fined up to 10 penalty units ($1,100) for missing that deadline. Previously there was no penalty. |
AGMs held on time | Your scheme must hold its AGM every year. The owners corporation can now be fined up to 10 penalty units ($1,100) for not holding it on time. Previously there was no penalty. Your AGM details also feed into your scheme’s annual Strata Hub reporting. |
Commission disclosure | Your strata managing agent’s report at each AGM (the section 60 report) must name who paid any commission or training service, the amount (or estimated value), and who is expected to pay next year. This covers insurance commissions and broker fees, so you can see exactly who benefits. NSW Fair Trading hasn’t yet prescribed a form for this report. |
Levy payment plans | Payment plans can now cover more. If the owners corporation and the owner agree, a plan can include interest and contributions that have been levied but aren’t yet due, as well as arrears. The existing rules still apply: the committee must consider each request, a scheme can’t adopt a blanket “no payment plans” rule, and plans can run for up to 12 months. A request can still be reasonably refused, for example if the scheme is in deficit or depends on levies to fund major works. |
Insurance claims | Settlement money from a building insurance claim must be spent on the repairs it covers as soon as practicable (the previous wording was “immediately”). Not doing so can now attract a fine of up to 10 penalty units ($1,100). Whether the building policy covers damage inside your lot, such as kitchen cabinets or flooring, depends on the policy wording. That cover is separate from your own obligations to repair and maintain your lot. |
Access to records | Owners and their authorised representatives can still inspect the scheme’s records within 10 days of asking. What’s new is the penalty for not allowing inspection: up to 20 penalty units ($2,200), up from 5. The owners corporation can’t refuse a valid request. |
Accurate strata certificates | Section 184 certificates must be accurate, which protects buyers and sellers. The maximum penalty for errors has risen from 5 to 20 penalty units ($2,200). |
Window safety devices | The maximum fine for missing or non-compliant window safety devices has risen from 5 to 50 penalty units, up to $5,500. This applies to residential schemes. |
Tenancy notices | The penalty for owners and leasing agents who don’t give the owners corporation tenancy details has risen from 5 to 10 penalty units ($1,100). |
Access for fire safety inspections | An owner or occupier who obstructs access for a fire safety inspection can be fined up to 50 penalty units ($5,500), up from 20. |
Access for repairs | An owner or occupier who obstructs access for repair work can be fined up to 10 penalty units ($1,100), up from 5. |
Compliance notices | Compliance notices issued to owners corporations can now be published online. |
Why regular window safety inspections protect you
A dated inspection report is one of the best ways a scheme can show it’s taking its window safety duty seriously. If a child falls from a window, the owners corporation can face a damages claim even when every other unit in the building has a device fitted.
The owners corporation’s duty to maintain window safety devices is ongoing. An inspection by a licensed, insured contractor doesn’t end that duty, but a dated report is strong evidence that the scheme has acted with care. An inspection usually costs far less than the potential cost of a single claim.
We recommend an inspection at least every three years, and every year for higher-risk schemes, such as buildings with high tenant turnover, short-term letting, or many families with young children. We also recommend a check whenever windows are replaced or repaired, a lot is renovated, or a fault is reported. Asking owners to check and report on their own windows (self-certification) doesn’t give the scheme the same evidence. If an owner installed a device themselves, they remain responsible for maintaining it.
Already started: committee training
Since 1 October 2026, strata committee members appointed from that date must complete a free, one-off introductory online course within three months of their appointment. Members already in office on 1 October 2026 don’t need to complete it until they’re next appointed. The requirement doesn’t apply to two-lot schemes, NSW strata managing agents, ACSL members, or members filling a casual vacancy of less than three months. A member who doesn’t complete the training in time loses their committee position.
Two-lot schemes also no longer need to complete annual Strata Hub reporting.
What’s coming
Wave two is expected in 2027. It starts on proclamation, and the regulations behind it are still being drafted, so details may change before then. None of these changes need to wait, though. Most are good practice your committee can adopt now.
Reform timeline · 2026 to 2027
The dashed line marks dates not yet confirmed by the NSW Government.
Change | What it means for you |
Window safety devices | The owners corporation’s responsibility for maintaining window safety devices will be made clear: it must maintain them in the same way as common property. An owner who installed a device on their own lot remains responsible for maintaining it. |
EV charging | Lot owners will have a right to install EV charging on their lot. Like minor renovations, an owner will send an installation notice with supporting documents. If the owners corporation doesn’t respond within the set timeframe (expected to be three months), the request is treated as approved. |
Bonds and fees | Any bond charged to residents, such as for moving, must be reasonable and reflect the risk of damage. Fees, such as for access keys, will be capped at a reasonable cost. Owners corporations can’t profit from these charges, so existing bond and fee by-laws may need review. |
Embedded networks | When an exclusive supply agreement ends, exit fees and forced buyouts of infrastructure will be void. Providers won’t be able to remove equipment without the owners corporation’s consent. Agreements signed before the start date won’t be covered. |
Building manager agreements | Building manager appointments, often 10 years today, are expected to be capped at three years. |
Levy reminders | Minimum requirements will apply to reminder notices for overdue levies before debt recovery starts. |
Two-lot schemes | Duplexes and other two-lot schemes will have simpler rules for meetings and for setting up a committee. |
Meeting procedures | The procedures for committee and general meetings, currently in Schedules 1 and 2 of the Act, will move into the regulations. Meeting notices and templates will be updated to match. |
Agency agreements | A strata managing agent’s agreement can be extended by up to three months if the agent gives notice at least one month before it expires. This won’t apply if the owners corporation gives two months’ notice that it won’t reappoint the agent. |
How Jamesons will support you
Your strata manager has been trained on every change, and our processes are already being updated. Here’s what that means for your scheme.
- Meetings on time. We log committee and general meeting requests on the day they arrive and convene them within the legal timeframe. We schedule AGMs within the financial year. If dates stall, we can use our delegated authority to call the meeting so no one is exposed to a penalty. We encourage committees to send meeting requests through their strata manager, so they’re logged and convened on time.
- Clear commission disclosure. Jamesons does not receive any commissions, including insurance commissions or broker fees. Any related-entity broker relationship is disclosed in our s 60 report, which is tabled at each AGM. We’ll adopt NSW Fair Trading’s reporting form once it’s prescribed.
- Online payment plan requests. We’re building an online payment plan request form so requests are easier to make and faster to decide. Until NSW Fair Trading releases its updated standard form, ours will follow the existing form for overdue levies. We’re also updating the levy recovery motion on your AGM agenda so the committee can approve payment plans. Your manager will give the committee the admin and capital works fund position to help it decide each request.
- Window safety guidance at your AGM. We’re updating the window safety motion on residential AGM agendas and adding a simple guide to your scheme’s obligations. We recommend an inspection by a licensed, insured contractor at least every three years, and every year for higher-risk schemes.
- Insurance money handled properly. When a claim settles, we make sure the money goes to the repairs it covers as soon as practicable. As our standard practice, if an owner carries out the work, we ask for receipts or tax invoices and keep them on file.
- Records within 10 days. Our Customer Care and Strata Care teams handle records requests so they’re answered on time.
- Committee training reminders. Newly appointed committee members will receive automated emails reminding them to complete the training and confirm their certificate. We’ll track completion so no one is caught out.
- Fire safety access. We’ll let owners and occupiers know about the new fines of up to $5,500 for obstructing access to fire safety inspections, so inspections run smoothly.
- Ready for wave two. We’re preparing guidance on bond and fee by-laws and reviewing how two-lot schemes are managed. We’ll update our meeting templates as procedures move into the regulations, and check building manager and embedded network agreements as the details are confirmed. We’ll brief you again once wave two is proclaimed, and we’ll keep you updated through webinars and The Lot.
What your committee can do now
☐ Make sure any committee member appointed since 1 October 2026 has completed, or booked, the free online committee training
☐ Confirm your next AGM date with your strata manager
☐ Approve a window safety device inspection if your scheme is due for one (every three years, or every year for higher-risk schemes)
☐ Review any by-laws covering window safety, bonds or fees
☐ Note any building manager or embedded network agreements coming up for renewal
Talk to Jamesons
Questions about your scheme?
Get in touch with our team today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to do anything right now?
Do I need to do anything right now?
Most changes are handled by your owners corporation and Jamesons. If you’ve been appointed to the strata committee since 1 October 2026, complete the free online committee training within three months of your appointment. If you rent out your lot, make sure the owners corporation has your current tenancy details.
Will I be fined personally?
Will I be fined personally?
Most new penalties apply to the owners corporation, but there are exceptions. If you’re the secretary, or the committee member responsible for convening a requested committee or general meeting, you can be personally fined if it isn’t held on time. Owners and occupiers can also be fined for not giving tenancy details or for obstructing access for repairs or fire safety inspections.
Can I set up a payment plan for my levies?
Can I set up a payment plan for my levies?
Yes. You can ask for a payment plan for overdue levies. If the owners corporation agrees, it can also include interest and levies that have been raised but aren’t yet due. The committee must consider your request, but it can reasonably refuse, for example if the scheme needs those funds for major works. Contact your strata manager to make a request.
Why should our scheme pay for a window safety inspection when owners can check their own windows?
Why should our scheme pay for a window safety inspection when owners can check their own windows?
Because the owners corporation’s duty to maintain window safety devices is ongoing, and owner self-checks don’t give the scheme the same evidence. A dated report from a licensed, insured contractor shows the scheme is taking that duty seriously. We recommend an inspection at least every three years, and every year for higher-risk schemes.
Can I install an EV charger now?
Can I install an EV charger now?
Not under the new process yet. The EV charging rights start with wave two, expected in 2027. Until then, speak with your strata manager about the current approval process for your building.
What happens to insurance money after a claim?
What happens to insurance money after a claim?
Settlement money from a building insurance claim must be spent on the repairs it covers as soon as practicable. Whether the policy covers damage inside your lot depends on its wording, so check with your strata manager.
How do I see my scheme's records?
How do I see my scheme's records?
Ask your strata manager. Owners and their authorised representatives can inspect the records within 10 days of asking.
Do the changes apply to community associations?
Do the changes apply to community associations?
Many do, under the Community Land Management Act, but not all. For example, the committee training requirement doesn’t apply to community association committees. Your strata manager can tell you which changes affect your association.
When will we know the wave two dates?
When will we know the wave two dates?
The NSW Government hasn’t announced them yet. We’ll tell you as soon as they’re confirmed and update your scheme’s documents before the deadlines.
Sources: Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW), version in force from 23 October 2026; NSW Fair Trading: Guide to strata law changes for strata committees and owners; NSW Government: Strata laws.
