Building Managers: Their Role, Value, and What’s Changing

In many larger or more complex strata communities, building and facilities managers play an important role in ensuring everything runs smoothly day to day. While your strata manager oversees governance, compliance, and financial matters, a building manager is often on site and focused on the physical environment of your property.

When the relationship between a strata manager, building manager, and committee is strong, it creates a seamless support system for the whole community.

What Does a Building Manager Do?

A building manager (sometimes called a facilities manager or caretaker) is engaged by the owners corporation to:

• Oversee the maintenance, repair, and presentation of the property
• Manage contractors and suppliers (such as cleaners, landscapers, security or trades)
• Coordinate safety inspections and essential services testing
• Act as a day-to-day contact point for residents and contractors on site
• Provide reports to the committee and strata manager on building needs and issues
• Work together to manage quotes, approve invoices, and monitor building expenses so financial decisions align with your annual budgets and long-term plans
• Collaborate on maintenance, compliance, and budgeting programs to ensure nothing is missed and repairs are well planned and cost-effective

In short, they are the “eyes and ears” of the building, working closely with us and the committee to ensure the property remains safe, well maintained, and enjoyable to live in.

Benefits of Having a Building Manager

For medium to large schemes, the benefits of a good building manager include:

• Proactive maintenance – spotting small issues before they become big, expensive ones
• Efficiency – coordinating repairs, suppliers, and projects so that the committee doesn’t need to manage these directly
• Resident support – providing a clear contact for day-to-day building queries
• Stronger compliance – ensuring fire safety, lift maintenance, and other legal obligations are met on time
• Protecting value – keeping the building well presented, which supports property values over time

How We Work With Building Managers

We know how important it is to have a positive and professional relationship between strata managers and building managers. That’s why we:

• Keep communication clear and consistent so committees always have accurate information
• Collaborate on maintenance and compliance programs to ensure nothing is missed
• Support committees with advice on contracts, service levels, and expectations for building managers
• Step in quickly if issues arise, ensuring the relationship remains constructive and focused on the community’s best interests

In practice, this means we work side-by-side with building managers on everything from large capital works projects (such as lift replacements and facade upgrades) to day-to-day compliance tasks (like fire safety inspections). Committees benefit from this coordinated approach as it reduces risk, speeds up decision making, and ensures accountability.

When we work well together, committees can feel confident knowing their property is in safe hands.

Tips for Committees: Getting the Best from Your Building Manager

• Set clear expectations early – agree on reporting formats, service standards, and communication channels.
• Encourage collaboration – keep your building manager in the loop on committee decisions and engage them in planning.
• Review performance regularly – use meetings and reports to ensure your building manager is delivering what the building needs.
• Stay informed on the law – know what building managers are legally required to disclose and how to act if issues arise.

Upcoming Law Changes You Need to Know

From 27 October 2025, new reforms will introduce clearer duties and protections for owners corporations when working with building and facilities managers.

Building and facilities managers will now have a duty to:

• Act in the best interests of the owners corporation
• Act with due diligence toward safety, repair, and maintenance issues
• Disclose any benefits, financial interests, or relationships with original owners and developers

Committees should also note that:

• Candidates for building or facilities manager roles must disclose any benefits they receive that could affect the fees they charge.
• Managers will be required to provide ongoing disclosures during their engagement, helping the owners corporation with proper oversight.
• If a building or facilities manager (or strata manager) conducts business against the law, the owners corporation can apply to NCAT to change or end their agreement.

What This Means for Your Building

These reforms strengthen accountability and transparency, giving owners greater confidence that building managers are always acting in their community’s best interests.

We’ve already written to the building managers we work with to ensure they understand these new obligations and are fully prepared ahead of October 2025. We’ve also provided committees with an optional disclosure form to help manage the process smoothly.

Our goal is simple: to help you build strong, professional relationships that protect your property, support your committee, and make your building a happier, more harmonious place to live.