The current property market in Queensland has seen expediential growth in apartment living, with many of these buyers being new to Body Corporate. In Australia, apartments now account for nearly one third (30.9 per cent) of the increase in private dwellings since 2016 (ABS, 2021). Considering this, as an Owner it is important to familiarise yourself with how to live harmoniously in a Body Corporate Community.  

In this article, we share with you 6 ways you can help to promote harmonious living in your Strata community. 

1. Compromise is key  

Strata living is all about sharing and compromise. This applies to both your investment interests, your Body Corporate responsibilities as well as the shared common areas in your complex. 

A good Strata resident is someone who does these things: 

• Enjoys community living,
• Works collaboratively with other residents
• Abides by the By-Laws such as limiting noise, parking in designated areas
• Helps to promote harmonious Strata Living.
• Help enhance relationships amongst Body Corporate community.

2. Clear rules 

All Community Titles Schemes are regulated by general law, State Government legislation as well as local Council, and also have their own unique set of rules, known as By-Laws.   

• The By-Laws Community Titles Scheme are contained in Schedule C of the Community Management Statement for each scheme. The By-Laws exist to administer, manage and control Body Corporate assets and Common Property, and the behaviour of Owners and Occupiers.  

Some schemes also have ‘house rules’ or similar, that assist new Residents when moving in, and provide more information than the By-Laws. 

Breaches of the By-Laws are dealt with under a specific dispute process. Quite commonly this may be initially a conversation or letter to the person concerned.

3. Good communication

Clear and polite communication with your Committee and Community Managers will assist in speedily resolving any issues. It certainly assists to have an understanding of your Community’s By-Laws.  These can be obtained from SSKB if you do not already have a copy. They should also be provided to your Tenants. 

There are many questions that can be quickly answered by SSKB via our Client Solutions chat function or a quick phone call.

4. Quality management

Your Community Manager is engaged to undertake: 

• Administrative tasks to assist the Committee in the day-to-day operation of the Body Corporate in compliance with the applicable legislation 
• Issuing and collection of levies 
• Payment of approved invoices 
• Providing draft budgets 
• Assisting with calling and minuting meetings 
• Implementing motions and Committee directives 
• Providing general guidance on relevant legislative matters to the Committee 

The Body Corporate Manager facilitates a number of meetings each year as directed by the Committee and while these vary from scheme to scheme, they are generally: 

• An Annual General Meeting 
• A Budget Meeting 
• A specific number of Committee Meetings  

So, are there things a Community Manager does not do? 

A Community Manager is not the real estate, property manager or letting agent. A Community Manager does not set levies or make decisions on running a Strata community. This is the obligation of the Owners, governed by the Committee. They cannot give legal advice, but they can point to relevant clauses in the legislation that may assist Committees to make a decision.

5. Community spirit

We encourage Owners to participate in Body Corporate life. You can get involved in several ways by:  

• Attending your general meetings and/or submitting a motion for consideration by all members  
• Putting forward your point of view on any of the motions under consideration at that time  
• Being actively involved in the decision-making process by voting on the motions and returning your voting papers by the due date  
• Participating in Committee election ballots  
• Reading the Minutes of your meetings  

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is the opportunity you have as an Owner to exercise your vote in the running of your community and to select the Committee representatives who will administer the scheme in which you have made a considerable investment.

6. Dispute mediation and resolution 

When living in a Body Corporate, disputes can occasionally occur. How the issue is approached and resolved is crucial to the relationships between the parties going forward. 

Be calm and polite 

Whether you are communicating via verbal or written communication you should always ensure you are calm and polite.  

If the community or your Community Manager becomes involved, you are more likely to achieve your desired outcome if you have approached your concerns in a non-confrontational way. 

Document your dispute 

If you have approached your issue in a calm and friendly manner and the issue continues to persist, you should start to document what has been said and done. This will assist you in the case that the dispute continues to escalate. 

Who should you escalate your concerns to? 

If you are an owner in a Body Corporate property, you can contact your Building Manager if appropriate. Otherwise you contact your SSKB Community Manager with any concerns or disputes that are occurring. If your building does not employ a Community Manager, you should raise any concerns with your Committee.   

One of the roles of a Committee is to enforce the by-laws and with assistance from an experienced Community Manager they will be able to assist you in resolving your matter. 

At SSKB we promote harmonious strata living in communities and can assist with any dispute resolution. 

If you are new to a Body Corporate and are still getting used to community living, learn more in another SSKB article that may be of assistance. If you have any concerns about disputes in your Body Corporate please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Body Corporate Manager to discuss these issues.