What is a strata report and what should I look for in it?
What a strata report covers and what to check on finances, by-laws and disputes before buying strata title property in Australia.
What is a strata report?
A strata report — sometimes called a strata search, or in some states an owners corporation or body corporate certificate — is a compiled set of records about a strata scheme that a buyer orders before purchasing a unit, apartment or townhouse. It brings together the scheme’s finances, meeting minutes, by-laws, insurance and any known disputes into one document, so you can see the building’s financial and legal position before you’re bound by a contract. Exactly what it’s called, who issues it and which legislation covers it differs by state and territory, as at July 2026:
| State/territory | What it’s called | Who manages it | Governing legislation |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Strata scheme | Owners corporation | Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 |
| QLD | Community titles scheme | Body corporate | Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 |
| VIC | Owners corporation scheme | Owners corporation | Owners Corporations Act 2006 |
| WA | Strata titles scheme | Strata company | Strata Titles Act 1985 |
| TAS | Strata scheme | Body corporate | Strata Titles Act 1998 |
| ACT | Units plan | Owners corporation | Unit Titles Act 2001 and Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011 |
| SA | Strata scheme (or community title) | Strata corporation (or community corporation) | Strata Titles Act 1988 and Community Titles Act 1996 |
| NT | Unit title scheme | Body corporate | Unit Title Schemes Act 2009 (older schemes: Unit Titles Act 1975) |
The document a buyer requests to see these records also carries a different name in each state — among them a body corporate certificate in Queensland and the Northern Territory, an owners corporation certificate bundled into the vendor’s disclosure statement in Victoria, and a precontractual disclosure statement in Western Australia — so ask your conveyancer which document and request process applies where you’re buying.
Strata title applies where you own your individual unit but share ownership of common property — foyers, roofs, lifts, gardens — with the scheme’s other owners. That group is typically represented by an owners corporation or body corporate, which manages the common property and collects levies to fund it. Buying into a strata scheme means buying into its shared finances and obligations, not just the four walls of your own unit — which is exactly what a strata report is for.
What does a strata report typically cover?
Reports vary by provider and by state, but most cover the same ground:
| Category | What it tells a buyer |
|---|---|
| Finances | Admin and capital works fund balances; unpaid levies |
| Meeting minutes | Recent decisions, planned works, issues owners have raised |
| By-laws | Rules on pets, renovations, parking, short-term letting |
| Insurance | Whether the building is insured and the amount |
| Notices and orders | Tribunal orders or legal action against the scheme |
| Building condition | Known defects or major works planned or underway |
The capital works fund (sometimes called a sinking fund) is money the owners corporation sets aside for large, irregular costs — a new roof, repainting, a lift overhaul — kept separate from the admin fund, which covers day-to-day running costs like cleaning and gardening. A scheme with little in its capital works fund relative to the building’s age and size may need to raise a special levy to cover a large repair bill later.
Who arranges a strata report, and when?
A buyer’s conveyancer or solicitor usually orders the strata report, often through a dedicated strata search provider, as part of pre-contract checks — see what a conveyancer does for how this fits into their broader role. In New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland this commonly happens during the statutory cooling-off period — 5 business days in NSW, 3 clear business days in Victoria and 5 business days in Queensland, as at July 2026 — though cooling-off can be waived and generally doesn’t apply at auction.
Cooling-off arrangements in the remaining five jurisdictions vary widely and don’t map onto that NSW/VIC/QLD pattern:
| Jurisdiction | Cooling-off period | If the buyer withdraws |
|---|---|---|
| South Australia | 2 clear business days | Vendor may retain no more than $100 |
| ACT | 5 working days | 0.25% of the purchase price is forfeited |
| Northern Territory | 4 business days | No forfeiture or penalty |
| Western Australia | No statutory cooling-off period | Only applies if negotiated into the contract |
| Tasmania | No statutory cooling-off period | Only applies if negotiated into the contract |
As at July 2026, and in every state and territory, cooling-off generally doesn’t apply once a property is bought at auction.
Outside a cooling-off period, a strata report review can instead be made a special condition of the contract, giving you a set window to check it before the contract becomes unconditional. What a strata report costs varies by provider, state and the size of the scheme — no government body publishes a standard fee, so it’s one of several costs that sit alongside the deposit, and it’s worth asking your conveyancer or a strata search provider for a current quote early; see our guide to the hidden costs of buying a home for the fuller list. For where this step sits among everything else, see our guide to the stages of buying a house in Australia.
What should you look for in a strata report?
A few things buyers commonly focus on when reading a strata report:
- The capital works fund balance against the building’s age and any planned works. A low balance in an older building can point to a special levy being more likely.
- A history of special levies. Recent or repeated special levies can mean underlying maintenance issues, or simply a scheme catching up on deferred works.
- Pending or recent legal proceedings. Tribunal orders or disputes involving the owners corporation can affect running costs and how the scheme operates.
- By-laws that affect your plans. Restrictions on pets, renovations or short-term letting matter if any of these are part of how you intend to use the property.
- How current the report is. Records can move between when a report is issued and when you exchange — ask your conveyancer whether a fresh report is worth ordering close to exchange.
Weighing what you find
None of these items tells you on its own whether to proceed. A modest capital works fund balance can be unremarkable in a scheme that finished major works last year, and a warning sign in one that hasn’t touched its roof in two decades. The right read depends on the building’s age, its size — more owners generally spreads a levy further — what work is planned, and how the by-laws fit your own plans for the property.
That’s a judgement call specific to the building in front of you, not something a general guide can make for you. A conveyancer or solicitor can help interpret a specific strata report, flag anything unusual, and advise on next steps before your contract becomes unconditional. If you’re still working out your overall deposit and buying budget alongside these costs, see our guide to how much deposit you need for a first home in Australia.
