Strata Lawyer Sydney

When should you speak to a strata lawyer in Sydney?

You can seek advice before responding to a levy demand, starting renovation work or deciding whether to escalate a repair dispute. Tell us whether you need work carried out, a decision reconsidered, approval for an alteration or advice before purchasing a lot. Bring the notice, photographs or proposed works so the advice addresses the actual issue.

All lot owners belong to the owners corporation. The elected strata committee makes day-to-day decisions within its authority, and an appointed strata manager assists with management. These roles are distinct. Identify who made the decision and include the records supplied with it.

For a committee enquiry, bring the relevant resolutions and explain whom you want us to represent. NS Legal will establish the client and authority to instruct, then prepare the response or application required for the dispute. An individual owner’s concern and an owners corporation’s instructions may require different advice.

Who is responsible for leaks, repairs and renovation approvals?

Responsibility for a repair depends on the affected property and the applicable documents. The general NSW position is that the owners corporation maintains common property and owners maintain their own property. The location of a stain inside an apartment does not, by itself, establish the source or responsibility. The strata plan, by-laws and available inspection evidence need to be considered together.

Send us dated photographs, repair requests, responses and any investigation report. A repair request should identify the work sought and the evidence supporting it. Where the problem also involves a neighbouring resident, include the communications relevant to the neighbour dispute.

Renovations follow different approval rules for cosmetic work, minor renovations and major renovations. Check the by-laws before commissioning work. NS Legal can prepare a repair request or renovation application and respond to reasons for refusal. Include drawings and existing approvals to explain the proposal.

Can you challenge a strata levy or special levy?

You can obtain advice on whether a levy has been properly decided and calculated. Levies are generally apportioned by unit entitlement and approved by the owners corporation at its annual general meeting. The administrative fund meets day-to-day expenses; the capital works fund meets capital expenditure. A special levy may be required where existing funds cannot meet major works or unexpected expenses.

Bring the levy notice, budget, meeting minutes, payment records and documents explaining the proposed work. Identify whether your concern is about the resolution, the calculation, the works themselves or payment arrangements. NS Legal can prepare a levy objection or payment proposal based on those records and the lot’s unit entitlement.

If you are purchasing, include the contract for sale and any known levy notices in the material for review before committing to the transaction.

How does a strata dispute move from mediation to NCAT?

For most strata disputes, you must attempt NSW Fair Trading mediation and attach the mediation certificate to an NCAT application unless an exemption applies. The available order and who may apply depend on the dispute. A request for repairs needs a different evidential basis from a challenge to a meeting resolution.

Identify the outcome you seek and provide records of previous attempts to resolve the issue. NCAT’s published orders checklist guides the supporting documents needed for each application. NS Legal can prepare your mediation material or an NCAT application supported by the relevant evidence.

Urgent circumstances may justify an interim order to stop an action or preserve the position until the substantive application is decided. The application needs evidence explaining the urgency. Tell us what is about to happen and provide any notice setting out the proposed action.

What documents should you bring to your first consultation?

Bring the strata plan number, your lot number and the document that prompted your enquiry. Add the records relevant to the dispute:

• The strata plan, current by-laws and any renovation or repair approvals.
• Levy notices, budgets, accounts, payment records and relevant meeting minutes.
• Repair correspondence, photographs, inspection reports and quotations.
• Mediation documents, any NCAT application or orders and upcoming procedural dates.

You do not need to select a legal remedy before contacting us. NS Legal will organise the evidence for the proposed application and identify any missing documents. Keep correspondence in date order and include responses that disagree with your account, so we can assess the competing positions.

For a strata property purchase, bring the sale contract, strata search report and building inspection report. A strata search report addresses records such as finances, planned work and disputes; a building inspection concerns the property’s physical condition. Flag any recorded dispute or proposed work that concerns you before proceeding.

How do you arrange a Sydney strata consultation?

Book a Sydney strata consultation through our contact form, including the property’s location, the parties involved and your core documents. The Sydney office is at Level 7/263 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000; telephone +61 2 8251 1999. Once you submit the form, we will confirm the meeting place and available times. Include any hearing date or document deadline in your initial enquiry.

Explain whether you need advice on repairs, levies, renovation approval or an existing proceeding; further work proceeds within the agreed instructions. Tell us what you have already asked for and whether any proposal remains open. Arrangements for a first consultation are explained when you book.

Compiled from official sources; updated 29 October 2026.