Strata Lawyer Melbourne

Who can seek advice about an owners corporation?

Lot owners, occupiers and people acting for an owners corporation may need advice about their different rights and responsibilities. If you own a property affected by an owners corporation, you automatically become a member. The owners corporation, its committee and its appointed manager have different roles; identify who made the disputed decision when you send your enquiry.

Some developments have multiple owners corporations with different areas of responsibility. A disagreement about a shared driveway, car park or lift may require examination of the particular owners corporation schedule and common property boundaries.

For a committee enquiry, please provide the records showing who is authorised to give instructions. NS Legal can direct your repair request, accounts query or objection to the responsible entity using the plan, rules and management documents.

Can I challenge an annual levy or special levy?

Annual owners corporation fees are generally apportioned according to lot liability and cover administration, maintenance, insurance and other ongoing expenses. Special fees generally follow lot liability too, but works benefiting only or substantially some lots must be apportioned using the benefit principle. Equal invoices do not, by themselves, establish whether the allocation is correct.

Bring the fee notice, relevant budget, meeting minutes and any explanation of the proposed works. Identify the charge you dispute and provide any response already received from the manager or committee.

NS Legal can prepare a written levy objection or response based on the lot liability schedule, expenditure decision and notices already issued.

Who is responsible for common property repairs?

An owners corporation must repair and maintain common property, whose boundaries are defined by the plan of subdivision. Water appearing inside your apartment does not, on its own, establish where the problem originated or who must carry out the work. The plan, inspection findings and repair history are needed to assess responsibility.

Please keep the requests you have sent to the manager, their responses, relevant reports and quotations. Tell us whether the concern is arranging repairs, disputing the allocation of their cost or addressing damage associated with the problem.

NS Legal can prepare a written repair request and address related parking, access or noise issues through our neighbour disputes service.

How are owners corporation disputes resolved in Victoria?

VCAT can determine owners corporation disputes arising under the relevant Act, regulations and owners corporation rules, including disputes about management and compliance. Where the statutory internal complaint process applies, a complaint alleging a breach by an owner, occupier or manager uses the approved written form. Before an owners corporation takes action or applies to VCAT over that complaint, it must follow the applicable internal dispute procedure.

The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria offers voluntary dispute resolution where all parties agree to participate. Using that service is not a universal prerequisite to applying to VCAT. The appropriate process depends on the particular dispute and the person bringing it.

If you have already received tribunal documents, send the complete documents and any directions or hearing notice with your enquiry. NS Legal can prepare your correspondence, negotiation proposal or tribunal application with the orders sought and supporting evidence.

What should I check before buying an apartment?

Review the owners corporation certificate attached to the Section 32 vendor statement, together with the sale contract, plan, rules and meeting records. The certificate provides information about current fees, insurance, maintenance and proposed works. You should also investigate the corporation’s finances, proposed levies and existing disputes before committing to the purchase.

Check how any car space is described in the title, plan and contract and whether the documents support the use you expect.

Victorian property purchases generally attract land transfer duty, and ongoing ownership may attract annual land tax. Your transaction, ownership circumstances and any applicable exemptions need separate assessment. NS Legal can use the contract review to request missing information from the vendor and include owners corporation obligations and relevant taxes in your purchase advice.

What should I bring to a Melbourne consultation?

Bring the documents identifying the property, the disputed decision and the correspondence about it. The most useful starting material includes:

• Your title information, plan of subdivision, owners corporation rules and any certificate you hold.
• Levy notices, payment records, budgets, meeting minutes and relevant resolutions.
• The management agreement, repair reports, quotations and relevant insurance documents.
• Complaint forms, an incident record, correspondence and any VCAT application or orders.

Tell us what you want addressed and list any documents you have requested but not received. For an enquiry on behalf of the owners corporation, include the authority to give instructions.

Our Melbourne office is at Suite 1001, 50 Market Street, Melbourne 3000. Call 03 9620 3275 or contact NS Legal to book. Include the property location, your role and any upcoming meeting, response date or hearing. Once you submit the form, we will confirm the meeting place and available times. Arrangements for a first consultation are explained when you book.

Compiled from official sources; updated 29 October 2026.