A long strata report can leave a buyer with more questions than answers. This guide gives NSW apartment and townhouse buyers a way to organise those questions, trace the supporting records and identify who should respond. It does not assess a particular scheme or replace legal, financial or building advice.
What a strata report can tell you
A strata search report summarises information found in a scheme’s records. NSW Government’s buyer guidance recommends obtaining one before buying and identifies finances, insurance, building issues, planned works, legal matters and meeting records as important areas to examine. The owners corporation is the group of owners responsible for the scheme; its records concern the shared building as well as individual lots.
Use the report to find the documents behind each conclusion. A report saying that a matter was discussed does not establish that the work was approved, paid for or completed. Equally, an issue absent from the documents searched has not necessarily been investigated and ruled out.
A strata search and a physical building inspection answer different questions. NSW Government distinguishes the two: records describe the scheme’s affairs, while a building inspection assesses physical condition within its scope. Use our building and pest questions for that separate task.
First, check the lot, search date and documents available
Before reading the executive summary, record the strata plan number, lot number, property address, report author, search date and date the report was issued. Ask the author to clarify any mismatch with the contract. The date on the cover is not necessarily the date of the newest document reviewed.
- Which periods do the meeting minutes and financial statements cover?
- Were all documents requested available, or does the report list missing records?
- Were attachments mentioned in minutes actually inspected?
- Has a meeting, levy decision or other relevant event occurred since the search?
- If this report was commissioned by someone else, what are the author’s terms for your use, questions or an updated search?
NSW Government recommends comparing report providers on scope, experience, delivery and whether they will explain the result. Agree what follow-up is included. Ask about an update when relevant events have occurred; this guide does not assign every strata report a fixed expiry date.
Read meeting records as a sequence of decisions
The official record-keeping guidance lists agendas, minutes, motions and voting results among meeting records. Read the actual decision and subsequent records, rather than treating an agenda item as approval. Keep annual general meeting (AGM), other general meeting and strata committee records in date order.
- Identify the issue: what problem, request or proposal was recorded?
- Find the decision: was a motion approved, rejected, deferred or left for investigation?
- Look for the supporting report, scope, quote or correspondence mentioned.
- Trace the next step: who was to act, and what later record shows the outcome?
- Note any gap between the latest available minutes and the search date.
For example, repeated discussion of water entering a common area is a reason to request the relevant technical reports and current status. The minutes alone do not establish the cause, repair cost or adequacy of a repair. Ask the appropriate professional to explain those matters.
Compare financial documents with planned work
NSW Government explains the two main funds: the administrative fund meets everyday scheme expenses, while the capital works fund pays capital expenses such as major replacements. Read the reporting period and fund name before comparing balances. A levy amount advertised for the apartment is only one part of the evidence.
| Document to read | Question it should help answer |
|---|---|
| Financial statements | What period is covered, what was spent, and what contributions remain unpaid? |
| Approved budget and levy decisions | What has been approved for the current period, and which amounts relate to this lot? |
| Capital works plan | Which major works are anticipated, when, and how are they proposed to be funded? |
| Minutes, scopes and quotes for works | Is the work only proposed, formally approved, under way or recorded as completed? |
| Insurance documents | What is the policy period, what cover is recorded, and are there exclusions or claims needing explanation? |
The NSW finances guide describes a 10-year capital works plan and notes that some two-lot schemes have different arrangements, including a possible exemption from a capital works fund. Ask the report author what applies to this scheme. Do not assume every missing fund or document has the same explanation.
The buyer guidance warns that low levies can be followed by higher charges or special levies. Compare the plan, current budget and decisions together. A fund balance alone cannot show whether future work is adequately funded. Ask what remains uncosted, whether a funding decision is pending and which supporting documents are available. Detailed levy calculations and the allocation of costs under your contract need their own review.
Check by-laws, insurance and legal matters against your plans
NSW Government advises buyers to read the scheme’s by-laws, including rules affecting pets, parking and changes to a lot. Take your intended use or renovation to your solicitor or conveyancer. Ask which rules and approvals apply instead of relying on an informal assurance that another owner did something similar.
For insurance, ask for the current documents and an explanation of any exclusion or claim relevant to an issue in the report. For a dispute or legal proceeding, request the available dated documents and a current status explanation. A brief summary is not enough to establish the likely outcome, cost or your legal position.
A section 184 certificate is a separate document
The NSW buyer guide explains that a section 184 certificate provides specified scheme and lot information, including levies, outstanding levies for the lot and proposals for funding the capital works plan. Ask your conveyancer to obtain and review the relevant certificate alongside the contract and strata search.
Keep the certificate date visible and ask your conveyancer to reconcile differences between it, the search report and later documents. A certificate listing levy information does not replace reading the meeting history or a physical inspection. Your conveyancer should explain any payment responsibility and settlement adjustment for your transaction.
An original worksheet for unresolved strata questions
Copy this worksheet into your own notes and use one entry for each unresolved matter. It is a practical reading aid, not an official checklist or a rating of the scheme.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Issue and source | The question, report page and date of the underlying document. |
| What the record establishes | Separate an observation, proposal, decision and completed action. |
| Evidence missing | Name the report, attachment, newer minutes or financial record you still need. |
| Follow-up question | Write the precise point you want explained or reconciled. |
| Person to respond | The report author, strata manager, legal representative or relevant technical specialist. |
| Timing | The date you need an answer, checked against your purchase timetable with your conveyancer. |
| Response and remaining gap | Save the dated reply and supporting document; state what is still unresolved. |
Example: minutes refer to a report you have not received
Illustration only: meeting minutes refer to a consultant’s report about balcony repairs and a decision to obtain quotes. The strata search supplied to the buyer does not include that consultant’s report or later minutes. The buyer records the missing documents and asks the searcher whether they were unavailable or outside the agreed search scope.
The follow-up asks for the consultant’s report, any later decision, available work scopes or quotes, and any approved funding documents. A technical specialist can explain the underlying findings; the conveyancer can explain the transaction implications. Until those answers arrive, the buyer records the extent, cost and funding status as unresolved. This example uses no real building, report wording, repair estimate or outcome.
How to request missing records before deciding
NSW Government’s records guidance says a potential buyer or their strata searcher needs the owner’s authorisation to inspect scheme records; the request can go through the selling agent. A fee applies. Ask the searcher or conveyancer to explain the access arrangements and any separate professional charge before ordering more work.
Ask for a written response identifying which requested documents were provided and which were not. If a document cannot be obtained, ask your legal representative what that uncertainty means for your purchase decision and timing. Do not treat a missing document as a clean result. Keep personal information in strata records private and share it only with the professionals who need it for your purchase.
Use the property-checks collection to organise the wider due diligence and the exchange-to-settlement timeline to plan tasks with your advisers. The Baxau property research guide supports separate property research and question preparation; its tool does not inspect strata records, certify a building or replace professional advice.
If you want help coordinating a Sydney search, ask a buyers agent which document and inspection follow-ups their service includes. You can request an introduction with no charge to enquire and no obligation to engage. Baxau may receive a referral fee negotiated case by case; read how matching works.