Ask a body corporate question

Read more about specified two-lot schemes

Read about maintenance and improvements—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

Read about body corporate by-laws—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

By-laws regulate the use of common property and lots.

We are not able to look up your specific by-laws—each body corporate has their own by-laws.

Contact the Titles Registry on 1300 255 750 to find out how to get a copy of your community management statement that includes your scheme’s by-laws.

Read about committee nominations and committee elections—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

You will need to tell us your regulation module so we can answer your question—each regulation module has different requirements for nominating and forming a committee.

If you selected 'I don't know' for the regulation module question, it is best for you to find out before going any further as it can change the answer. Contact the Titles Registry on 1300 255 750 to find out.

Read about utility infrastructure—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

Utility infrastructure includes:

• cables, wires, pipes, sewers, drains, ducts, plant and equipment that supply utility services to lots or common property
• a device for measuring the reticulation or supply of a utility service.

Please try to identify the utility infrastructure location, who it services and if it is located in a boundary structure, so we can give you a specific response.

Most importantly we need to know the location of the fault. For example, which section of the pipe has a leak.

If it is a pipe, it is also important to tell us if it is a sewerage, cold or hot water pipe.

1. Do you know where the fault or issue with the utility infrastructure is located? *

   • Yes
   • No
2. Where is the utility infrastructure that has the fault or issue located? *(If you chose 'Yes' above) For example, there is a leak in a section of a pipe inside a wall between the bedroom and the bathroom, or there is a fault in the phone cabling located in your exclusive use area.

Our response to your question may be limited if you can't tell us the location of the problem.

3. Do you know who the utility infrastructure services? *

   • Yes
   • No
4. Who does it service? * (If you chose 'Yes' above)For example, a cold water pipe that services just my lot, or a hot water pipe that services me and 2 other lots.

Our response to your question may be limited if you can't tell us who it services.

5. Is it located in a boundary structure?*A boundary structure is a floor, wall or ceiling (other than a false ceiling) in which is located the boundary of the lot with another lot or common property. For example, the exterior wall of a high-rise unit complex.

   • Yes
   • No
   • Don't know
6. Please describe the boundary structure.* (If you chose 'Yes' above) For example, a wall between my kitchen and the common property grass area, or a wall between my back door and my exclusive use area, or a wall between me and my neighbour.

Our response to your question may be limited if you can't identify whether or not it is located in a boundary structure.

Read about body corporate managers including how to engage or terminate one—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

We cannot help you with:

• contractual matters like telling you what a body corporate manager is engaged for—you should get a copy of the contract from your body corporate so you know what they have been engaged to do
• complaints about body corporate managers.

You will need to tell us your regulation module so we can answer your question—each regulation module has different requirements for body corporate managers.

If you selected 'I don't know' for the regulation module question, it is best for you to find out before going any further as it can change the answer. Contact the Titles Registry on 1300 255 750 to find out.

Read about annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

A general meeting is an annual general meeting (AGM) or an extraordinary general meeting (EGM). General meetings are conducted differently under different regulation modules.

If you selected ‘I don’t know’ to the regulation module question, we suggest you find out before going any further as it can change the answer. Contact the Titles Registry on 1300 255 750 to find out.

Read about committee meetings and committee voting—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

Committees can vote in 2 ways—at committee meetings or by vote outside committee meetings (VOC).

Committees are formed and vote differently under each regulation module. There is no minimum or maximum number of committee meetings that need to be held.

If you selected 'I don't know' for the regulation module question, we suggest you find out before going any further as it can change the answer. Contact the Titles Registry on 1300 255 750 to find out.

Read about financial management—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

Financial management can include matters like contributions (levies), budgets, spending and financial reporting.

The financial management of a scheme differs under each regulation module.

If you selected 'I don't know' to the regulation module question, we suggest you find out before going any further as it can change the answer. Contact the Titles Registry on 1300 255 750 to find out.

Read about lot entitlements—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

Lot entitlements are used to work out your share of the body corporate costs.

Contact the Titles Registry on 1300 255 750 to find out your lot entitlements—they are recorded on the community management statement for your scheme.

Read about body corporate insurance—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

Whether bodies corporate are required to have building insurance will depend on the plan of subdivision of each lot, as well as whether the lots have common walls.

Bodies corporate must have insurance for common property and assets, as well as public risk insurance.

Read about the role of the committee—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question. The committee has certain roles and responsibilities in a body corporate.

The committee structure differs under each regulation module. For example, some regulations require a minimum of 3 persons on the committee, whereas others require 1 or none.

There are also dedicated webpages outlining the processes for removing committee members and filling casual vacancies.

If you selected 'I don't know' for the regulation module question, we suggest you find out before going any further as it can change the answer. Contact the Titles Registry on 1300 255 750 to find out.

Read about body corporate records—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

Bodies corporate must keep and maintain certain records and can dispose of some records after 2–6 years. Interested persons may access the records—they are not confidential or private.

Read about self resolution and dispute resolution—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

We provide a dispute resolution service for certain disputes in a body corporate. We do not accept complaints through this online enquiry service—you must have evidence of a dispute and lodge a formal dispute application on the approved form.

There are self resolution requirements that must be met before you can lodge an application.

Read about body corporate topics—it can take up to 14 days to respond to your question.

• Yes
• No

Remember we cannot give a ruling on whether a nomination is valid nor can we provide a ruling on whether an election was conducted lawfully.

Generally a body corporate manager has no decision-making authority. If you want the body corporate to do something, you should submit a motion/request to the committee or raise it at a body corporate general meeting.

Clearly describe the area, item, and maintenance issue that relates to your question. Give any relevant information such as number of lots or that a tree located in an exclusive area needs maintenance. If your question is about an improvement, you need to tell us who is making the improvement (change) and where it is located (e.g. on common property).

Tell us about any relevant by-laws for your body corporate. For example, a noise by-law and what it says. It is also helpful to tell us what has been done so far to try to resolve the issue.

1. Given name *
2. Family name *
3. Email * We will never share your email address. Example: jane.smart@example.com
4. Daytime phone number *We may need to call you about your question if we need more information. We will never share your phone number.
5. How would you like to receive a response to your query? *

   An information officer may call you to answer your question over the telephone instead of in writing. We need to know if you will require your response in writing.

   by telephone
   in writing
   either by telephone or in writing
   
6. What is your status or role? *

   Indicate in which capacity you are asking this question. This will help us give you a specific response. For example, you might be an owner and a committee member but you are asking this question only in your capacity as a committee member. If both, select both.

   Owner
   Occupier
   Committee
   Committee member
   Body corporate manager
   Caretaking service contractor
   Letting agent
   Other (give details)
7. Please describe your status or role. * (If you chose 'Other' above)
8. Do you want to attach files that are relevant to this question? Remember: we cannot review your documents and provide comments, rulings, interpretations or opinions. You must ask clear, defined, general questions on the legislation.