NSW strata law changes 2025–2026: what changed and when

NSW has overhauled its strata laws through a series of staged reforms, designed so schemes can prepare for each batch before it starts. If you are on a committee — especially a self-managed one — the changes touch levies, renovations, repairs, record-keeping and meetings. Here is what changed on each date, in plain English, with links to the detail.

A staged rollout

Rather than landing all at once, the reforms commenced in tranches: 3 February 2025, 1 July 2025, 27 October 2025 and 1 April 2026, with more still to come during 2026. Each tranche has a theme, so it is easiest to work through them by date.

3 February 2025 — strata manager transparency

The first tranche tightened what strata managing agents must disclose. Before appointment, a manager must reveal connections with suppliers they routinely use and whether they advised the developer in the last two years. During their term, they must give a written explanation when seeking approval for commissions or training, disclose connections in real time, and disclose more at the AGM. Insurance quotes must now be itemised — base premium, GST, commissions and broker fees, and who they are paid to — and managers cannot take an insurance commission where the owners corporation arranged the cover itself. If you are weighing up a manager, this is the transparency you can now demand.

1 July 2025 — the big tranche

This is the largest set of changes, and the one most likely to affect you:

• Minor renovations: where a by-law lets the committee decide, a refusal must be in writing with reasons within three months — or the renovation is automatically approved. Approved minor renovations must be kept on record for 10 years. Read the renovations guide.
• Repairs: owners now have six years (up from two) to claim damages for the owners corporation’s failure to maintain common property, and repairs cannot be delayed (even mid-dispute) where the delay affects someone’s access or use. Read the repairs guide.
• Sustainability: by-laws that ban sustainability infrastructure (like solar) are now void unless the building is heritage-listed, and every AGM must consider environmental sustainability.
• Accessibility: changes to common property for disability access now need only a majority vote, not a special resolution.
• Committee duties: members must act honestly and fairly, respect others’ use of property, and keep information confidential; the chair must follow the agenda and keep meetings orderly.
• Contracts: unfair terms are banned in standard-form contracts for goods and services to the owners corporation.
• Record inspection fees rose, and legal services over $3,000 must be approved at a meeting.

27 October 2025 — hardship and oversight

The third tranche focused on owners in financial hardship and on building managers:

• Every levy notice must now include a Financial Hardship Information Statement, with the National Debt Helpline’s details.
• Payment plans for overdue levies are standardised: a standard request form, up to 12 months, a written response within 28 days, and no blanket refusals — a plan can only be reasonably refused if it would leave a fund short. Read the unpaid-levies guide.
• NSW Fair Trading gained investigation and enforcement powers over the duty to repair common property — compliance notices, enforceable undertakings, fines, and Tribunal orders.
• Building managers’ role was clarified and given added duties to disclose benefits and act in the owners corporation’s interest.

1 April 2026 — standard forms

The most recent tranche introduced standard forms:

• The 10-year capital works fund plan must use a new standard form — required when you next revise your plan or replace one that has reached 10 years (existing plans you are not yet revising do not have to change immediately). Read the capital works guide.
• Developers must prepare an initial maintenance schedule on a standard form before the first AGM, with extra independent-surveyor checks for multi-storey schemes.
• Strata information certificates (Section 184) now must disclose embedded-network utilities, any compliance action against the owners corporation, and recent and upcoming meetings.

Still to come in 2026

More is on the way, including mandatory training for strata committee members and a requirement to disclose embedded networks in off-the-plan sale contracts. NSW Fair Trading will publish detail before each starts — so it is worth staying subscribed to updates.

Staying compliant with OneStrata

• Hardship statement, built in. Levy notices carry the required information, so the 27 October 2025 rule is handled automatically.
• Renovation records, kept for 10 years. Approvals sit in an immutable log — exactly what the 1 July 2025 rule requires.
• A repair trail that matters. With the claim window now six years and Fair Trading enforcing the repair duty, OneStrata’s timestamped record is the evidence you want.
• Updated as the law moves. As a living product, OneStrata evolves with the reforms — so you are not re-papering your processes every tranche.

What committees should do now

• Make sure every levy notice carries the Financial Hardship Information Statement
• Use the standard payment-plan form and respond to requests within 28 days
• Record minor-renovation decisions in writing and keep them for 10 years
• Treat the repair duty as urgent — the claim window is now six years
• Add environmental sustainability to your AGM agenda
• Move your 10-year capital works plan to the standard form when you next revise it
• Demand itemised, transparent disclosure from any strata manager

This guide is general information for NSW strata owners and committees, not legal advice. It summarises reforms under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 and related legislation that commenced on 3 February 2025, 1 July 2025, 27 October 2025 and 1 April 2026, with further changes expected during 2026. Commencement dates and detail can change; always confirm the current position with NSW Fair Trading (nsw.gov.au). OneStrata is record-keeping and management software for small to medium size strata schemes; it is not a licensed strata managing agent and never holds your funds.

Frequently asked questions