Apartment owners, tenants and committee members can be unclear about the different managers involved in a body corporate community. Confusion about responsibilities can contribute to disputes, particularly when a maintenance issue or approval request needs a quick response.
The roles are separate, although they may work closely together. This guide explains who each manager works for, what they may do and who to contact about common issues.
What is the difference between a body corporate manager, building manager and property manager?
A body corporate manager supports the body corporate as a whole. They may provide administrative services, assist the committee and coordinate matters such as meetings, levies, records and financial administration.
A building manager, sometimes called a caretaker or facilities manager, works under a service or caretaking agreement. Their role usually relates to the operation, maintenance and facilities of the building or complex.
A property manager manages an individual lot for its owner or landlord. Their work relates to the tenancy and the agreement between the owner and the property manager.
Some people use “strata manager” as an informal alternative to “body corporate manager”. In Queensland, “body corporate manager” is the usual term.
Treat these roles separately. One person or provider may hold more than one contractual role, but the authority and responsibilities for each role still depend on the relevant agreement.
If you would like a broader explanation of the body corporate’s role, read What is a body corporate?.
What does the body corporate and its committee do?
A body corporate is a legal entity created when land is subdivided and registered to establish a community titles scheme. When you buy a lot in the scheme, you automatically become a member of the body corporate. The body corporate administers common property and body corporate assets for the benefit of all owners.
The body corporate has powers and duties under the body corporate legislation. Its functions include:
- maintaining, managing and controlling common property
- deciding the amounts owners must pay so the body corporate can operate
- making and enforcing by-laws
- arranging insurance on behalf of owners
- managing and controlling body corporate assets
- keeping body corporate records.
The body corporate makes decisions at general meetings and through its committee.
The Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997, known as the BCCM Act, applies to most bodies corporate with a community management statement. However, the regulation module applying to your scheme can affect committee arrangements and decision-making powers.
The committee consists of elected lot owners or people who act for them. It is responsible for the administrative and day-to-day running of the body corporate, making decisions within its authority and putting lawful body corporate decisions into place. The committee can make decisions at a committee meeting or by voting outside a meeting.
A body corporate generally elects a committee at each annual general meeting. Under the usual arrangements, a committee must have at least 3 members and usually includes a chairperson, secretary and treasurer. Small Schemes Module and Specified Two-lot Schemes Module arrangements are different, so check which regulation module applies to your scheme.
The committee does not have unlimited authority. For example, restrictions can apply to decisions about levies, changes to owners’ rights and matters that must be decided by a general meeting.
What does a body corporate manager do?
A body corporate can engage a body corporate manager to provide administrative services. A body corporate manager may assist a committee or, where there is no committee, carry out functions in place of the committee.
The body corporate manager works for the collective interests of the scheme rather than for one individual owner. Depending on the written engagement, the manager may coordinate:
- general and committee meetings
- levy notices and financial administration
- meeting minutes and body corporate records
- insurance matters
- voting papers
- administrative and sinking funds
- communication with owners and residents.
These are contracted services, not automatic duties. The written engagement sets out what the manager is authorised to do. A body corporate manager can only do what the body corporate asks them to do when a committee is in place.
A body corporate manager may also be authorised to exercise some or all of the committee’s powers. This does not necessarily mean the manager runs the scheme or makes every decision independently. The committee’s powers are not reduced simply because authority has been given to the manager.
For example, a manager may be authorised to perform administrative duties usually associated with the secretary and treasurer. This can include calling meetings, sending levy notices, distributing minutes, managing body corporate money and receiving voting papers. The exact scope depends on the engagement.
A body corporate manager is not automatically responsible for maintaining common property. They may organise maintenance work if the committee asks them to, but the body corporate’s maintenance responsibility remains a separate issue.
Where there is no committee, a manager may be engaged to carry out all committee functions and exercise all committee powers. In that situation, the manager makes the decisions a committee would usually make.
A manager can provide practical advice and guidance on compliance, financial administration and body corporate processes. The committee and body corporate remain responsible for understanding the authority given under the legislation and the written engagement.
For more information, read What is a body corporate manager?.
What does a building manager or caretaker do?
A building manager may also be called a caretaker or facilities manager. The name used in your scheme will depend on the relevant service or caretaking agreement.
A body corporate can engage service contractors and caretaking service contractors to perform specific duties that help it meet its legal obligations. The services are defined by the relevant engagement, so a building manager’s role is not the same in every building.
Depending on the agreement, a building manager may coordinate:
- onsite maintenance and repairs
- cleaning and security services
- contractors and service providers
- building facilities
- inspections and routine operational tasks
- responses to requests from owners and residents.
These examples are not a universal list. Check your scheme’s service or caretaking agreement to confirm what the building manager is authorised and required to do.
A building manager may often be onsite, while a body corporate manager may work from an external office. This is a practical difference rather than a rule. The building manager and body corporate manager are separate roles, although one provider or person may hold more than one agreement.
The building manager’s authority comes from the relevant service or caretaking agreement. Do not assume they are responsible for enforcing every by-law, issuing keys or handling every repair. Those functions depend on the agreements and arrangements applying to your scheme.
When you need help with a building issue, first check whether the matter relates to a service covered by the building manager’s agreement or to a decision that must be made by the body corporate or committee.
You can also read Caretakers and maintenance responsibilities for more information about how these roles may overlap.
What does a property manager do?
A property manager manages an individual lot for its owner or landlord. They are engaged by the lot owner and deal with the tenancy relationship rather than managing the whole body corporate scheme.
Typical property management services may include:
- finding tenants
- arranging leases
- inspecting the lot
- collecting rent
- coordinating repairs and maintenance that are the owner’s responsibility.
The property manager acts as a link between the tenant and the owner. For example, if a tenant wants permission to make a change to the lot, they can contact the property manager, who can pass the request to the owner.
A property manager does not replace the body corporate manager or committee. A tenant may need approval from the owner under the tenancy arrangement and approval from the body corporate under the by-laws. Requests to the body corporate should be made in writing.
Maintenance responsibilities can overlap. The owner has responsibility for maintaining the lot, while the body corporate must maintain common property in a good and structurally sound condition. The plan of subdivision, survey plan, regulation module and boundaries of the lot and common property help determine who is responsible for particular work.
A repair should not automatically be assigned to the lot owner, tenant, building manager or body corporate manager. First identify whether the issue concerns the lot, common property or a service covered by an agreement.
Who should you contact about common body corporate issues?
The right contact depends on the issue.
- For a levy, meeting, record or body corporate decision, contact the body corporate manager if your scheme has one. They can explain the process, provide relevant information or refer the matter to the committee.
- For a committee decision or approval, contact the body corporate manager or committee secretary. Put the request in writing and include the relevant details, documents and timeframes.
- For an onsite facility or service, contact the building manager or caretaker if the issue appears to fall within their service or caretaking agreement. If you are unsure, ask the body corporate manager to confirm the correct contact.
- For a tenancy, rent or lot-level repair, contact the property manager or landlord. The property manager can coordinate matters covered by the property management agreement.
- For common-property maintenance, contact the body corporate or the person responsible under your scheme’s arrangements. Tenants can contact the body corporate directly, and the best contacts may be the body corporate manager, onsite manager or a committee member. If you do not know who they are, ask your landlord or letting agent.
Before reporting a maintenance issue, check the scheme’s survey plan and community management statement where needed. These documents help identify the common-property boundaries and the regulation module applying to the scheme.
Body corporate managers, committees, building managers and property managers can all contribute to the running of a body corporate community, but their authority comes from different sources. If you are unsure who to contact, email our team at reception@stratacare.com.au.
