Buying a Strata Apartment in NSW: What to Check in the Strata Report

Confirm the lot, scheme and included rights

Before reviewing a strata report, identify the apartment’s lot number, strata plan and any parking or storage rights included in the sale. A building address alone does not show whether a car space is part of the lot, separately owned or available under another arrangement. Ask the conveyancer to explain the documents.

NSW Government guidance recommends a strata report and a building inspection before buying strata property. These answer different questions: the records help explain the scheme’s management and finances, while a suitable building inspection assesses condition within its scope. Neither should be silently substituted for the other.

Read the finances against planned work

Record current levies, any special levy and the financial information available for the scheme. Ask about the capital works plan, building age, expected repairs and how the planned work is funded. A comfortable-looking account balance cannot be evaluated without understanding what it must pay for.

Review available minutes and correspondence for decisions about significant work, defects, disputes and insurance. Ask the report provider which records were inspected, how current they were and what could not be obtained. An incomplete records search should remain incomplete on those points in your comparison.

• Match the correct lot and strata plan.
• Record recurring levies and any special levy.
• Compare funding with proposed capital works.
• Identify missing records and important recent decisions.

Check by-laws against your intended use

Ask the conveyancer to explain the by-laws and applicable rules relevant to your plans, including renovations, use of common property and any intended letting. Identify what permissions or approvals your proposed work would require. Do not assume a seller’s previous alteration was authorised or that the same arrangement will continue automatically.

Review parking, storage and access arrangements against the plan and records. If the listing says exclusive use, ask what creates that right and whether it transfers with the purchase. A viewing can show where a space is located, but it cannot establish the legal basis for using it.

A fictional special-levy check

These invented circumstances illustrate a question to resolve, not a typical NSW levy or a legal allocation rule.

Bring the report, inspection and contract together

Have the conveyancer explain which findings affect the transaction and arrange appropriate specialist assessment for physical concerns. Ask whether recent events require an updated records review before commitment. Confirm that you may rely on any supplied report and understand its scope and terms; an old report for another purchaser is not automatically your complete investigation.

Browse Australia apartment listings to compare locations and asking prices, then apply NSW-specific checks to the homes in that state. Add levies, known assessments and unresolved document questions to the shortlist. MarkMyProperty does not inspect strata records, review by-laws or certify a scheme’s finances or building condition.