Frequently Asked Questions

Please feel free to  read our FAQ pages .

What areas do you service?

Geographically, we service all of the Northern Beaches and the North Shore of Sydney, from Kirribilli up to Hornsby, from Manly up to Palm Beach and everywhere in between.

Why engage the services of a Strata manager?

Strata Schemes are not required by law to engage the services of a Strata Management firm, however owners must be aware that the Owners Corporation is legally obligated to meet certain requirements to comply with the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015. The advantage of appointing a Strata Manager is that they are specialists in areas such as Administration (eg. management of Strata Roll), Building Compliance (eg. fire safety or OH&S), Accounting (eg. issuing of levies, taxation, budgeting), Insurance (eg. renewals and claims) and arranging a bespoke preventative maintenance schedule for your building (eg. gutter cleaning, sump pit cleaning and pump servicing). Engaging the services of a licensed and insured Strata Manager will ensure that there is no bias towards any one party and that the best interests of the building is safeguarded.

What are the functions of a Strata Manager?

Lee Whitney who would be the Strata Manager appointed to manage your scheme, carries out a few or all of the functions, duties or powers of the Owners Corporation in administering and maintaining a strata scheme or community title property. This role includes but is not exclusively limited to secretarial and administration, organising maintenance works, arranging insurance, maintaining financial records and bank accounts, advising on By-law and other legal matters. A Strata Manager in New South Wales must be licensed under the Property, Stock and Business Agents Act..

How has H.O.W.I. changed?

Home Warranty Insurance, or Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) as it is now referred to in NSW, covers the homeowner (and subsequent owners) where the contracted building work is incomplete or defective and the builder has either died, disappeared, become insolvent during construction or has failed to respond to a rectification order within 30 days of it being issued. The cover lasts up to 6 years from completion of the domestic building work or termination of the domestic building contract (6 years for structural defects and 2 years for non-structural). In November 2016, icare (Insurance & Care NSW) made an announcement outlining reforms to the Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) to ensure its financial sustainability and ability to protect homeowners now and into the future. From 3 October 2017, registered builders in NSW seeking to purchase insurance from icare must select a licensed Distributor to manage their HBCF needs. Information about the Home Building Compensation Scheme (previously known as Home Warranty Insurance) can be found on the State Insurance Regulatory Authority website at www.sira.nsw.gov.au

Why is building maintenance important?

Preventative maintenance is the best defence in ensuring your property is well maintained. Items such as regular gutter cleaning, cleaning of sewer pipes and painting of high traffic areas ensures Owners Corporations reduce the need for capital replacement works. This in turn gives the Strata Committee greater control in reducing overall costs. Combined with the Capital Works Fund forecast report, preventative maintenance prolongs life expectancy of items of common property such as boundary fencing or roof repairs, which overtime creates long term financial savings to Owners Corporations.

What payment methods do you accept?

Levies can be paid in person via a number of methods at the Post Office and online through Macquarie Banks secure DEFT system.

I wish to renovate my lot, what should I do?

All repairs to your unit must be reported to Lee Whitney in writing. To support you to document any renovation, please request that Lee Whitney send you an Application to Renovate a Lot form. Once the application has been received it will be sent to the Strata Committee for their consideration. Depending on the type of renovation you wish to undertake, a General Meeting may need to be called to officially approve the application, subject to all parties reaching agreement on any special by-laws that may be required.

I want to get a pet. Do I need permission?

You should first check your by-laws before committing to a pet. Subject to the by-laws, you may be required to complete the pet application form for consideration by the owners’ corporation.

Why have I been charged interest on my levies?

Levies are due on the date as shown on your levy notice, and payable by the last day of the month that they were due. If you do not pay your levies within the month that they were due (or earlier), but pay your levy some time in the following month(s), 10% interest is charged on the outstanding amount from the date the levy was “due” in accordance with the “Strata Schemes Management Act 2015”.

Another car is in my car space what can I do?

Individual car spaces are private property and therefore the owner of the space is required to find the owner of the vehicle. PLEASE NOTE – visitor parking spaces are not for the use of residents or owners. These spaces are strictly for the use of short-term visitors only.

email a request to Northside Strata

Email: lee@northsidestrata.com.au

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Need help with your Strata Scheme?

Book a meeting with Lee Whitney the Principal of a small bespoke Strata Management firm that is transparent, accountable and solution oriented.