Five questions every executive committee should ask their strata manager

For most committee members, it's also a volunteer position, undertaken alongside work, family and other commitments.

This is where a strong working relationship with your strata manager makes a difference.

A well-run strata partnership gives committees the information, advice and operational support they need to make informed decisions. But how can your committee assess whether that partnership is working effectively?

Here are five questions to raise at your next committee meeting.

1. How are maintenance requests and outstanding issues being managed?

One of the clearest indicators of effective strata management is how consistently everyday issues are handled.

When an owner reports a maintenance problem, there should be a clear process for acknowledging the request, assigning responsibility, tracking progress and communicating the outcome.

For the executive committee, visibility is particularly important. Members should be able to understand which matters remain outstanding, what action has been taken and whether anything requires their attention.

Questions to consider

• Are maintenance requests acknowledged within clear timeframes?
• Can the committee easily review outstanding issues and their status?
• Are owners kept informed without needing to follow up repeatedly?

Having a structured process helps prevent small issues from becoming recurring frustrations for owners and committee members alike.

2. Are we receiving the financial information we need to make informed decisions?

Financial oversight is one of the committee's most significant responsibilities.

While the strata manager handles much of the day-to-day administration, the committee needs clear, regular information about the owners corporation's financial position.

This should extend beyond reviewing an annual budget at the AGM.

Regular financial reporting gives committees visibility over expenditure, levy arrears, sinking fund balances and any emerging differences between planned and actual costs.

Three particularly useful reports are:

• Monthly financial reports: Showing income, expenditure and variances against budget.
• Levy arrears reports: Identifying outstanding contributions and their impact on cash flow.
• Sinking fund investment statements: Providing visibility over balances, interest and account activity.

The objective is to ensure committee members understand the financial position of their building and can identify matters requiring attention before important decisions are due.

3. Is our maintenance planning connected to our long-term financial strategy?

Every building has ongoing maintenance requirements. As assets age, major repairs and replacements also become necessary.

A well-prepared committee should have an understanding of what works are likely to be required, when they may arise and how they will be funded.

This is where the relationship between preventative maintenance, sinking fund forecasting and levy planning becomes important.

For example, if major equipment is approaching the end of its expected useful life, the committee should have sufficient information to consider its replacement, review funding requirements and plan the work.

Ask your strata manager

• When was our sinking fund forecast last reviewed?
• Do we have an up-to-date preventative maintenance schedule?
• Are upcoming major works reflected in our financial planning?

Bringing these conversations together supports more predictable financial decisions and helps the committee protect the building's long-term condition.

4. Do we have full transparency over fees, commissions and contractor arrangements?

Executive committees make decisions involving significant expenditure, including building maintenance contracts, insurance and other services.

Understanding how service providers are selected, engaged and remunerated is an important part of good governance.

Committee members should be comfortable asking how their strata manager is paid, whether any commissions or referral arrangements apply, and how potential conflicts of interest are managed.

This is particularly relevant to strata insurance, where renewal discussions should consider more than the premium alone.

Claims history, coverage, excess arrangements, insurer requirements and any associated remuneration should be clearly explained.

Questions to consider

• Are all management fees, commissions and referral arrangements clearly disclosed?
• How are contractors selected, vetted and reviewed?
• What information is provided to support major procurement or insurance decisions?

Transparency gives committees the information they need to evaluate recommendations and make decisions in the interests of their owners corporation.

At Vantage Strata, this is a position we hold ourselves to. From 1 July 2026, Vantage Strata does not take insurance commissions, and our fees are structured around One Fee. One Cost.

5. Are we planning ahead or simply responding to issues as they arise?

There will always be unexpected matters requiring attention in a strata building. However, effective management also involves looking ahead.

Executive committees benefit from a structured approach to reviewing building performance, upcoming obligations and major decisions.

That might include regular reviews of compliance registers, maintenance contracts, budgets, insurance arrangements and outstanding actions.

It also means being prepared for important events such as the AGM, with sufficient time for committees and owners to understand the matters being considered.

A useful question to ask is:

What should our committee be thinking about over the next 6–12 months?

Your strata manager should be able to help identify upcoming priorities, explain the options available and support the committee in preparing for decisions.

A strong strata partnership is built on informed decisions

Executive committees don't need to become experts in every aspect of strata management. They do, however, need access to sound advice, reliable information and structured processes that support their responsibilities.

Asking these five questions can open a productive conversation about how your building is managed and where improvements may be possible.

At Vantage Strata, a Canberra-based strata management company, we believe effective strata management is built on clear communication, financial transparency, operational consistency and strong working relationships with executive committees.