Short answer
The common warning signs are poor or unanswered communication, slow or ignored maintenance, unclear or surprising charges, missed compliance or insurance deadlines, and reluctance to share the scheme’s own records. A one-off slip happens to anyone; a persistent pattern across these areas is the committee’s cue to review the relationship — and, if needed, change managers.
The signs, in detail
- Communication — emails and calls go unanswered; owners can’t get a straight answer; issues sit for weeks.
- Maintenance — repairs to common property are slow, dropped, or never followed up.
- Money and fees — charges appear without explanation; the “extras” dwarf the base fee; the budget is opaque.
- Compliance and insurance — statutory deadlines, valuations or renewals are missed or left to the last minute.
- Records and transparency — the committee struggles to access the scheme’s own minutes, financials or correspondence.
- Conflicts — related-party services or commissions aren’t disclosed.
Why it matters
The manager runs the machinery, but the owners corporation stays responsible for the scheme’s obligations. When a manager underperforms, it’s the owners who wear the consequences — missed compliance, unbudgeted costs, avoidable disputes.
What to do about it
Raise the concerns in writing and give the manager a chance to fix them. If the pattern continues, review the management agreement, and consider changing managers or self-managing. Self-management is a real, confident option — with a system such as Straita doing the work, the committee just approves the decisions, and responsiveness and transparency stop depending on one agent.
Primary sources
- NSW Government — Complaints about a strata or building manager (Fair Trading) — the official complaint path.
- Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) — the scheme’s obligations and access to records.