straita

Records & Access

What is a strata information certificate?

Short answer

A strata information certificate is an official statement the owners corporation issues, on request, about a lot and its scheme — the lot’s levies and arrears, the scheme’s insurance and finances, and certain by-law details. It is issued under section 184 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) for a prescribed fee. “Strata information certificate” and “section 184 certificate” refer to the same document.

What it contains

The certificate sets out an official picture of a lot within its scheme:

  • The regular and any special levies on the lot, and any arrears.
  • The scheme’s insurance details.
  • The scheme’s financial position, including fund balances.
  • Certain by-law and governance information.

Because it is issued by the owners corporation itself, a buyer can rely on it as a formal record rather than an informal statement.

Same document, evolving name

The name and the section reference have changed over the years, which is why the same certificate is described several ways:

  • Under the current NSW Act it is issued under section 184.
  • It is widely called a strata information certificate.
  • Under older legislation it was known by a different section number.

The role is unchanged throughout — an official information snapshot for a lot. For the section-by-section detail, see what is a section 184 certificate?

The fee

The owners corporation must issue the certificate on request, and a prescribed fee applies. The exact amount is set by regulation and is updated from time to time, so confirm the current fee with NSW Fair Trading or the strata manager before you rely on it. (Fee flagged for confirmation.)

Where the certificate comes from

A reliable certificate depends on the underlying records being right — levies, arrears, insurance and fund balances all have to be current at the moment it is issued. A system such as Straita keeps those records in order as the scheme runs and produces the certificate straight from them, so a self-managed committee can answer a buyer’s request accurately and on time without reconstructing the numbers by hand.

Primary sources