Short answer
It depends on the problem — but usually start with your strata committee or strata manager. For disputes you can’t resolve that way, NSW Fair Trading offers information and mediation, and NCAT can make binding decisions.
The usual order
- Committee or manager first. For a repair, a question, or a neighbour issue, raise it with the committee or, if there is one, the strata manager.
- NSW Fair Trading. If that doesn’t resolve it, Fair Trading provides guidance and mediation — a required step before NCAT for many disputes.
- NCAT. The tribunal can make binding orders when nothing else works.
Emergencies
For something urgent — a burst pipe, a safety hazard — deal with the emergency first, then notify the scheme. Don’t wait for a meeting to make a building safe.
Fewer problems in the first place
Many strata problems grow from things left unaddressed — a repair ignored, a decision not recorded, levies not followed up. A self-managed scheme running on a system such as Straita logs issues and keeps the records, so problems get handled early and there’s a clear trail if one ever escalates.
Primary sources
- NSW Government — Strata schemes (Fair Trading) — strata problems, complaints and mediation.
- NCAT — NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal — strata dispute applications.