Strata Building Management

State elective: South Australia

Goal: apply the core lessons in South Australia, where there are two strata systems, no strata regulator, and disputes go to court.

Two systems

The law:

Strata titles: Strata Titles Act 1988 and the Strata Titles Regulations 2018. Most older apartment buildings. The owners form a strata corporation, run by a management committee. The rules are called articles.
Community titles: Community Titles Act 1996, used for most newer developments, including many apartment schemes and estates. The owners form a community corporation, and the rules are by-laws, with a scheme description that can set out who maintains what.

Check which system your building is under before giving anyone an answer: the rules for meetings, maintenance and by-laws differ between them.

No regulator, and the court

The SA Government’s own guidance is that there is no government agency to oversee strata management or resolve disputes. In practice:

Disputes: if a dispute can’t be settled, an owner, occupier or the corporation can apply to the Magistrates Court as a minor civil action. More complex matters can go to the District Court.
Mediation: community mediation services can help with some neighbour disputes, but not internal disputes between members and the corporation.
Advice: the Legal Services Commission’s helpline and its plain-language guides to strata and community titles are the best free starting point.
SACAT deals with residential tenancies, including terminating a tenancy where a tenant in a strata unit causes a nuisance to other occupiers.

Building managers

There’s no specific regime for building managers or caretakers in SA. You work under your contract with the corporation. Strata managers aren’t licensed either.

Fire safety: Form 3

The law: building owners must maintain the essential safety provisions listed for the building and give the council an annual Form 3 certificate of compliance, confirming each provision was inspected, tested and maintained and that any defects were fixed. Councils have Building Fire Safety Committees that inspect buildings and can order work. Diary the Form 3 and keep your contractor records.

Licences and WHS

Building work contractors, plumbers, gas fitters and electricians are licensed by Consumer and Business Services (CBS), which has an online licence check.
WHS: SA has the model Work Health and Safety Act 2012. Regulator: SafeWork SA. The body corporate exemption works as in Lesson 12.

SA checklist

Strata title or community title confirmed, and the right articles or by-laws on file
Form 3 due date diarised and records kept
Contractors’ CBS licences checked
Legal Services Commission guide on hand for questions from owners

On the job

Find out whether your building is a strata or community scheme, and get the current articles or by-laws. Then find the last Form 3 certificate and the date the next one is due.

Sources

SA Government, Strata titles and Community titles
Legal Services Commission of South Australia, Strata titles: a legal guide, Community titles: a legal guide and Strata disputes
Wormald, Differing fire safety compliance requirements across Australia
SafeWork SA, safework.sa.gov.au

General education, not legal advice. Strata law is different in every state and territory and it changes often (NSW and Victoria both changed theirs in 2025 and 2026), so check the current Act and your own agreement, and get advice before acting on anything here.