Slow or no responses
Emails and calls go unanswered, or you are passed between staff members who don't know the building.
Guide for owners and committees
Changing strata managers in NSW
Yes — an owners corporation can change its strata managing agent. It happens more often than people expect, and it is far less disruptive than most committees fear. The scheme's books and records belong to the owners corporation, not the agent, so a change of manager is a handover, not a rebuild.
This guide explains, in plain English, how the process generally works in New South Wales: what to check first, how the appointment is decided, what the outgoing manager hands over, how timing usually works and what to ask a prospective manager before you commit.
It is general information about how the process works, not legal advice. Your scheme's own agency agreement and by-laws always come first, and complex situations are worth getting advice on.
Reading the signs
When committees start thinking about a change
Rarely is it one dramatic event. Usually it's a pattern the committee has been quietly noticing for a year or more.
Unclear financials
Statements are hard to follow, budgets arrive late, or the committee can't easily see what has been spent and why.
Nobody visits the building
Decisions are being made about a scheme that the manager has not walked through in years.
Repairs stall
Quotes take months, contractors aren't followed up, and defects or maintenance items roll over from meeting to meeting.
Meetings feel rushed
Notices arrive late, papers are incomplete, and minutes don't reflect what the committee actually decided.
A rotating cast of managers
Every few months there is a new contact, and the history of your scheme has to be explained from the beginning again.
The process
How a change of strata manager works in NSW
Read the current agency agreement
Check the term, the expiry date and the notice and termination provisions. This tells you the practical window for a change, and whether you are ending an agreement or simply letting it run to expiry.
Talk to prospective managers
Ask for a written scope of service and fee proposal from each. A good manager will want to understand your scheme first — its age, size, financial position and any live issues.
Put the appointment to a general meeting
The owners corporation resolves to appoint the new strata managing agent, ordinarily at a general meeting by ordinary resolution. The motion and the proposed agreement are included in the meeting papers so owners can see what they are voting on.
Sign the instrument of appointment
The agency agreement and the delegation of functions to the agent are documented in writing, so everyone knows exactly what the manager is responsible for and what stays with the committee.
Coordinate the handover
The incoming manager requests the books and records, banking and levy information, insurance details, contracts and compliance documents from the outgoing agent, and follows up anything missing.
Settling in
Your first 90 days with Solrise
Every scheme is different, so timeframes vary. This is the shape a considered transition usually takes.
Phase 1
Handover and records
We collect your scheme records, financials, insurance details and contractor information from your previous manager and check what is missing.
Phase 2
Getting to know your scheme
We review your by-laws, budget, insurance valuation and maintenance history so advice is based on your building, not a template.
Phase 3
Committee priorities
We meet with your committee to understand the issues that matter most and agree on how and when we communicate.
Phase 4
Forward plan
We set out the year ahead — meetings, levies, compliance dates and maintenance planning — so nothing arrives as a surprise.
Handover
What the outgoing manager hands over
The records of an owners corporation belong to the owners corporation. When the agency ends, they are transferred to the scheme or to the incoming manager acting on its behalf.
A good incoming manager treats the handover as their own responsibility: requesting the records, checking what is missing, reconciling the financial position and telling the committee where the gaps are — rather than leaving owners to chase it.
- Strata roll and owner contact details
- Minutes, notices and meeting records
- Financial statements, budgets and levy history
- Banking and administrative and capital works fund details
- Insurance policies, valuations and claim history
- Contracts, service agreements and warranties
- Fire safety and compliance documentation
- Building plans, by-laws and registered documents
- Keys, fobs and access devices held for the scheme
Timing: most changes follow the AGM
The annual general meeting is the natural point to consider the appointment, because the agency agreement term is often set to align with it and the papers are already going out to owners. A mid-term change is still possible — it just depends on the notice and termination provisions in your current agreement.
If your AGM is a few months away, that is usually the ideal time to start conversations: it gives the committee room to compare proposals properly instead of deciding under pressure.
Before you appoint
Six questions worth asking a prospective strata manager
Who will actually manage our scheme day to day?
At Solrise, it is Laura Black — a Class 1 licensed strata manager. The person who quotes for your building is the person who manages it.
How many schemes does that person hold?
Ask for a number. Solrise caps its portfolio deliberately so each scheme gets attention rather than a queue position.
Do you receive commissions on our insurance?
Solrise takes no insurance commissions. Ask any prospective manager to confirm this in writing, either way.
How and when will we hear from you?
Response times, reporting rhythm and who to contact after hours should be in the scope of service, not left to assumption.
How will our records be kept and accessed?
Owners and committee members should be able to see levies, statements, meeting papers and scheme records online at any time.
What does your fee actually include?
Compare scope, not headline price. Ask what is included in the base fee and what is charged separately.
More about how Solrise works and who manages your scheme is on the about page, and the documents and legislation page has the NSW strata legislation plus our own plain-English guides.
Switching to Solrise
Three steps, handled calmly
A quiet conversation
We meet with your committee, understand how the scheme operates and listen to what you want from your strata manager.
A clear proposal
You receive an agreed scope of service and a written transition plan, so everyone knows what happens next.
A calm handover
We coordinate the transfer of books and records, financial and banking information, contracts, insurance and compliance documents from the outgoing agent.
Common questions
Changing strata managers, answered
Do all owners have to agree to change strata managers?
No. A change of strata managing agent is decided by the owners corporation at a general meeting by ordinary resolution — a simple majority of votes cast. A unanimous vote is not required. Some schemes delegate limited authority to the strata committee, so it is worth checking your scheme's own resolutions.
Can we change managers before the agency agreement ends?
Often yes, but it depends on what your agreement says. Agreements set a term and include provisions about notice and termination. Many committees simply align the change with the expiry of the current term, while others negotiate an earlier end date by agreement. Read the agreement first, and take advice if you are unsure.
What records should the outgoing manager hand over?
The books and records of the owners corporation — they belong to the scheme, not the agent. That typically includes the strata roll, minutes and notices, financial records and statements, banking details, levy history, insurance policies and claim history, contracts and warranties, compliance and fire-safety documents, plans, and keys or access devices held on behalf of the scheme.
How long does a change of strata manager take?
Once the owners corporation has resolved to appoint a new manager, the practical handover usually takes a few weeks. Records, banking and insurance details are transferred progressively, and the incoming manager follows up anything outstanding.
Does changing managers cost the owners corporation money?
The change itself is an administrative process. Costs depend on your existing agreement and on the fees quoted by the incoming manager, so compare the written scope of service, not just the headline fee. Solrise sets out its scope and fee in writing before you decide, and takes no insurance commissions.
Will owners' levies and services be disrupted?
They should not be. Levy notices, insurance cover and existing contracts continue while the handover progresses. A clear transition plan is what keeps day-to-day services running without gaps.
Get in touch
Thinking about a change? Start with a conversation.
Tell us about your scheme and we'll prepare a clear proposal with an agreed scope of service — then guide your committee through the handover from beginning to end.