NSW strata law is continuing its staged reform program in 2026, and the changes now in force carry real administrative and financial implications for strata committees, owners corporations, building managers, and the facilities professionals who support them. If your building operates under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, it is worth understanding what has already changed, what is still coming, and how these reforms intersect with the physical security and building services assets you are responsible for maintaining.
What Changed on 1 April 2026
Three significant reforms came into force on 1 April 2026, all centred on documentation quality and transparency.
Standardised 10-Year Capital Works Fund Plans. Owners corporations must now use a prescribed standard form when preparing or revising their 10-year capital works fund plan. The standard form applies when a scheme is revising an existing plan or replacing one that has already run its 10-year term. Schemes with a current plan not yet due for revision are not required to immediately reformat — but the clock is ticking for many.
This is directly relevant to facilities and security managers. CCTV systems, access control infrastructure, intercoms, alarm panels, and BMS network hardware are all long-lived capital assets that belong in a 10-year plan. If your scheme’s plan does not include these items with realistic replacement cost estimates, the new standard form revision cycle is the right time to correct that. A Mallen site audit can provide the device register and condition assessment needed to populate these line items accurately.
Strengthened Developer Accountability via the Initial Maintenance Schedule (IMS). For new strata schemes, the original owner (typically the developer) must now prepare an IMS using a prescribed standard form and deliver it at least 14 days before the first AGM. For multi-storey schemes — defined as three or more storeys with lots stacked vertically — the requirements go further: an independent, certified quantity surveyor must review and certify both the IMS and the initial levy estimates. Penalties of up to $11,000 for individuals and $55,000 for corporations apply for non-compliance.
For building managers and facilities teams taking handover of a new multi-storey scheme, this reform means you should now expect a formally certified IMS from the developer as a standard deliverable. If that document is missing or clearly incomplete — for example, if it omits security and communications infrastructure — that is a compliance flag worth raising before the first AGM.
Updated Strata Information Certificates (Section 184 Certificates). From 1 April 2026, these certificates — typically requested by buyers during a lot sale — must now disclose information about any exclusive supply network (embedded network) servicing the scheme. They must also include details of compliance orders or Fair Trading enforcement actions against the owners corporation, and a record of meetings held in the past year plus any upcoming meetings. This increases the transactional transparency buyers receive and raises the reputational stakes for owners corporations that have deferred maintenance obligations.
Earlier Reforms Still Bedding In
The April 2026 changes build on reforms from two earlier tranches that are still being absorbed by many schemes.
From 27 October 2025, NSW Fair Trading received expanded investigative and enforcement powers to compel owners corporations to meet their legal duty to repair and maintain common property. Fair Trading can now require documents, issue compliance notices, impose penalty infringement notices, and apply to NCAT for orders — including orders for compulsory appointment of a strata managing agent. Enforcement actions can also result from breaches identified through the new complaint pathway.
Separately, levy notices issued from that date must include a Financial Hardship Information Statement to direct owners experiencing financial difficulty toward assistance options earlier.
From 1 July 2025 and 3 February 2025, further earlier-stage reforms addressed other aspects of scheme governance (detailed in the NSW Government’s full reform guide). The overall trajectory is clear: owners corporations face rising accountability for maintaining common property to a demonstrable standard, with regulators now equipped to enforce that obligation directly.
What Is Still Coming in 2026
NSW Fair Trading has flagged two further reforms expected to commence later in 2026, with specific dates yet to be confirmed:
- Mandatory training for strata committee members. Strata committee members will be required to complete approved training. This is a significant governance shift — the nature, scope, and delivery format of required training has not yet been finalised at the time of publication.
- Embedded network disclosure in off-the-plan contracts. Exclusive supply networks will need to be disclosed in contracts for sale of off-the-plan lots, bringing the sales documentation in line with the Section 184 certificate requirements now in force.
Building managers and strata managers should monitor NSW Fair Trading communications and the Strata Hub for confirmation of commencement dates as these are announced.
Operational Implications for Security and Facilities Teams
Taken together, these reforms reinforce a direction that security and facilities professionals have been navigating for some time: common property maintenance is no longer a matter of best efforts — it is a legally enforceable obligation with financial penalties and public enforcement records attached.
Several practical considerations flow from this for teams managing electronic security and BMS assets in strata schemes:
- Capital works planning must include security infrastructure. CCTV cameras, NVR/VMS servers, access control door hardware, intercoms, alarm panels, and network switching equipment all have finite service lives. If these are not represented in the 10-year plan with realistic replacement cost estimates, the scheme is under-budgeting and may face unplanned special levies or deferred maintenance enforcement.
- Condition documentation supports compliance. With Fair Trading now empowered to request documents and investigate maintenance breaches, having an up-to-date asset register and service history for common property systems is a practical risk management tool, not just good practice.
- New scheme handovers require scrutiny. The certified IMS requirement for multi-storey schemes should be verified at handover. Security and communications infrastructure is routinely under-documented in developer-prepared maintenance schedules — an independent review at handover catches this before it becomes the owners corporation’s problem.
- Section 184 disclosures affect sale transactions. Facilities managers supporting lot sales or due diligence processes should be aware that the certificates now carry more detail, including enforcement history. Unresolved Fair Trading compliance actions will appear in transaction documentation.
For strata committees and building managers seeking to get ahead of the capital works planning requirements, a structured site audit of electronic security and network infrastructure is a practical first step — producing the asset register, condition assessment, and indicative replacement cost schedule needed to populate the standard form 10-year plan accurately.
Original source: https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/strata/guide-to-strata-law-changes-for-strata-committees-and-owners