The Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025 addresses recommendations from a 2021 statutory review that had been undertaken by the previous government.
This final package forms part of the government’s comprehensive approach to addressing housing challenges in NSW.
Among the key reforms, the bill will allow NSW Fair Trading to publish compliance actions taken against owners corporations, enabling prospective buyers to identify potential maintenance issues before purchasing.
The legislation also gives owners the right to install electric vehicle charging stations without facing unreasonable objections from strata committees.
The reforms provide better protection for owners corporations with embedded network supply agreements, preventing unfair infrastructure charges if agreements are terminated.
Additionally, two-lot schemes such as duplexes, which represent over 30 percent of strata schemes, will be freed from unnecessary administrative burdens.
Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong emphasised the importance of these reforms for higher-density living.
“If we want more people living in higher-density developments, then we need to make the experience of strata living as attractive as possible,” Mr Chanthivong said.
The bill also sets fair limits on bonds and fees that owners corporations can charge residents, ensuring charges for items like access keys are not exorbitantly higher than replacement costs.
It further empowers the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal to terminate agreements with building managers who breach their duties.
This latest legislation follows three earlier reform packages that introduced increased penalties for strata managing agents who fail to disclose conflicts of interest, required payment plans for owners in financial hardship, and established world-first compliance measures allowing Fair Trading to issue notices to owners corporations failing to maintain common property.
Previous reforms also included protections against bill shock through independent certification of initial levy estimates, bans on unjustified commissions for strata managing agents on insurance products, and removal of barriers to sustainability measures like solar panels.
NSW Fair Trading has recently launched the Strata Managing Agent Engagement Planner on the NSW Strata Hub to help residents compare strata management fees and services.
The agency has also released the Benchmarking Strata Insurance Broker Pricing report to provide transparency on insurance broker fees.
Strata and Property Services Commissioner Angus Abadee noted that while this marks a significant milestone, it’s not the end of efforts to improve strata living.
“Work will continue to ensure the benefits of the Government’s strata reform agenda are not only realised but sustained through fair, transparent, and responsive regulation,” Mr Abadee said.
“These changes ensure we have the right rules for strata – backed up with more support from NSW Fair Trading to ensure strata living is fair for all.”
