If you own a unit, townhouse, or apartment in greater Hobart, there’s a good chance you’re already part of a strata scheme — whether you know the details of how it works or not. And if your body corporate isn’t being managed well, you’ll feel the consequences: deferred maintenance, rising levies, unresolved disputes, and an investment that quietly loses value while nobody is looking.
Professional strata management in Hobart is the difference between a strata community that functions smoothly and one that becomes a source of ongoing stress and expense. At Southern Horizons Property, we provide comprehensive strata management services across Greater Hobart and Southern Tasmania — bringing the same professionalism, local knowledge, and genuine care that defines our property management offering to the strata communities we serve.
Here’s everything you need to know about strata management in Tasmania, what it involves, how it’s governed, and why professional management makes such a meaningful difference.
What Is a Strata Scheme in Tasmania?
A strata scheme is a type of property title that divides a block of land into individual lots (such as units, townhouses, or apartments) and common property — the shared areas including driveways, gardens, lobbies, stairwells, car parks, and building exteriors that all lot owners share and jointly own.
When a strata plan is registered, a body corporate is automatically created by law. In Tasmania, the relevant legislation is the Strata Titles Act 1998, which governs all strata and community title schemes across the state. Every lot owner in the scheme automatically becomes a member of the body corporate — which means they share both the benefits and the legal responsibilities of collectively owning and managing the common property.
📋 Tasmania terminology note: In Tasmania, strata schemes use the term “body corporate” rather than “owners corporation” (as used in Victoria) or “strata committee” (as in NSW). The governing legislation is the Strata Titles Act 1998 (Tas). If you’re moving from interstate, it pays to understand that the terminology — and some of the legal mechanics — differ from other states.
Tasmania currently has more than 9,200 strata schemes on title, representing approximately 33,900 units across the state. Hobart, as the state’s largest city and fastest-growing capital, accounts for a significant proportion of these. With multiculturalism growing, new apartment developments continuing to come online in inner suburbs like Sandy Bay, North Hobart, and the CBD fringe, and strata living increasingly appealing to downsizers and investors alike, professional strata management in Hobart has never been more relevant or in-demand.
What Does a Body Corporate Actually Do?
Under the Strata Titles Act 1998, the body corporate carries specific legal responsibilities that cannot be delegated away — only professionally managed. The core functions of a Tasmanian body corporate include:
- Enforcing the by-laws — ensuring all lot owners, occupiers, and their guests abide by the rules of the scheme, whether those are the Model By-laws set out in Schedule 1 of the Act or custom by-laws registered by the developer or subsequently adopted by the body corporate.
- Managing and maintaining the common property — keeping shared areas in good condition and carrying out repairs and capital improvements as required, including painting, garden maintenance, cleaning of common areas, and structural repairs.
- Maintaining required insurance — under the Strata Titles Act 1998, the body corporate must maintain insurance for all buildings and improvements on the site, plus public liability insurance over the common property. Failure to maintain adequate insurance can expose lot owners to significant financial risk.
- Levying contributions — under Section 83 of the Act, the body corporate may levy contributions from lot owners to meet anticipated expenditure. Levies must be proportionate to each owner’s unit entitlement, resolved at a properly constituted meeting, and notified to owners in writing with a clear due date.
- Managing finances — maintaining an administrative fund for day-to-day recurrent expenditure and a separate sinking fund (capital fund) for longer-term planned maintenance and capital works.
- Convening meetings — holding at least one Annual General Meeting (AGM) per year, at which budgets are approved, the committee of management is elected, and significant decisions are made by resolution.
- Allocating common property — including assigning car parking spaces on common property to specific lots as required.
What Does a Professional Hobart Strata Manager Do?
A professional strata manager acts on behalf of the body corporate to carry out its functions efficiently, in compliance with the law, and in the best interests of all lot owners. Think of your strata manager as the operational engine of your body corporate — the person who makes sure the meetings happen, the bills are paid, the common property is maintained, and everyone is informed and treated fairly.
At Southern Horizons Property, our strata management service covers:
Financial Administration
We manage the body corporate’s finances end-to-end — preparing annual budgets, issuing levy notices to lot owners in accordance with the Act, collecting and banking contributions, paying invoices, maintaining accurate accounts, and producing clear financial statements for every AGM. We maintain both the administrative fund (for recurrent costs) and the sinking fund (for capital works), ensuring your scheme always has adequate reserves to meet planned and unplanned expenditure.
Meeting Administration
We prepare and distribute AGM and Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) notices, prepare agendas and meeting packs, attend and minute meetings, record all resolutions, and distribute confirmed minutes to owners. Proper meeting administration is fundamental to the validity of body corporate decisions — poorly run meetings can lead to disputed resolutions and costly legal complications.
Common Property Maintenance
We coordinate all repairs and maintenance to common property — from garden maintenance and gutter cleaning to structural repairs, painting, and lift servicing. We maintain a network of licensed, insured tradespeople across Hobart and Southern Tasmania, obtain multiple quotes for significant works, and manage works through to completion. Reactive maintenance is handled promptly; planned maintenance is built into the budget well in advance.
Insurance Management
We arrange and renew the body corporate’s building and public liability insurance, obtain replacement insurance valuations where required, manage claims on behalf of the body corporate, and ensure coverage remains adequate and compliant with the Strata Titles Act 1998 at all times. Strata insurance in Australia — and particularly in Tasmania — has seen significant changes in recent years; having a manager who stays across the market is essential.
By-law Administration and Dispute Resolution
We advise the committee of management on by-law interpretation, issue formal notices to owners or occupiers who breach the by-laws, and assist in resolving disputes between lot owners or between owners and the body corporate before they escalate. Where disputes cannot be resolved informally, we can assist in preparing applications for relief to the Recorder of Titles — Tasmania’s designated dispute resolution authority for strata matters under the Act.
Owner Communication and Record-Keeping
We maintain a complete register of lot owners, provide timely and transparent communication on all body corporate matters, prepare Section 83 disclosure documentation required for property sales, and maintain all records as required by the Strata Titles Act 1998. Every lot owner in our managed schemes has clear visibility over their scheme’s financial position, upcoming maintenance, and meeting outcomes.
Understanding Levies: What Lot Owners Pay and Why
One of the most common sources of confusion — and conflict — in strata schemes is levies. Here’s how they work in Tasmania.
Under Section 83 of the Strata Titles Act 1998, the body corporate may levy contributions from lot owners to raise funds for anticipated expenditure. Levies must be:
- Resolved at a properly constituted meeting of the body corporate (not unilaterally imposed).
- Proportionate to each lot’s unit entitlement as shown on the strata plan — larger or more valuable lots typically carry a higher entitlement and pay a greater share of levies.
- Notified in writing to all owners, setting out the amount, due date, and period for which the contribution applies.
Levies typically fund two separate pools:
| Fund | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Fund | Recurrent day-to-day expenses | Garden maintenance, cleaning, insurance premiums, utilities for common areas, management fees |
| Sinking Fund | Planned capital works and long-term maintenance | Roof replacement, external painting, driveway resurfacing, lift upgrades, major structural repairs |
A well-managed sinking fund is one of the clearest indicators of a healthy body corporate. Schemes with an underfunded sinking fund are often forced to issue special levies — large one-off contributions that catch lot owners off guard and can create genuine financial hardship. Good strata management means anticipating capital expenditure well in advance and building it steadily into the budget, rather than deferring the problem until a crisis forces action.
An underfunded sinking fund is one of the most common hidden risks in strata property. Before buying into any strata scheme, always request the current financial statements and sinking fund balance — it tells you a great deal about how well the body corporate has been managed.
By-laws: The Rules That Govern Strata Living
Every strata scheme in Tasmania is governed by by-laws — the rules that determine how lot owners, tenants, and their guests may use both their individual lots and the common property. The Model By-laws set out in Schedule 1 of the Strata Titles Act 1998 apply automatically to every scheme unless the developer registered different “First By-laws” at the time the plan was established, or the body corporate subsequently voted to adopt its own by-laws.
Common matters covered by strata by-laws include:
- Use of common property and shared facilities.
- Parking of motor vehicles and bicycles on common property.
- Keeping of pets — now a particularly relevant matter following the passage of the Residential Tenancy Amendment (Pets) Act 2025, which affects tenants in strata properties as well as standalone rentals.
- Behaviour of occupiers and their guests in common areas.
- Maintenance obligations of individual lot owners within their lot boundaries.
- Appearance of the exterior of individual lots — relevant to any owner considering renovations or modifications.
Importantly, under the Strata Titles Act 1998, lot owners may amend by-laws by resolution at a properly constituted body corporate meeting. Your strata manager can advise on the process and ensure any changes are correctly documented and registered.
What’s the Difference Between the Body Corporate and the Committee of Management?
This is one of the most common points of confusion for new strata owners. Here’s the distinction:
| Body Corporate | Committee of Management | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is it? | All lot owners collectively | Elected sub-group of lot owners |
| Decision making | Major decisions by resolution at meetings | Day-to-day operational decisions |
| Legal standing | A legal entity under the Strata Titles Act 1998 | Acts on behalf of the body corporate |
| Meetings | AGM (and EGMs as required) | Regular committee meetings as needed |
| Accountability | Must act in the interests of all owners | Reports to and is accountable to the body corporate |
Your strata manager works closely with the committee of management to carry out day-to-day decisions, while ensuring that matters requiring a full body corporate resolution are properly put to all owners at a duly convened meeting.
Strata Dispute Resolution in Tasmania
Disputes in strata schemes are not uncommon — they arise between neighbours over noise or behaviour, between owners over maintenance responsibilities, and between owners and the body corporate over levy recovery or by-law enforcement. In Tasmania, when informal resolution fails, lot owners may make an “application for relief” to the Recorder of Titles at the Land Titles Office under Part 8 of the Strata Titles Act 1998.
The Recorder of Titles has broad powers to make orders — including orders requiring a body corporate to carry out maintenance, compelling an owner to pay outstanding levies, and resolving disputes about by-law interpretation. Appeals from the Recorder’s decisions may be made to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TasCAT).
The best strata management doesn’t just resolve disputes — it prevents them. Clear, consistent communication, transparent financial reporting, fair enforcement of by-laws, and responsive maintenance coordination all reduce the likelihood of disputes reaching a formal stage.
Buying Into a Strata Scheme in Hobart? What to Check First
Purchasing a strata property in Hobart involves a few extra steps compared to buying a freehold home. Before exchanging contracts, your solicitor should obtain and review the Vendor’s Statement and Strata Title Statement — the disclosure documents required when buying and selling strata property in Tasmania. You should also seek and review:
- Current financial statements — are the administrative and sinking funds adequately funded? Is there any outstanding debt owed to the body corporate?
- Current and historical levy amounts — have levies increased sharply in recent years? Have there been any special levies issued?
- Maintenance records and outstanding works — are there any known defects or deferred maintenance issues that will require expenditure?
- Current by-laws — particularly relevant if you intend to rent the property, keep a pet, or undertake any renovations.
- Minutes of recent body corporate meetings — reading the last two or three AGM minutes gives you a clear picture of the scheme’s governance quality, current issues, and the general health of the community.
- Insurance certificates — confirming that building and public liability insurance is current and adequate.
💡 Buyer’s tip: The strata manager for the scheme you’re purchasing into is often your best informal source of information before you buy. A call to ask about the scheme’s financial health, any upcoming capital works, and whether there are any active disputes can save you from a very expensive surprise after settlement.
Why Southern Horizons Property for Strata Management in Hobart?
At Southern Horizons Property, our strata management service is built on the same foundation as our property management offering: genuine local knowledge, exceptional communication, and a commitment to doing things properly.
We work with residential strata communities of all sizes across Greater Hobart and Southern Tasmania — from compact two-lot schemes to larger multi-storey complexes. Our approach is straightforward: we get to know your scheme, your committee, and your community, and we manage it with the care and attention we’d want for our own investment.
Financial Management
Budgets, levies, accounts, and clear reporting for every AGM
Maintenance Coordination
Trusted local trades, prompt response, competitive quotes
Full Compliance
Strata Titles Act 1998, insurance, by-laws, and dispute support
- Local Hobart expertise — we know Greater Hobart’s suburbs, tradespeople, and strata landscape intimately. You won’t be managed from interstate by someone who has never visited your building.
- Transparent, straightforward fee structure — no hidden charges, no surprises. Our fees are clearly set out in our management agreement.
- Full Strata Titles Act 1998 compliance — every meeting, levy, notice, and record is managed in accordance with Tasmanian strata law.
- Integrated property and strata management — for investment properties within strata schemes, having the same agency manage both your lot’s tenancy and the body corporate brings exceptional efficiency, communication, and coordination.
- Responsive, approachable team — we believe great strata management is ultimately about people. We treat every owner, committee member, and occupant with respect and professionalism.
Key Contacts and Resources for Tasmanian Strata Owners
- Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) — Land Titles Office: nre.tas.gov.au — strata scheme information, forms, dispute resolution applications, and the Strata Living in Tasmania booklet (updated June 2025).
- Recorder of Titles: Tasmania’s formal dispute resolution authority for strata matters under the Strata Titles Act 1998.
- Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TasCAT): For appeals of Recorder of Titles decisions.
- Strata Community Association (SCA) Tasmania: strata.community — the peak industry body for strata professionals in Tasmania, with FAQs and owner resources.
- Hobart Community Legal Service: hobartlegal.org.au — free legal information for strata owners on rights and obligations.
Is your Hobart strata scheme ready for professional management?
Whether you’re on a committee looking to appoint a new strata manager, or a lot owner frustrated with how your scheme is currently being run, Southern Horizons Property is here to help.
Request a free strata management proposal today →