Strata repairs disputes rise 44%: what Fair Trading’s compliance powers mean for building maintenance

Repairs and maintenance has become one of the main reasons NSW strata owners seek help from NSW Fair Trading. New figures released by the NSW Government show a sharp rise in mediation applications about repairs, at a time when Fair Trading has stronger tools to act when common property is not maintained.

For strata committees, strata managing agents and building managers, the message is practical: maintenance decisions, and the records behind them, are getting more attention.

What has happened

On 29 September 2026, the Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading released figures on the NSW Strata and Property Taskforce’s mediation service. According to the release:

• Strata mediation applications rose 30% last financial year, from 2,760 to 3,591.
• 76% of matters were completely resolved.
• Applications about repairs and maintenance rose 44% and now make up around 40% of all strata mediation applications.

The release also points to laws that allow NSW Fair Trading to issue compliance notices to, and enter enforceable undertakings with, owners corporations that do not meet their duty to maintain and repair common property. These powers are already in force. A November 2025 ministerial release confirmed they commenced at the end of October 2025, and NSW Fair Trading published a Common Property Repairs and Maintenance Compliance and Enforcement Policy at that time.

NSW Government guidance on strata repairs and maintenance says Fair Trading assesses complaints about repair failures. Where it identifies a breach, it may request a rectification plan, issue a compliance notice or seek an enforceable undertaking from the owners corporation.

A further stage of reform is now law. The fourth strata reform Bill, the Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025, was introduced in November 2025, passed both Houses of NSW Parliament on 15 October 2026 and received assent on 23 October 2026 as Act No 46 of 2026. Its changes apply from the dates they commence, which should be checked on the NSW legislation website. When the Bill was introduced, the NSW Government said it would publish Fair Trading compliance actions so prospective buyers can identify building maintenance concerns.

Updated 24 October 2026 to reflect assent of the strata amendment Bill.

What it means in practice

The duty itself is not new. NSW Government guidance states that the owners corporation must repair and maintain common property, such as roofs, gutters, boundary walls, concrete slabs, balconies and windows. What has changed is that there is now a regulator pathway between an informal complaint and a tribunal application.

The guidance describes a staged path for owners. If the owners corporation does not carry out a repair, an owner can apply for free mediation through NSW Fair Trading. If mediation does not resolve the issue or is declined, the owner can make a complaint to Fair Trading. Mediation remains the usual first step, and the release reports that most matters that go through it are completely resolved.

For committees and managers, this means:

• Repair requests from owners are more likely to be escalated, so how and when they are answered matters.
• Clear records of inspections, quotes, decisions and completed works help show what the scheme has done and why.
• Deferring known issues, such as water leaks or balcony deterioration, carries more risk than it did before.
• The 10-year capital works plan, which owners corporations must have, becomes a useful record of how repairs are being planned and funded.

What committees and managers may want to consider

This is general information, not advice. Committees and managers may find it useful to:

• Keep a single register of reported issues, with dates, responses and outcomes.
• Get a condition assessment of common property so priorities are based on evidence rather than complaints alone.
• Link urgent and planned repairs to the capital works plan and update it when conditions change.
• Remember that NSW Government guidance requires at least two independent quotes for work valued at $30,000 or more, except emergency repairs.
• Reply to owners’ repair requests in writing with a realistic timeframe, even where work cannot start straight away.
• Make sure new committee members understand these duties. Our article on strata committee training covers the training requirement that started on 1 October 2026.

How Beams & Dreams can help

Beams & Dreams Constructions is a Sydney-based builder (NSW Builder Licence 397915C, Registered Building Practitioner BUP4253866). We work with owners corporations, strata managing agents and building managers on building maintenance and defect rectification. We can inspect common property, help scope repairs clearly so quotes can be compared on the same basis, and plan works in a practical order.

Next step

If your scheme has outstanding repair requests or wants a clearer maintenance plan, talk to our team.

This article is general information only. It is not legal, financial, planning, engineering or compliance advice. Rules and timeframes can change. Check the official sources linked above and get advice from a qualified professional about your building or project.