Strata Report Review
Know Exactly What Your Strata Report Says — Before You Sign
- Independent, buyer-side reviews of strata inspection and strata search reports.
- Fixed-fee pricing — no surprises, no hourly billing.
- Fast 24–48 hour turnaround, with urgent same-day options.
- Plain-English summary of financials, levies, defects & disputes.
- Experience across NSW, VIC, QLD & WA strata schemes.
Why a Strata Report Review Matters
A Strata Purchase Is More Than Four Walls
When you buy an apartment, townhouse or unit in a strata scheme, you’re not just buying your own lot — you’re buying into a shared legal and financial community run by an owners corporation (a body corporate in QLD, an owners corporation in VIC, and a strata company in WA). Decisions about the building’s budget, repairs, insurance and by-laws are made collectively, and you inherit your share of them the moment you settle.
A strata report — also called a strata inspection report, a strata search report or a strata records inspection — opens up that community’s records: the administrative and capital works funds, levies, insurance, meeting minutes, building defects, and any disputes or litigation. It can run to hundreds of pages — and the most important risks are rarely on the first page.
At Corporate Legal, our proactive, buyer-side reviews translate all of that into a clear, plain-English picture of what you’re really committing to. We don’t simply repeat what the inspector found — we tell you what it means for you, what to be concerned about, and what to do next.
Call Us NowWhat Is a Strata Report?
A strata report is an independent inspection of an owners corporation’s books and records, carried out on your behalf before you buy a lot in a strata scheme. It is the only way to see the scheme’s finances, its history and its problems before you are legally committed.
What a strata report contains
- The strata roll and your lot’s unit entitlement
- Administrative fund and capital works (sinking) fund balances
- Current levies, arrears, and any special levies raised or foreshadowed
- Minutes of general meetings and committee meetings
- Building insurance, valuation and currency of cover
- By-laws, including pets, renovations, parking and short-stay letting
- Reported defects, building works, and any rectification claims
- Disputes, tribunal or court proceedings involving the scheme
The same document, four different names
What you are given depends on where the property is and who prepared it. All of the following are, in substance, a strata report:
- Strata inspection report — the most common name for a NSW records inspection
- Strata search report — used interchangeably by most search providers
- Owners corporation certificate — the statutory certificate in Victoria
- Body corporate records search — the Queensland equivalent
- Strata company records inspection — the Western Australian equivalent
Whichever you receive, we review it the same way: against the law of the state the scheme sits in.
Not sure whether the report you’ve been given is enough? Send it to us.
Talk to UsWhat Our Strata Report Review Covers
Financial Health of the Scheme
We examine the administrative and capital works (sinking) fund balances to see whether the scheme is well-funded for day-to-day running and future major works — or whether you’re likely to face a shortfall soon after settling.
Levies & Special Levies
We identify your ongoing quarterly levies and, critically, any special levies already raised or looming for repairs, upgrades or fire-safety works — costs that can run into the thousands.
Building Defects & Major Works
We flag reported structural problems, water ingress, cladding and waterproofing issues, and any planned or overdue capital works that could affect your enjoyment and the property’s value.
Insurance Adequacy
We check the building is properly insured — including for the correct reinstatement value and required cover — so you’re not exposed if something goes wrong.
Disputes, Litigation & By-Laws
We look for owner disputes, tribunal proceedings, building-rectification claims, and restrictive by-laws on pets, renovations, short-stay letting or parking.
Meeting Minutes & Management
We read the AGM/EGM and committee minutes to gauge how well the scheme is run, owner harmony, and any red flags hiding in the day-to-day records.
Get a complete read on your scheme before you commit.
Book a ConsultationWho We Help
First-Home & Apartment Buyers
If this is your first strata purchase, the jargon — lot entitlements, sinking funds, special levies — can be overwhelming. We translate the report into plain English so you understand the ongoing costs and obligations before you fall in love with the lifestyle.
Investors
For investors, the numbers decide the deal. We help you assess whether the scheme’s financial position, levies and by-laws (including any short-stay or leasing restrictions) support your yield and exit strategy.
Downsizers & Lifestyle Buyers
Moving into a managed community should reduce stress, not add it. We make sure the building is well-run, properly funded and free of nasty surprises so your next chapter starts on solid ground.
Whatever your situation, we’ll tell you what the report really says.
Talk to UsThe Hidden Risks a Strata Report Can Reveal
An Underfunded Sinking Fund
A healthy-looking levy can mask a capital works fund nowhere near enough for the building’s age and condition. When major works land, the bill falls on owners — sometimes within months of settlement.
Looming Special Levies
Minutes often hint at expensive works being “investigated” long before a levy is formally struck. We surface these early so you can negotiate the price or walk away.
Building Defects & Cladding
Water ingress, structural cracking, waterproofing failure and combustible cladding are among the most costly strata problems. We highlight what’s reported and what’s unresolved.
Disputes & Litigation
Active tribunal proceedings, builder-rectification claims or entrenched owner conflict can mean years of cost and disruption — and can make a lot very hard to resell.
Restrictive By-Laws
By-laws can prohibit pets, restrict renovations, ban short-stay letting or limit parking. We make sure the rules fit how you intend to live or invest.
Inadequate or Lapsed Insurance
If the building is under-insured or key cover has lapsed, owners can be personally exposed. We confirm the scheme’s cover is appropriate and current.
Don’t discover these after settlement. Talk to us first.
Get In TouchSpecial Levies — the Cost Buyers Miss Most
A special levy is a one-off charge struck by the owners corporation when the ordinary levies won’t cover a cost — major repairs, a building defect rectification, fire-safety upgrades, remediation or litigation. They are the single most expensive surprise a strata buyer can inherit, and they are almost always visible in the records before they are formally struck.
Already struck, not yet paid
If a special levy has been raised but instalments fall due after settlement, the contract decides who wears them. We check the position and tell you what to ask for before you exchange.
Approved but not yet levied
A resolution to proceed with works can sit in the minutes for months before a levy is issued. The cost is coming; it just hasn’t arrived. This is the one buyers most often miss.
Foreshadowed in the minutes
Quotes obtained, engineers engaged, a defect “under investigation” — all signal a future levy. We read the minutes for exactly this and put a likely range on it where we can.
Hidden by a healthy-looking levy
Low quarterly levies can mean a scheme is under-collecting, not that it is well run. Set against the building’s age and condition, a thin capital works fund is a special levy waiting to happen.
Funded by a strata loan
Some schemes borrow rather than levy. You inherit your share of the repayments through higher ongoing levies — which is easy to miss if you only look at the fund balance.
What you can do about it
A foreshadowed levy is a negotiating point: a price adjustment, a retention at settlement, or a special condition. We tell you which is realistic in your state and in your position.
Worried about a levy you can see coming — or one you can’t?
Book a ConsultationHow It Works
Send Us the Report
Email us the strata, owners corporation or body corporate report you’ve received from your agent or inspection provider. Don’t have one yet? We can arrange it for you.
Legal Review
We analyse the report and supporting documents in detail — funds, levies, insurance, minutes, defects and disputes — identifying the risks that matter to your purchase.
Plain-English Advice Summary
You receive a clear written summary setting out our findings, the key red flags, and our recommended next steps — in language you can actually act on.
Follow-Up Call (Optional)
Speak directly with one of our lawyers to talk through your concerns, your negotiating position and your options before you sign.
Most reports reviewed within 24–48 hours — urgent service available.
Book a ConsultationStrata Reviews Across Australia
Strata law and terminology differ from state to state, and so do the records you’ll receive. We review schemes across the states we serve, applying the right framework to each:
| State | What the body is called | What the report typically covers |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Owners Corporation | Strata roll, funds, levies, minutes, by-laws, insurance, defects, NCAT matters |
| VIC | Owners Corporation | OC certificate, fees, financials, rules, insurance, repairs and disputes |
| QLD | Body Corporate | Body corporate records search, sinking/admin funds, by-laws, insurance, disputes |
| WA | Strata Company | Strata company records, reserve fund, levies, by-laws, insurance, scheme disputes |
Part of a Complete Conveyancing Service
A strata report review is often one piece of a larger purchase. If you’d like us to handle the whole transaction — from contract review through to settlement — we can.
Residential Conveyancing
End-to-end conveyancing for apartment and townhouse buyers. Learn more →
Commercial Conveyancing
Strata-titled offices, retail and industrial units. Learn more →
Contract Reviews
Plain-English review of your contract of sale. Learn more →
Want us to manage the whole purchase, not just the report?
Talk to UsWhy Choose Corporate Legal
Genuinely Independent
We act only for you, the buyer — never the agent or seller. Our advice is in your interests alone.
Lawyers, Not Just Reviewers
Your report is assessed by a qualified property lawyer who understands the legal consequences, not just the contents.
Fixed-Fee Pricing
A clear, upfront fee with no hourly surprises, so you know exactly what you’re paying.
Fast Turnaround
24–48 hours for most reports, with urgent same-day service available when timing is tight.
Plain-English Advice
No jargon — just a clear read on the risks and what to do about them.
Multi-State Expertise
NSW, VIC, QLD & WA schemes, each handled under the correct state framework.
Get an independent, expert read on your strata report today.
Book a ConsultationFrequently Asked Questions
Why should I get legal advice on a strata report?
What’s the difference between a strata report and a strata report review?
How quickly can you review a report?
What if I don’t have the report yet?
Is your advice independent of the seller or agent?
Do you review reports outside NSW?
What is a strata report?
What is the difference between a strata report, a strata inspection report and a strata search report?
How much does a strata report cost and who pays for it?
What is a special levy, and can I be charged one after I settle?
Do I still need a strata report if the building is brand new?
Can you also review the contract of sale?
Still have questions about your strata report?
Ask Us DirectlyBuy With Confidence
A strata purchase is a major commitment, and the costliest problems are usually the ones buyers never saw coming. Before you sign, let Corporate Legal give you an independent, expert read on exactly what you’re buying into — quickly, clearly, and for a fixed fee.
Book a Consultation