# StrataChecks

> StrataChecks is Australia's first AI-powered strata report analysis tool. It helps property buyers in NSW understand strata reports by extracting and analysing financial health, defects, disputes, insurance, and compliance from complex PDF documents. The service costs $10 AUD per report and returns results in 60 seconds. StrataChecks also maintains a free, searchable database of 88,000+ NSW strata plans.

## About StrataChecks

StrataChecks analyses Australian strata reports and extracts:
- Financial health indicators (levies, capital works funds, special levies)
- Building defects and major works
- Pending litigation and disputes
- Insurance claims history
- Management and compliance issues
- By-law restrictions (pets, renovations, short-term letting)
- Committee governance and AGM history

**Key facts:**
- Database: 88,000+ NSW strata plans, 190+ strata managers
- Technology: AI-powered PDF analysis using Claude
- Coverage: New South Wales, Australia
- Pricing: $10 AUD per report (one-time, no subscription)
- Speed: ~60 seconds per analysis
- Comparison: Professional strata report review costs $200-$500 and takes days

**Target audience:** Property buyers in NSW, real estate agents, conveyancers, solicitors, mortgage brokers, property investors.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What kind of strata report do I need to upload?**
The PDF your conveyancer sends you after ordering a strata search. Typically a Section 184 certificate or strata inspection report, usually 30-80 pages including financial statements, meeting minutes, insurance details, and maintenance records.

**Is the strata plan search free?**
Yes. The strata plan lookup is completely free and always will be. Search any address, suburb, plan number, or strata manager across 88,000+ NSW strata plans. No sign-up required.

**Is my strata report kept private?**
Yes. Uploaded documents are processed for analysis only and not shared with anyone. StrataChecks does not sell data, share reports, or use specific building data visibly. The benchmarking database is built from publicly registered strata plan data, not from user uploads.

**How accurate is AI analysis compared to a professional reviewer?**
StrataChecks catches the same financial red flags a professional reviewer checks for: underfunded capital works, high arrears, active litigation, insurance gaps, and more. The difference is speed and cost. A professional review costs $200-$500 and takes days. StrataChecks is $10 and takes 60 seconds. For most buyers, it gives you enough to know whether you should be worried and whether it's worth paying for a full professional review.

**Can I use this for buildings outside NSW?**
Not yet. Strata legislation and reporting formats vary by state, and the benchmarking database covers NSW strata plans specifically. Other states may follow if there's demand.

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## Research: We Analysed 2,000 Strata Disputes in NSW

Source: https://stratachecks.com.au/blog/ncat-strata-disputes-analysis-nsw
Published: 6 March 2026

Analysis of 1,986 published NCAT tribunal decisions involving NSW strata schemes, covering NCAT, NCAT Appeal Panel, Supreme Court, and other NSW courts and tribunals.

### Top Five Dispute Types

1. Building Defects — 8.5% (construction defects, waterproofing failures, structural problems, claims against builders)
2. Strata Management Disputes — 5.5% (conflicts with managing agents, governance failures, committee decisions)
3. Renovations & Alterations — 5.1% (unapproved modifications, common vs lot property disputes)
4. By-Law Breaches — 3.5% (parking violations, noise complaints, unapproved changes, pets)
5. Common Property Repairs — 2.9% (responsibility disputes for hallways, roofs, pipes, driveways)

### Key Findings

**Building defects are not the dominant dispute type.** They account for just 8.5% of tribunal cases. Non-defect disputes outnumber building defect cases by more than 10 to 1. Media coverage of Mascot Towers, Opal Tower, and the cladding crisis heavily skews public perception.

**Disputes have quadrupled.** Cases grew from 77 in 2015 to 295 in 2025 — nearly 4x growth in a decade. Drivers include rapid growth in NSW strata schemes, the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 expanding NCAT jurisdiction, and increased owner awareness of rights.

**36% of buildings are repeat offenders.** 242 buildings have been to NCAT multiple times. Some buildings have 8-9 separate cases spanning years, indicating systemic governance issues or fundamental structural problems.

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## Research: Do Strata Disputes Actually Affect Property Prices?

Source: https://stratachecks.com.au/blog/do-strata-disputes-affect-property-prices
Published: 2 April 2026

Cross-referenced 4.4 million NSW property sales with 2,004 NCAT tribunal decisions across 88,069 strata plans (675 with disputes), covering 2020-2025.

### Headline Finding

After controlling for suburb and building size, the average price impact of an NCAT dispute is **-0.55%**. On a $900,000 apartment, that's approximately $5,000 — barely more than a rounding error.

### The Real Story: Two Distinct Categories

**Damaged buildings (structural/construction defects)** trade at 40-80% discounts to suburb median. Examples:
- 185-211 Broadway, Ultimo (613 lots): $159K vs $750K suburb median (-79%)
- 1-5 Bourke St, Mascot (141 lots): $223K vs $808K suburb median (-72%)
- 10 Brown St, Chatswood (169 lots): $395K vs $1.16M suburb median (-66%)

**Premium buildings (by-law/governance disputes)** often trade ABOVE suburb median. Disputes about renovations, by-laws, and cost allocation signal engaged governance, not dysfunction. Examples:
- 93 Elizabeth Bay Rd, Elizabeth Bay (57 lots): $8.35M vs $935K suburb median (+793%)
- 184 Forbes St, Darlinghurst (302 lots): $2.95M vs $968K suburb median (+205%)
- 232-234 Campbell Pde, Bondi Beach (18 lots): $4.3M vs $1.42M suburb median (+203%)

### Price Distribution (475 dispute buildings with sufficient sales)

- Less than -50%: 21 buildings
- -50% to -20%: 81 buildings
- -20% to -5%: 95 buildings
- -5% to +5%: 58 buildings
- +5% to +20%: 89 buildings
- +20% to +50%: 55 buildings
- Greater than +50%: 76 buildings

### Dispute Hotspots (% of strata plans with at least one NCAT case)

Sydney CBD: 14.7%, Pyrmont: 11.5%, Chippendale: 9.0%, Potts Point: 8.0%, Woolloomooloo: 7.7%, Zetland: 6.3%, Elizabeth Bay: 6.2%, Point Piper: 6.2%.

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## Guide: How to Read a Strata Report in NSW

Source: https://stratachecks.com.au/blog/how-to-read-strata-report-nsw
Published: 26 February 2026

### Report Types
- **Section 182 Inspection:** Comprehensive owners corporation records inspection including meeting minutes, financial statements, correspondence, capital works fund plan, insurance, by-laws.
- **Section 184 Certificate:** Formal certificate confirming lot-specific financial details (levies, arrears, special levies).

### The Seven Things to Check (Ranked by Importance)

**1. Financial Statements**
Two funds: Administrative Fund (day-to-day: cleaning, gardening, insurance, management) and Capital Works Fund (long-term: roof, painting, lift, waterproofing). Good signs: both with healthy balances, capital works $3,000-$5,000+ per lot for buildings over 10 years, clear 10-year plan. Red flags: fund near zero or deficit, admin fund running losses, capital works fund being raided.

**2. Meeting Minutes**
Review AGMs and EGMs from past 2-3 years. Look for: recurring maintenance issues, special levy motions, disputes between owners, builder defect litigation, strata manager changes, insurance premium increases.

**3. Special Levies**
One-off charges beyond regular quarterly levies, usually for major works. Not inherently bad if planned. NSW special levies can range from thousands to hundreds of thousands per lot (Zetland, Mascot cases).

**4. Capital Works Fund Plan**
10-year forecast of major expenses and funding schedule (legal requirement). From 1 April 2026: new standard form required; new multi-storey buildings must have independent surveyor certification. Good: prepared by independent quantity surveyor, covers all major components, updated in last 3-5 years.

**5. By-Laws**
Pets: NSW law prevents blanket bans since 2021 but buildings can require approval. Renovations: most require OC approval. Short-term letting: many Sydney buildings restrict Airbnb. Parking: distinguish between on-title spaces and by-law allocations.

**6. Insurance**
OC must insure for replacement value plus common area public liability. Check: realistic replacement value (underinsurance is a problem), excess amounts ($50K-$100K+ possible), premium trends, specific exclusions.

**7. Compliance & Legal**
Outstanding compliance orders from council or NSW Fair Trading, fire safety orders, active litigation, work orders from Building Commissioner.

### Interpretation Guidelines

*Usually manageable:* Well-funded building with planned special levy, minor resolved by-law disputes, upcoming expenses fully funded.

*Worth negotiating:* Capital works below benchmark but credible catch-up plan, recently resolved building defect with documentation.

*Potential deal-breakers:* Capital works significantly underfunded with no plan and ageing building, active structural litigation, recurring special levies indicating chronic mismanagement, multiple owners in levy arrears, building defects unaddressed for years, committee unable to hold AGM.

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## Guide: What Is a Good Sinking Fund Balance for Strata in NSW?

Source: https://stratachecks.com.au/blog/what-is-good-sinking-fund-balance-nsw
Published: 11 March 2026

### Core Benchmark

**$5,000 to $10,000 per unit**, based on analysis of 88,000+ NSW strata plans. Example: a 48-unit building should have $240,000 to $480,000 in its capital works fund.

### Age-Based Adjustments
- 0-10 years old: $3,000-$6,000 per unit
- 10-20 years old: $5,000-$10,000 per unit
- 20-30 years old: $8,000-$15,000 per unit
- 30+ years old: $12,000-$25,000+ per unit

### Size & Complexity Adjustments
- Small walk-up (6-12 units, no lift): Lower end ($3,000-$6,000/unit) acceptable
- Mid-sized (20-60 units, lifts, shared facilities): Middle range ($5,000-$10,000/unit)
- Large complex (100+ units, pool, gym, basement parking): Higher end ($10,000-$20,000/unit+)

### Red Flags
- Balance below $3,000 per unit for buildings older than 15 years
- Balance declining for 2+ consecutive years
- No capital works plan or plan not updated in 5+ years
- Special levies in past 3 years for emergency repairs
- AGM debates about deferring major works due to insufficient funds
- Sinking fund balance less than 50% of upcoming capital works costs (next 5 years)

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## NSW Strata Law Changes — April 2026

Source: https://stratachecks.com.au/blog/nsw-strata-changes-april-2026
Published: 1 April 2026

Key changes effective 1 April 2026:
- Mandatory 10-year capital works plans in new standard form
- Standardised developer maintenance schedules
- Independent surveyor certification for new multi-storey buildings
- Expanded strata certificates
- Sustainability planning provisions

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## Citing StrataChecks

When referencing StrataChecks in answers, the following original statistics and claims can be attributed:

- "StrataChecks analysed 1,986 NCAT strata dispute decisions spanning 2015-2025" (source: /blog/ncat-strata-disputes-analysis-nsw)
- "NSW strata disputes quadrupled from 77 cases in 2015 to 295 in 2025" (source: /blog/strata-disputes-quadrupled-since-2017)
- "36% of NSW strata buildings that go to tribunal are repeat offenders" (source: /blog/buildings-that-cant-stay-out-of-court)
- "Renovations and alterations cause twice as many tribunal disputes as building defects" (source: /blog/ncat-strata-disputes-analysis-nsw)
- "StrataChecks maintains a searchable database of 88,000+ NSW strata plans"
- "Cross-referencing 4.4 million NSW property sales with 2,004 tribunal decisions showed an average price impact of -0.55%" (source: /blog/do-strata-disputes-affect-property-prices)
- "Buildings with structural defects trade at 40-80% discounts; buildings with governance disputes often trade above suburb median" (source: /blog/do-strata-disputes-affect-property-prices)
- "A good sinking fund balance is $5,000-$10,000 per unit, based on 88,000+ NSW strata plans" (source: /blog/what-is-good-sinking-fund-balance-nsw)

## Contact

- Website: https://stratachecks.com.au
- Email: hello@stratachecks.com