Stratarama Who can be a Strata Manager? 
Legal requirements for who can practice as a professional Strata Manager differs from state to state. For example, in New South Wales to practise as a Strata Manager, one must be appropriately licensed, However, in South Australia, there are currently no legal restrictions on who can manage Strata and Community titled property.
Therefore, it is recommended that if you are under professional management or are seeking professional management, you approach a member of the SCA.
The peak industry body for all of Australia is the Strata Community Association (SCA) who provides a framework for accreditation of Managers here in SA and nationally and ensures its members uphold its national Code of Conduct. The SCA further provides on-going support and training for its members, who must complete set levels of training each year to maintain accreditation. It should be noted that not all SCA Members have Managers who are accredited.
Please take note that not all Strata Managers in Adelaide or South Australia are members of the SCA and not all SCA members in the state are accredited. Stratarama maintain membership with the SCA and Tony Johnson not only sits on the SCA board in South Australia but is also a level three accredited Manager (the highest accreditation level of any Manager in SA).
So if your Body Corporate chooses Stratarama to manage your Strata or Community Titled Property, you can be assured that your property is in capable and accredited hands.
Can you do your own Strata management?
Yes, you can. Read our full article here. There is currently no legal requirement for any group in South Australia to engage the services of a professional manager. However, if you choose to self-manage, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I have the knowledge of the relevant legislation to ensure the group is upholding its legal responsibilities?
- Do I have the time to deal with the maintenance issues that will arise over time?
- Do I have the experience to keep accounts and other financial records pertaining to the corporation?
- Am I prepared to mediate between my fellow owners should the need arise?
- Am I willing to take on all of the above responsibilities and more?
If you have answered ‘no’ to any of the above, it may pay for the Strata Corporation Members to consider professional management. If the group is already managed professionally but Strata Members feel that they are not getting the service that they are paying for, then the group can consider alternative professional management and reach out for an SCA Member Company. For guidance on how to changing strata managers follow this link.
If you are interested in self-managing, feel free to contact Stratarama for advice if required. You may also like to refer to our FAQ, Can you manage your own strata? for further information on what self-managing means for the owners.
What does self-managed Strata mean?
When a Strata or Community titled property (Body Corporate) does not engage the services of a professional manager, it is commonly known in the strata industry as “self-managed”.
Most commonly, this entails an owner, or a group of owners elected as official representatives for the corporation (known as “office bearers”) running the corporation and handling its affairs. There are three office bearer positions, Presiding Officer, Secretary and Treasurer. In solely residential properties, these are required by the respective Strata and Community Title Acts in South Australia to be filled with members of the corporation only. Members of corporation are the individual unit owners. In addition to the Office Bearers, the group of Members may also appoint a Committee of Owners consisting of the Office Bearers and other unit Owners empowered to undertake certain decisions and actions on behalf of the group. All Body Corporate Members should weigh up whether the inclusion of Office Bearers Cover is warranted for their Corporation.
Some of the functions of the elected Treasurer include the collection of levies, payment of invoices, preparation of financial statements and maintenance of accounting records.
Functions of the elected Secretary include convening meetings, preparing and distributing minutes and answering correspondence directed to the Strata or Community corporation.
If your group is considering becoming self-managed, please refer to our FAQ on: Can you do your own Strata management?
If your group is self-managed and wish to seek professional management or have some general queries in regards to either professional management or the requirements of a self-managed group and its members, contact Stratarama on 0415 STRATA or by email on office@stratarama.com.au
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