What you need to know as a volunteer strata manager

Following the amendments to the Act which came into effect in May 2020, there are some new requirements that must be met by not only your Strata Manager but also by those people who chose to self-manage their scheme (volunteer Strata Managers).

Schemes can still have a volunteer Strata Manager. The Act ensures they are subject to the statutory duties of a Strata Manager, with Landgate noting that the following conditions are included:

• Volunteers must have a written agreement or contract with the strata company.

• Volunteers must own one of the lots.

• Volunteer strata managers cannot earn more than $250 for each lot in the scheme, over a full year or if a reward is non‑monetary, the amount of the reward is the value of the reward.

Volunteer Strata Managers do not need to attain educational qualifications or hold professional indemnity insurance. However, like Strata Managers, they must obtain (and table) a national criminal record check, every 3 years. In the event of a conviction for a property or dishonesty offence, a volunteer Strata Manager must, as soon as practicable, notify the Strata Company (all owners) in writing detailing the particulars of the conviction.