How to get a strata report in NSW.
If you're buying an apartment, townhouse, or unit in NSW, the strata records tell you the financial health of the building, what the by-laws say, whether there are outstanding defects or levies, and what insurance is in place. This guide explains what documents exist, how to get them, and what they cost.
First — two different things people call a 'strata report'
There are two separate documents, and most guides (and most buyers) blur the distinction. Getting this right matters because they cost different amounts, contain different information, and come from different places.
A deep inspection of the owners corporation's actual records — financial statements, minutes, correspondence, maintenance history, insurance certificates, by-laws, and more. This is what a professional strata searcher does when you hire them for $250–450.
Who provides it: the strata managing agent makes the records available for inspection.
Cost: approximately $60 per hour for non-owners (verify with the managing agent).
Legal basis: Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW), section 182.
A standardised form published by NSW Fair Trading that the owners corporation must provide on request. It contains a defined set of information: strata committee members, managing agent, levy amounts, outstanding levies on the specific lot, 10-year capital works fund proposals, recent by-laws, embedded network status, and — critically — any outstanding orders (item 12A), including cladding rectification orders, Residential Apartment Buildings Act orders, and EP&A development control orders.
Under section 185 of the SSM Act, a s.184 certificate is conclusive evidence of the matters stated in it. This means the information carries legal weight — if a levy isn't shown on the certificate, the purchaser is not liable for it.
Cost: approximately $109 (verify with the managing agent — the fee is set under Schedule 4 of the SSM Regulation 2016).
Legal basis: SSM Act 2015, sections 184–185.
Most buyers need one or both. The s.184 certificate gives you the key financial and compliance facts in a predictable format. The s.182 records inspection gives you the full picture — minutes, correspondence, maintenance history — but takes more time and costs more.
Three ways to get strata records as a buyer
You don't have to hire a $300 professional strata searcher. There are three paths, and most buyers don't know about all of them.
Many vendors provide a strata report to prospective buyers as part of the marketing package. Ask the selling agent: "Do you have a strata report or strata records available for this property?" In many cases, the vendor has already commissioned one, or has one from a previous inspection.
This is the fastest path. It's also the one where you have the least control over what's included and how current it is. Check the date of the report — strata records change, and a report from 18 months ago may not reflect a recent special levy or defect claim.
When a professional strata searcher prepares a report for one buyer, it often becomes available for other buyers to download at a reduced price — typically $29–70 — through databases like BeforeYouBuy. Ask the selling agent whether a pre-existing report is available for the property.
NSW Fair Trading explicitly suggests this path: "You can find out if any existing pre-purchase inspection reports have been completed for somebody else. Ask the real estate agent about this. This can save you money."
A pre-existing report is independent (it was prepared for a different buyer, not the vendor), and it's substantially cheaper than commissioning your own. The trade-off is that it may be weeks or months old.
You can request a Section 184 certificate (or arrange a Section 182 records inspection) directly from the strata managing agent. Here's the process:
- Find the strata managing agent. Use the free NSW Strata Search — enter the property address or strata plan number and it returns the managing agent's name, licence number, strata plan number, and last AGM date. You can also use the NSW Strata Hub map to find the strata plan number from an address visually.
- Contact the managing agent. The search above returns the agent's name and licence number. Visit the agent's website for their records-request process — many strata managers offer an online request form.
- Provide evidence of your interest. You'll need the vendor's written authority (which the selling agent provides) or evidence you're a genuine prospective purchaser (such as a copy of the contract of sale). A genuine purchaser's request cannot reasonably be withheld.
- Pay the fee and receive the certificate. The s.184 certificate fee is approximately $109 (set under Schedule 4 of the SSM Regulation 2016 — verify the current amount with the managing agent). The certificate is issued as a PDF, typically within 14 days.
To request a s.184 certificate, you need to be (or be authorised by) a lot owner. As a prospective buyer, you apply as an authorised person — the selling agent facilitates this. In practice, this is a formality for genuine purchasers. However, you typically can't pull a s.184 cold at the casual-browsing stage without any relationship to the vendor. That's why paths 1 and 2 (vendor-supplied reports and pre-existing downloads) are often faster for early shortlisting.
Free NSW government tools for strata buyers
Before you spend anything, these free tools give you basic information about any strata scheme in NSW.
Enter an address or strata plan number. Returns the managing agent's name and licence, SP number, registration date, lot count, and last AGM date. Free, no login.
Interactive map of all 85,000+ strata schemes in NSW. Click any building to see its details. Useful when you know the building but not the strata plan number.
Free street-address-to-title lookup, plan inquiry (lot numbers, registration date), and cadastral records. More comprehensive searches available via approved information brokers.
What's in a Section 184 certificate
The s.184 certificate is a standardised form published by NSW Fair Trading. Every certificate follows the same structure, which means the contents are predictable. Here's what it covers:
Item 12A is the highest-value red-flag field on any s.184 certificate. It discloses outstanding rectification orders, including combustible cladding orders (post-Lacrosse/Grenfell), Residential Apartment Buildings Act building work rectification orders, and EP&A Act development control orders. If this field shows any outstanding orders, that's a finding you need to discuss with your conveyancer immediately.
Under section 185 of the SSM Act, a s.184 certificate is conclusive evidence of the matters stated in it. If a levy is outstanding before the certificate is issued but isn't shown on the certificate, the purchaser is not liable for it. This makes the s.184 one of the most legally significant documents in any apartment purchase.
Once you have the documents
Whether you got the vendor's report, downloaded a pre-existing one for $29, or requested a s.184 certificate directly — you now have a PDF full of strata records.
The problem is reading it. A typical strata report runs 100–200+ pages of financial statements, committee minutes, by-laws, and insurance certificates. The s.184 certificate is shorter but dense with legal and financial detail.
StrataSnap reads any NSW strata document and gives you a plain-English summary in about three minutes — with page citations and references to the relevant sections of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015. It surfaces the things that matter: fund balances, special levies, by-law restrictions on pets and Airbnb, building defect claims, insurance status, compliance issues, and outstanding orders.
What StrataSnap is — and isn't
StrataSnap is an information tool. It reads strata documents and explains them in plain English. It is not legal advice, financial advice, or a formal strata inspection report. It does not tell you whether to buy a property. It does not replace a qualified conveyancer or solicitor.
Take the summary to your conveyancer. Use it as a starting point for a better conversation — not as a substitute for professional advice.