If you own an apartment and serve on your strata committee, a significant change to NSW strata law starts on 1 October 2026 (Strata Schemes Management Act).
New and returning strata committee members appointed from that date will be required to complete online training within three months of their appointment. The free, self-paced course provided by NSW Fair Trading takes about one hour.
The training is designed to help committee members understand their legal duties and responsibilities, including making decisions about budgets, repairs and maintenance, long-term planning and dispute resolution.
Importantly, the requirement is not optional. A committee member who fails to complete the training within the required three months automatically ceases to be a committee member.
There are some exemptions. The requirement does not apply to members of two-lot strata schemes, strata managing agents or people filling a casual vacancy for less than three months.
Committee members appointed before 1 October 2026 do not have to immediately undertake the training. The requirement applies when they are next appointed.
With so many Sydneysiders living in apartments, strata committees make decisions affecting both people’s homes and substantial amounts of owners’ money. The new rules recognise that committee membership carries responsibilities as well as voting rights.
This article is general information only and is not legal advice.
