Every Australian state lets a scheme change its strata manager, and in every state the process is more procedural than dramatic: a properly convened vote, written notice served on time, and a records handover. What differs — and what catches committees out — is the detail: how long appointments can run, who gets to decide, and the notice deadlines that decide whether the exit happens on your timeline or the manager's. Pick your state below for the full guide, or start with the comparison.
BCCM Act engagements, ordinary resolutions, remedial action notices and the register of engagements.
Read the QLD guide →Section 50 term limits, the 3-month non-reappointment deadline, and the 2025 reform tranches.
Read the NSW guide →The 3-year cap, void rollover clauses, tier-based notice limits and the 28-day handover.
Read the VIC guide →| QLD | NSW | VIC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legislation | BCCM Act 1997 + regulation modules | Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, s 50 | Owners Corporations Act 2006, s 119 |
| Max term | 3 years (Standard Module); 1 year (Small Schemes Module) | 12 months at first AGM; otherwise 3 years including options | 3 years for contracts since 1 Dec 2021 |
| Who decides | Ordinary resolution at a general meeting | Resolution at a general meeting | Committee, generally — unless the scheme restricts it to a general meeting |
| Key deadline | Notice per the engagement's terms, ahead of expiry | Written non-reappointment notice ≥ 3 months before term end (kills the agent's 3-month extension option) | Contract notice capped at 3 months (tiers 1–2) or 1 month (tiers 3–5) |
| Breach route | Remedial action notice, then termination by ordinary resolution | Contractual breach clauses; NCAT for unlawful conduct (from 27 Oct 2025) | Fundamental breach clauses backed by statutory manager duties |
| Records handover | Documents in manager's custody must be returned | Records and funds hand over on termination per the agreement and Act | 28 days, and records can't be withheld over a dispute |
StrataTrade gives strata managers and committees a shared, auditable record of every job posted, every quote received from verified trades, and every recommendation made — a procurement history that belongs to the building, not to any one manager.
See how it worksThe legal process itself is straightforward in every Australian state: a properly convened vote, written notice served on time, and a records handover. What makes changes fail is timing — committees that start after the contract's notice deadlines have passed lose control of the exit date. Start from the expiry date and work backwards.
No state requires unanimity. In QLD and NSW the decision is made by resolution at a general meeting, carried by a simple majority of votes cast. In Victoria the committee itself can generally make the decision unless the scheme has restricted that power, and contract terms demanding special or unanimous resolutions are void for contracts covered by the 2021 reforms.
Only via the contract's own termination clauses, a statutory breach process, mutual agreement, or (in NSW, from October 2025) a Tribunal order for unlawful conduct. Terminating mid-term without one of those bases can expose the scheme to a damages claim, so most changes are planned around the expiry date instead.
Total annual cost rather than the base fee, written disclosure of all commissions and supplier relationships, reporting frequency and quality, and how contractor quoting actually works — how many trades are approached per job and what visibility the committee gets. The gap between firms on procurement practice is often bigger than the gap on fees.