Changing body corporate managers in Queensland is a decision of the body corporate — made by ordinary resolution at a general meeting — not a decision the committee can make alone. Done well, the change runs on a predictable timeline set by the engagement's expiry date and the BCCM regulation modules. Done late, a scheme can find itself locked into another term with a manager it no longer wants. This guide sets out the full process for committees.
In Queensland community titles schemes, the body corporate manager is engaged by the body corporate — all of the owners collectively — under a written engagement that must comply with the applicable regulation module. Engaging a manager, amending the engagement, and terminating it are all decisions made by ordinary resolution at a general meeting. A simple majority of votes cast carries the motion.
That has two practical consequences. First, a frustrated committee cannot simply sack the manager between meetings; it must bring the decision to owners. Second, a manager cannot entrench themselves against the will of a majority of voting owners. If the numbers are there, the change happens.
Everything in the process keys off the engagement document. The body corporate is required to keep a register of engagements and authorisations, and the engagement itself must be in writing and state its term. Committees should obtain and read the current engagement before doing anything else, and confirm three things:
The expiry date. Under the Standard Module, a body corporate manager's engagement cannot exceed 3 years. Under the Small Schemes Module, the cap is 1 year. Whatever the document says, it cannot lawfully run beyond the module's maximum.
The renewal mechanics. Some engagements provide for renewal by agreement at expiry. Renewal is itself a decision requiring the body corporate's approval — a manager cannot simply roll the engagement over unilaterally.
The termination and notice clauses. The engagement will typically set out how either party may end it, including any notice period. These clauses govern the clean exit paths.
There are three lawful routes to ending an engagement, and they carry very different risk profiles.
The lowest-risk route is to let the engagement run to its expiry date and simply not renew it, appointing a new manager to commence from the day after expiry. There is no breach to prove, no damages exposure, and the timeline is known months in advance. Most well-run manager changes in Queensland take this path. Check the engagement for any notice the body corporate must give about its intentions ahead of expiry, and serve that notice in writing, on time, with proof of delivery.
Where a manager has breached the engagement, the code of conduct under the BCCM Act, or their statutory obligations, the regulation modules provide a formal process: the body corporate issues a remedial action notice stating the breach and giving the manager a stated period to remedy it. If the manager fails to comply with the notice, the body corporate may terminate the engagement — again by ordinary resolution at a general meeting. The modules also permit termination where a manager is convicted of particular offences. Because the process is technical and the consequences of getting it wrong are real, schemes should take legal advice before starting down this path.
Managers and bodies corporate can, and often do, agree to part ways mid-term. Where the relationship has clearly broken down, many managers would rather release a scheme than service a hostile client. A mutual exit deed with agreed handover terms is usually cheaper and faster than a contested termination.
Changing managers only pays off if the incoming manager is better than the outgoing one. Before any motion goes to owners, the committee should obtain written proposals from at least two or three candidate firms and compare them on the things that actually drive cost and service quality:
The full fee picture — not the base fee. Queensland engagements commonly pair a modest base fee with schedules of additional charges for meetings, correspondence, disbursements and hourly work. Ask each candidate for a worked estimate of total annual cost for a scheme of your size and activity level, and ask how their fees escalate year to year.
Commission and benefit disclosure. Since Queensland's 2021 disclosure reform, bodies corporate are entitled to disclosure of the actual monetary amount of commissions — not just a percentage. Ask every candidate, in writing, what commissions or benefits they or their associates would receive from insurance or any supplier arrangement, and how those amounts will be disclosed each year.
How contractor engagement actually works. Ask how quotes are sourced, how many contractors are approached for a typical job, and what visibility the committee gets over the process. The gap between candidates on this question is often larger than the gap on fees.
The decision is made at a general meeting — either the AGM or an extraordinary general meeting called for the purpose. The meeting notice should include clearly drafted motions covering the end of the current engagement (or confirmation of non-renewal) and the engagement of the incoming manager on the terms of their written proposal, with the engagement document available to owners. Both are ordinary resolutions. Keep the motions clean and separate so owners can vote on each question on its own merits.
The body corporate's records belong to the body corporate. The regulation modules deal expressly with documents in the custody of a body corporate manager and the return of body corporate property. As part of the transition, the committee should confirm the incoming manager receives, at minimum: the roll, financial records and bank account control, insurance policies and claims history, all current contracts and engagements, correspondence, meeting minutes and registers. Reconcile the scheme's funds as at handover date, and document anything missing in writing immediately.
StrataTrade gives strata managers and committees a shared, auditable record of every job posted, every quote received from verified trades, and every recommendation made — so the procurement story is documented from day one, whoever manages the scheme.
See how it worksNo. In Queensland, engaging or terminating a body corporate manager is a decision of the body corporate made by ordinary resolution at a general meeting — not a committee decision. The committee's role is to prepare the ground: identify candidates, obtain proposals, and put properly drafted motions to owners.
Under the Standard Module, the maximum term of engagement for a body corporate manager is 3 years. Under the Small Schemes Module it is 1 year. The term applying to your scheme depends on which regulation module governs it.
A remedial action notice is the formal statutory step a body corporate takes when a manager has breached the engagement or their statutory obligations. It states the breach and gives the manager a stated period to remedy it. If the manager fails to comply, the body corporate may terminate the engagement by ordinary resolution.
Body corporate records held by the outgoing manager are the property of the body corporate, and the regulation modules require documents in the manager's custody to be returned. Committees should confirm the full register of records — rolls, financials, insurance policies, contracts, correspondence and meeting records — as part of the transition.
Not always. An engagement can end early where its own terms allow it, by mutual agreement, or through the remedial action notice process for unremedied breaches. Ending mid-term without a contractual or statutory basis can expose the body corporate to a damages claim, so most schemes plan the change around the expiry date.