Maintenance surveys and inspections
Every year, your owners corporation (formerly body corporate) or its delegate should inspect the common property and must review the maintenance plan. The results will help you determine the next work program and budget, to be presented at the annual general meeting for approval.
In circumstances where your owners corporation has employees, it may have to engage WorkSafe to carry out an occupational health and safety (OH&S) audit on the common property. For more information, visit the WorkSafe website.
At its annual general meeting, an owners corporation must report on the:
- maintenance plan
- budget
- proposed contributions to the maintenance fund.
Your owners corporation may need specialised professional help to carry out certain aspects of the maintenance plan, such as the:
- inspections
- risk assessment
- maintenance fund forecast
- capital works
- budgeting.
The cost of this specialist advice should be factored in your owners’ corporation budget.
Before the inspection, it is a good idea to survey residents about maintenance issues. This maintenance survey:
- identifies problems affecting residents
- provides extra information about the building
- shows that the owners corporation, committee and delegates are exercising due diligence in carrying out duties, functions and powers
- encourages communication between the owners corporation, its committee, occupiers and managers, and
- builds awareness of issues and legal responsibilities.
Download our Owners corporation maintenance survey template (Word, 202KB).
Keep records of surveys, inspections and maintenance work. Over time, these records may track problems and are a handy reference when setting out your maintenance plan.
A record of maintenance should include:
- a description of the work
- the estimated and actual date of completion
- estimated and actual cost
- contractor details, and
- any warranties.
Use standard criteria or forms for surveys and inspections to make it easier to compare with previous years’ results. It may also help to use the same survey/inspection staff.
Maintenance reviews
Your owners corporation should also review and report on whether maintenance was effective.
Even if there is no maintenance plan, an owners corporation should still review maintenance at its annual general meeting. A careful review will help you plan for future maintenance.
When reviewing maintenance, consider:
- whether the work was necessary or appropriate
- the cost, timing and standard of work, and
- the time needed for planned maintenance work.