The difference between a strata manager vs building manager, and property manager

Here's a look into what strata managers do in comparison to building managers and property managers.

The management and maintenance of strata, body corporate, and owners corporation properties can be complex, and often involves three key professionals dedicated to keeping the scheme running smoothly, including:

  • Strata managers
  • Property managers
  • Building managers

These key players work together to assist property owners, but their roles are rarely interchangeable. While similar, each has different responsibilities and contributes to enhancing community living in distinct ways.

What does a strata manager do?

A strata manager is a professional appointed by an owners corporation or body corporate to oversee the management of the property.

An owners corporation or body corporate may appoint a licensed strata manager to assist in the day-to-day management of the building and to help the property fulfil its legislative responsibilities.

Under a service agreement, a strata manager is responsible for managing the entire building and its common areas, which are shared areas amongst the owners, such as pool facilities, the foyer, hallways, and communal gardens. They work with the committee and provide support in legal matters, building compliance, meetings, record-keeping, accounting, financial, insurance, and safety requirements relevant to the property. 

They also act as a point of contact to guide the owners corporation or body corporate with by-laws, building rules, debt recovery, and dispute resolution matters.

A strata manager's role includes but is not limited to:
  • Coordinating and managing committee, extraordinary, and annual general meetings.
  • Issuing levy notices on behalf of the owners corporation or body corporate.
  • Administering insurance claims.
  • Preparing and distributing agendas and minutes.
  • Arranging the payment of invoices on behalf of the owners corporation or body corporate.
  • Preparing and managing the annual budget.
  • Enforcing by-laws and building rules.
  • Maintain up-to-date records of the strata roll, registered plans, by-laws, correspondence, and specialist reports.
  • Promoting legislative compliance for various types of necessary certification and work health and safety obligations.
  • Providing general guidance and assistance navigating by-law breaches, mediation, NCAT orders, and appeals.

Learn more

Read our article on how a strata manager can help your committee by absorbing some of the more time-consuming and specialised responsibilities.

What does a building manager do

A building manager helps coordinate the maintenance and upkeep of the common property.

A building manager is sometimes referred to as a caretaker, facilities manager, or resident manager and can be appointed by the developer, owners corporation, or body corporate. Their responsibilities generally cover day-to-day operations concerned with common property’s physical upkeep and functionality.

Building managers are usually the primary contact for on-site contractors and help deal with practical, on-the-ground issues such as coordinating cleaning, security, and maintenance of shared areas. They have no authority to enforce by-laws or building rules and are not licensed to carry out specific duties performed by a strata manager.

A building manager's role includes but is not limited to:
  • Creating and managing the asset register and preventative maintenance schedule.
  • Organising and coordinating repairs and maintenance to common property.
  • Issuing work orders and verifying invoices.
  • Being an on-site contact for owners, residents, and contractors.
  • Conduct periodic site inspections of all common property.
  • Help identify by-law breaches for escalation.
  • Registering common property access devices such as keys, swipes, and remotes.
  • Prepare notices and communications and post them on the building noticeboard.
  • Record keeping of all services, costs, and expenditures associated with contractors authorised by the owners corporation or body corporate.
  • Ensuring building compliance and safety are maintained and coordinating certifications, including lifts, swimming pools, fire systems, and roof anchor points.
  • Obtaining and recording all documents from contractors (such as their insurance certificate and copy of a business/contractor licence, etc.) to ensure compliance and regulatory requirements are met.
Additional services that a building manager can perform:
  • Conducting a capital works fund assessment to provide cost-effective and sustainable solutions.
  • Preparing a building condition report.
  • Project coordination and supervising the contractor’s agreed services on-site.

New South Wales facilities management services

Our Building Facilities Management Solutions (BFMS) has extensive hands-on knowledge and experience in New South Wales to help strata properties improve efficiency and potentially lower operating costs and risks.

What does a property manager do

A property manager acts as a middleman between a tenant and their landlord.

Unlike a strata manager, who is employed by the owners corporation or body corporate to manage common areas across the entire building or complex, Property managers are employed by the apartment or lot owner. These professional managers typically work in real estate, managing residential leases and acting as middlemen between the tenant and landlord.

Part of their role is to find suitable tenants for owners and manage the leasing contract between them. Other duties include marketing the property, collecting rent, conducting property checks to ensure the building remains in good condition, and managing the financial accounts for the investment property.

A tenant typically has no direct dealings with the strata manager. Instead, the property manager’s first point of contact for these situations and any strata-related issues raised would be addressed by the strata manager or owner.

A property manager's role includes, but is not limited to:
  • Managing move-outs, bond evaluations, and evictions of lots.
  • Showing and leasing vacant apartments and lots.
  • Manage the set-up, collection, and adjustment of rent.
  • Managing the financial accounts for the investment property.
  • Arranging and managing non-common property repairs and maintenance on behalf of the lot owner.
  • Inspect and maintain adequate fire and safety measures within the lot, in line with legislation.
  • Keeping of apartment/lot access devices such as keys, swipes, and remotes.
  • Liaising between the tenant and lot owner.

Example scenario

If a tenant wants to ask permission to make any changes to the property, they can let the property manager know, who will then pass on their request to the landlord.

Conversely, the owner uses the property manager to convey updates to the tenants, such as a notification as to when tradespeople will need access to the property to carry out maintenance, or from what date they will be imposing a rent increase, and what the new amount due will be.

Why there is a difference between strata manager vs building manager and property manager roles

Strata schemes are complex, and the roles of property, building, and strata managers are essential for helping keep owners corporations and body corporate communities functioning smoothly. While the roles overlap in some areas, they each focus on different aspects of property management.

The strata manager is responsible for the common areas and the administrative and financial aspects of the owners corporation or body corporate. On the other hand, the property manager focuses on individual rental properties and tenants, and the building manager oversees the physical maintenance and upkeep.

The distinctions between the roles are important. One of the main reasons why a strata manager should not also perform the duty of property manager or building manager, and vice versa, is a conflict of interest. Say, for example, that the strata manager is also the property manager for an owner involved in a dispute. This could lead to allegations of bias and a conflict of interest.

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Conclusion

Understanding these roles is critical for owners and committee members to appoint the right professional for each task. By clearly defining these responsibilities, owners corporations and body corporates can operate efficiently and create a safe and well-maintained living environment for all residents.

Since the first Australian strata scheme was established in 1948, we’ve come a long way in our knowledge and experience across various property types. Whether you are new to strata management or an active committee member, we have developed an extensive library of resources to assist you.

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Author

This article is edited by Lauren Shaw Regional General Manager and Licensee-in-Charge on May 2025.

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