SYDNEY — The fourth round of New South Wales strata reforms is now law. The Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill passed both houses of Parliament on October 15, 2026 and received assent on October 23 as Act No 46 of 2026, according to the NSW legislation website. The bill was first introduced in November 2025.
Some changes started straight away. Others will roll out in 2027. The NSW Government says this tranche applies to the roughly 1.2 million people who live in apartments and duplexes across the state, as reported by the Law Society Journal.
What started on 23 October 2026
NSW Fair Trading’s guide to strata law changes lists three groups of changes that took effect on 23 October:
- New and higher penalties. Owners corporations, developers and strata managers face new penalties and increased existing ones. One example Fair Trading gives: an owners corporation can now be penalised for not holding an annual general meeting.
- Strata manager disclosure. The law clarifies what a strata managing agent must report at each AGM about training services and commissions, including who provided them. Fair Trading also gets power to prescribe a standard reporting form, which has not been issued yet.
- Payment plans. Payment plans for overdue levies can now also cover current levies and interest. Before, they could only cover overdue amounts.
What is planned for 2027
Fair Trading says further reforms are “planned to start in 2027”. The list includes:
- a right for owners to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure on their own lot;
- exempting two-lot schemes, such as duplexes, from having a strata committee and holding meetings;
- strict limits on fees and bonds charged to owners, for example for access keys;
- better reminder notices for overdue levies, and further limits on when debt recovery action can start;
- limits on building manager terms of appointment;
- a ban on embedded network providers charging owners corporations for infrastructure when an exclusive supply agreement ends;
- a package for mixed-use buildings, including easier reviews of how shared costs such as lifts are split, and a three-year maximum term for agents appointed by building management committees.
The Law Society Journal also reports that Fair Trading will get more power to publish compliance action taken against owners corporations, so buyers can spot repair and maintenance problems.
Where this fits
This is the latest stage of a staged rollout. Earlier changes started on 1 July 2025, 27 October 2025, 1 April 2026 and 1 October 2026. The 1 October changes, for instance, made annual online training compulsory for strata committee members, to be completed within three months of appointment, and freed two-lot schemes from annual strata reporting.
What it means for owners and committees
Committees: hold the AGM on time. That now carries a penalty risk, not just a governance risk. Make sure your strata manager’s AGM report covers commissions and training services in the detail the law now asks for, and check that every committee member has done the free training.
Owners behind on levies: you can now ask for a payment plan that rolls in current levies and interest, not just the arrears. Fair Trading says the standard request form is being updated; in the meantime, raise it with your committee or strata manager.
Duplex owners and EV drivers: the bigger changes for you arrive in 2027. Don’t assume they apply yet. Until the start dates are announced, existing rules on meetings, committees and common property still bind your scheme.
For background on how levies are set and why they rise, see our guide to what owners’ fees cover and our explainer on special assessments and special levies.
Related on HOA Strata News
- NSW Owners Corporations Can Now Be Penalised for Skipping the AGM
- NSW Strata Levy Payment Plans Can Now Include Current Levies and Interest
- How to Read a Strata Report Before Buying in NSW
Sources: NSW Legislation; NSW Fair Trading, updated 26 October 2026; Law Society Journal, 19 October 2026. General information only, not legal advice.
