What Is an Initial Maintenance Schedule (IMS) and Why It Is Mandatory for New NSW Strata in 2026

From 2026, developers of new NSW strata schemes must hand over a standardised Initial Maintenance Schedule (IMS). Here's what it contains, why it's now mandatory, and how strata committees can use it to protect their building from day one.

Strata committees in New South Wales are about to gain one of the most practical handover tools in the scheme's history. From 2026, the Initial Maintenance Schedule (IMS) becomes mandatory for all new strata schemes — meaning developers must provide a structured, standardised document that tells an incoming owners corporation exactly how to look after the building they just bought into. If you manage, sit on, or own a lot in a newly registered scheme, understanding the IMS is no longer optional.

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What Is an Initial Maintenance Schedule (IMS)?

An Initial Maintenance Schedule (IMS) is a formal document prepared by or on behalf of a developer that sets out the recommended maintenance tasks, frequencies, and responsibilities for a new strata building's common property. Think of it as the building's owner's manual — written by the people who designed and constructed it, and handed to the owners corporation before they take full control.

The IMS requirement sits within the NSW strata reform agenda that has been progressively strengthening developer accountability since amendments to the *Strata Schemes Management Act 2015* and its associated regulations. The standardised form requirement is designed to close a long-standing gap: historically, some developers provided detailed maintenance guidance and others provided nothing at all, leaving committees to guess at warranty conditions and maintenance intervals.

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Why Is the IMS Mandatory for New NSW Strata Schemes?

Closing the information gap at handover

The IMS is mandatory because the consequences of inadequate early maintenance fall squarely on owners — not developers. Without clear guidance, committees routinely:

  • Miss manufacturer-specified service intervals that void warranties on plant and equipment
  • Fail to document who is responsible for what, leading to disputes over common versus lot property
  • Underfund their capital works (sinking) fund because they have no baseline cost data for future replacements
  • Struggle to demonstrate compliance with essential safety measures obligations

A mandatory, standardised IMS addresses all of these risks by ensuring every new scheme starts with the same quality of information.

Legislative backing and the standardised form

Amendments to the strata management legislation and regulations require that the IMS be provided in a prescribed standard form. The standardised form approach is significant: it prevents developers from satisfying the obligation with a vague one-page summary or a bundle of unorganised trade manuals. The prescribed format means committees can quickly locate the information they need and compare it against what was promised at the time of sale.

Developers who fail to provide a compliant IMS before the first annual general meeting (AGM) of the owners corporation face regulatory consequences. The obligation sits with the original owner (developer) and cannot simply be delegated away.

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What Must an IMS Contain?

Common property assets and systems

A compliant IMS must identify all significant common property assets — the items the owners corporation will own, operate, and maintain. This typically includes:

  • Building fabric: roof membranes, facades, waterproofing, windows and glazing systems
  • Mechanical plant: lifts, fire pumps, hydraulic systems, HVAC equipment, car stackers
  • Electrical systems: switchboards, emergency lighting, intercom, access control, solar PV or EV charging infrastructure
  • Fire safety installations: sprinkler systems, fire hydrants, detection and alarm systems, exit lighting, smoke control
  • Plumbing and drainage: hot water systems, backflow prevention devices, stormwater infrastructure
  • Landscaping and external works: irrigation, retaining walls, pool and spa equipment

Recommended maintenance tasks and intervals

For each asset class, the IMS must specify what maintenance is required and how often. These intervals should align with manufacturer specifications, relevant Australian Standards, and any conditions imposed by the building certifier. Where an asset has a statutory inspection requirement — for example, essential safety measures that require annual or more frequent certification — the IMS must reflect that.

Responsible parties and contractor notes

The document should distinguish between tasks the strata manager or building manager can handle routinely and those that require a licensed specialist (electricians, plumbers, fire protection contractors, lift engineers, and so on). This section is valuable for building managers who need to put together a preventive maintenance programme from day one.

Estimated costs and capital works fund implications

A well-prepared IMS includes indicative costs for both routine maintenance and eventual replacement of major assets. This data feeds directly into the 10-year capital works fund forecast that all NSW strata schemes are required to maintain. Starting that forecast with realistic developer-supplied estimates is far more defensible than using industry averages alone.

Warranty and defect notice periods

The IMS should record any relevant warranty periods for plant and materials, and draw attention to the statutory warranty obligations that apply under the *Home Building Act 1989*. Committees who know when warranties expire are in a far stronger position to identify and lodge defect claims before time runs out.

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How Should a Strata Committee Use the IMS?

At the first AGM

The IMS should be tabled at the first AGM as a core governance document. The committee should formally acknowledge receipt, note any gaps or concerns, and minute a resolution to act on the maintenance programme it sets out. If the developer has not provided a compliant IMS before that meeting, the committee should seek legal advice immediately — the obligation to provide it does not simply lapse.

Feeding the IMS into your maintenance programme

The schedule is only useful if it is acted upon. Committees and building managers should:

  • Load the IMS asset register into your maintenance management system or strata software platform
  • Create recurring work orders that match the intervals specified
  • Set calendar reminders for warranty expiry dates
  • Cross-reference the IMS against the essential safety measures schedule to identify any overlap or conflict
  • Review the IMS annually and annotate any changes — for example, if a manufacturer updates its service requirements

Updating the 10-year capital works fund plan

Once the committee has engaged a quantity surveyor or capital works fund planner to prepare the mandatory 10-year plan, the IMS cost estimates should be shared as primary source data. This gives the planner a head start and typically produces a more accurate levy forecast for lot owners.

Keeping it as evidence

The IMS is also a legal document. If a dispute arises over whether the owners corporation maintained common property in accordance with good building practice — in a tribunal, a court, or an insurance claim — a properly followed IMS is strong evidence that the committee discharged its duty of care. Archive all versions and service records alongside it.

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What If the IMS Is Incomplete or Missing?

If a developer provides an IMS that appears to be incomplete, templated without reference to the actual building, or clearly does not cover significant assets, the committee has several options:

  • Request rectification from the developer in writing, citing the prescribed form requirements under the regulations
  • Commission an independent IMS from a qualified building consultant or facilities management specialist — costs may be recoverable from the developer
  • Lodge a complaint with NSW Fair Trading, which has oversight of developer obligations under strata legislation
  • Seek legal advice if the scheme is still within its defect liability period, as a poor IMS may also signal broader handover deficiencies

Platforms like Orveya can help building and strata managers track IMS obligations, asset registers, and maintenance schedules in one place — ensuring nothing falls through the cracks during the critical first years of a scheme's life.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Initial Maintenance Schedule (IMS) in NSW strata?

An Initial Maintenance Schedule (IMS) is a standardised document that a developer must provide to a new owners corporation before its first AGM. It lists the common property assets, recommended maintenance tasks and intervals, estimated costs, and relevant warranty information so the committee can care for the building correctly from the outset.

When does the mandatory IMS requirement come into effect in NSW?

The standardised, mandatory IMS requirement applies to new strata schemes registered from 2026 under NSW strata legislation reforms. Schemes registered before the commencement date are not retrospectively captured, though they may benefit from voluntarily preparing an equivalent document.

Who is responsible for preparing the IMS?

The original owner — typically the developer — is legally responsible for preparing and providing the IMS in the prescribed standard form. They may engage a building consultant, certifier, or facilities management specialist to prepare it on their behalf, but the legal obligation remains with the developer.

What happens if a developer does not provide an IMS?

If a developer fails to provide a compliant IMS, the owners corporation can pursue rectification through NSW Fair Trading or seek legal remedies. The committee may also commission an independent IMS and seek to recover costs. Absence of an IMS does not relieve the owners corporation of its own ongoing maintenance obligations.

How does the IMS relate to the capital works fund plan?

The IMS provides the baseline asset data — including replacement cost estimates and service life expectations — that informs the mandatory 10-year capital works (sinking) fund forecast. A detailed IMS helps the owners corporation set accurate levies from the very first year and avoid the chronic underfunding that leads to special levies later on.

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