Resident and Owner Communication in Strata: From Notices to a Building App

A practical AU guide to strata communication: official notices vs general comms, statutory rules by state, privacy, channels and building apps.

Good communication is the difference between a strata scheme that runs smoothly and one that lurches from complaint to complaint. For Australian strata managers, building managers and committees, the challenge is that "communication" actually covers two very different things: legally required official notices, and the day-to-day general comms that keep residents informed. Getting both right — and keeping records that hold up later — is the core of the job.

This guide explains how communication works in Australian strata, what the law requires, how to handle owners' privacy, which channels to use, and where a modern building app fits in.

What is the difference between an official notice and general communication in strata?

An official notice is a communication the legislation requires you to send in a prescribed way, often within a set timeframe and to a defined list of people. General communication is everything else — updates, reminders and community messages that are helpful but not legally mandated.

The distinction matters because official notices carry legal consequences if you get them wrong. A meeting can be invalidated, a levy made unenforceable, or a by-law challenged if notice wasn't given correctly.

Official notices include: notice of general meetings (AGM and EGM), agendas, levy/contribution notices, minutes, by-law changes, notices to comply with by-laws, and certain financial disclosures.
General communication includes: maintenance reminders, lift outages, water shut-offs, community events, welcome messages, building rules summaries and seasonal safety tips.

A simple rule: if a statute names the document and tells you how and when to send it, treat it as an official notice and follow the letter of the requirement. Everything else you can communicate flexibly — but clarity and a record still matter.

What are the statutory notice requirements for strata meetings in Australia?

Statutory notice requirements vary by state and territory, so always check your own jurisdiction's Act and regulations. As a general guide across Australia:

Notice periods. Most jurisdictions require a minimum number of days' notice for general meetings — commonly around 7 to 14 days. New South Wales requires at least 7 days for most strata meetings; Victoria's owners corporations Act sets out its own periods; Queensland's body corporate legislation prescribes notice based on the meeting type. Confirm the exact figure for your scheme.
Who must receive notice. Notice generally must go to every owner (and in some states, to mortgagees and tenants who have registered an interest). Missing even one entitled recipient can expose a decision to challenge.
What must be included. The agenda, any motions to be voted on, the wording of special or unanimous resolutions, and supporting documents (for example, a proposed budget or a quote for major works).
How notice may be served. Most modern strata laws permit electronic service (email) where an owner has nominated an email address, alongside post and personal delivery. Some schemes also display notices on a noticeboard, but a physical noticeboard alone is rarely sufficient for formal notice.

Because the terminology and timeframes differ — "owners corporation" in Victoria and parts of the ACT, "body corporate" in Queensland, "strata company" in Western Australia, "owners corporation/strata scheme" in NSW — the safest practice is to keep a per-state checklist and rely on your strata management software or strata manager to apply the correct rules.

How should strata managers protect owners' privacy when communicating?

Protect owners' contact details by treating them as personal information, sending bulk messages so recipients can't see each other's addresses, and only sharing the strata roll for purposes the law permits.

Key privacy practices:

Never expose email addresses in bulk emails. Use a proper mail-out (or a building app) rather than a visible "To" or "Cc" list. Putting 60 owners in the Cc field is a common and avoidable breach of trust.
Understand the strata roll. Owners are generally entitled to inspect the roll, but that access is for purposes connected to the scheme — not for marketing or unrelated use. Be cautious about handing out contact details on request.
Mind the Privacy Act and state rules. Larger managing agents may fall under the federal Privacy Act 1988, and all should follow sensible information-handling practices. Collect only what you need, store it securely, and don't repurpose contact data.
Separate roles. A resident who is a tenant is not the owner. Be deliberate about which messages go to owners (financial, governance) versus residents/occupiers (building operations, amenity, safety).

If you use software to manage comms, prefer Australian-hosted systems where owner data stays onshore and access is controlled. Orveya, for example, is AU-hosted and keeps resident and owner data in Australia, which simplifies privacy conversations with committees.

Which communication channels should strata schemes use?

Use a mix of channels matched to the message: formal channels for official notices, fast channels for urgent operational updates, and a persistent channel residents can refer back to.

| Channel | Best for | Watch-outs | |---|---|---| | Email | Official notices, minutes, levy notices | Need a valid nominated address; bulk privacy | | SMS | Urgent alerts (water off, lift down, security) | Costs add up; keep it short; not for formal notice | | Resident app / portal | Announcements, documents, issue logging | Adoption takes effort; needs a fallback | | Noticeboard | Building-wide visibility, on-site residents | Not sufficient alone for formal legal notice | | Post | Owners with no email; statutory fallback | Slow; cost; proof of postage matters |

Practical guidance:

Match the channel to the stakes. A burst water main is an SMS or push notification; the AGM agenda is a formal email (and post for those without email).
Don't rely on a single channel. Older owners may not use an app; overseas investors may only check email occasionally. Maintain a fallback.
Keep urgent and routine separate. If every message is a "push notification", residents tune them out and miss the one that matters.

How does a building app change resident communication in strata?

A building app (often a Progressive Web App, so there's nothing to install from a store) gives residents a single place to read announcements, find documents, and report issues — while giving managers one channel that's faster than email and easier to keep a record of.

What a good building app adds:

Branded announcements that residents actually see, with read tracking so you know a notice landed.
A document library — by-laws, building rules, emergency procedures, contact lists — available on demand instead of buried in old emails.
Two-way issue logging. Residents report a leaking tap or a broken gate; the request is captured, triaged and tracked, rather than lost in a manager's inbox.
A tenant-concierge agent. AI-native tools can answer common resident questions ("When is hard-rubbish collection?", "How do I book the lift for a move?") and log issues automatically, with a human approving any action before it's taken. Orveya works this way: AI drafts and answers, but a person stays in control of approvals.

A building app does not replace official notices. Formal service requirements (notice periods, who must receive them, prescribed content) still apply, and you'll typically still send statutory notices by email/post. Think of the app as the layer that handles general comms brilliantly and makes official comms easier to distribute and record.

What records of communication should strata managers keep?

Keep evidence of what was sent, to whom, when and how — because strata records can be inspected by owners and may be needed if a decision is challenged.

Record-keeping essentials:

Proof of notice. Save the sent email, the distribution list, the date, and (for post) proof of postage. For app announcements, keep the timestamp and recipient log.
Minutes and resolutions. Minutes are themselves an official record and usually must be distributed within a set period after the meeting.
Retention periods. Most jurisdictions require strata records to be kept for a number of years (commonly around 7). Check your state's rule.
Accessibility. Records and notices should be available to owners on request, and comms should be readable for people with disability — plain language, good contrast and screen-reader-friendly formats.

Software helps here: a system that logs every announcement, who received it and when, turns record-keeping from a chore into a by-product of normal operation.

How can strata managers write clearer resident communications?

Write for a busy resident who isn't a strata expert: lead with what they need to do, keep it short, and use plain Australian English.

State the point first. "Water will be off Tuesday 9am–12pm" beats three paragraphs of background.
Say who, what, when, where and what to do. If there's an action, make it obvious.
Avoid jargon. "Levy" and "special resolution" may need a one-line explanation for new owners.
Be consistent. Same channel, same format, predictable timing builds trust.
Make it accessible. Adequate font size, contrast, and alternatives to image-only notices.

Frequently asked questions

Can strata notices be sent by email in Australia?

Yes, in most jurisdictions — provided the owner has nominated an email address for service. Electronic service is widely permitted alongside post and personal delivery, but the exact rules and the owner's consent to electronic notice vary by state, so confirm your scheme's position and keep a record of nominated addresses.

Is a noticeboard enough to give official notice in strata?

Usually not on its own. A noticeboard is useful for visibility to on-site residents, but formal notices (such as meeting notices) generally must be served on each entitled owner by email or post. Treat the noticeboard as a supplement, not a substitute, for statutory service.

Do tenants get the same communications as owners?

No. Owners receive governance and financial communications (meeting notices, levies, resolutions). Tenants and other occupiers typically receive operational and building-management communications (maintenance, amenity bookings, safety). Some states allow tenants to register an interest and receive certain meeting information, but their entitlements differ from owners'.

How long do strata schemes need to keep communication records?

Most Australian jurisdictions require strata records to be retained for a set number of years — commonly around seven — and to be available for owners to inspect. Keep proof of what notices were sent, to whom and when, as well as minutes and resolutions. Check your state or territory legislation for the exact retention period.

Does a resident app replace formal strata notices?

No. A resident app is excellent for general communication, document access and issue logging, and it can make distributing and recording official notices easier. But statutory notice requirements — timeframes, recipients and prescribed content — still apply and must be met through legally recognised methods of service.

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