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SERVICES

At Neighbourly, we're keeping you one step ahead in strata and in life. It's our job to sort stuff out.

Strata
Community Associations
BMCs
New Developments
Other Services

Put an end to disruptive strata issues at home and at work.

Skip the hassle of Strata Management and reclaim your peace of mind. Solving your strata problems is the foundation of our business.

Plus, we get that no two buildings are alike – each has its own unique character and requirements. So we start by getting to know you, your building and your strata needs.

This sets us up to work towards common goals, building a long-term relationship – while fostering the community we’re proud to be part of.
"We're always looking for fresh ideas to solve common issues, making strata easier for you and your neighbours.”
Daniel Cockerell
Head of Customer Experience & Innovation
Financial management
  • Secure trust account management of Owners Corporations funds.
  • Monthly financial reports issued to Treasurer and/or Strata Committee – transparent ongoing accessibility of accounting records.
  • Preparation of budgets, levy schedules and preparing accounts for independent auditors.
  • Review of largest expenditure items to ensure value for money and competitive pricing from service providers.
Defect Management
  • Our in-house defect specialists have a sound understanding of the applicable legislation and the definition of a defect as opposed to a maintenance issue.
  • We partner with experts who advise Owners Corporations and work directly with builders and developers to facilitate speedy rectification/resolution of defects.
  • We manage the defects process in a conciliatory and cost effective manner.
  • If you are a brand new building going through the Strata Schemes Inspection Bond process (2% bond) we can help you navigate this process.
Meetings
  • Professional chairing of AGMs, EGMs, SCMs.
  • Encouraging owner participation in decision making – electronic or paper voting for those who cannot attend in person.
  • Regular information sessions held for all owners where a building is facing a challenging ongoing project or a legal process.
By-law enforcement
  • Our strata managers encourage Owners Corporation’s to have by-laws drafted with a built-in enforcement mechanism to avoid going through the NCAT process for every breach of by-law.
  • We work with Strata Committee’s, property managers and residents to ensure that everyone living at a building is aware of why there are by-laws and the importance of adhering to them.
Common Property Management
  • Ensure that all preventative maintenance schedules are followed for new buildings.
  • Oversight of appropriate routine maintenance is scheduled e.g. quarterly pest control, annual gutter cleaning, window cleaning, carpark cleaning.
  • Facilitate the legislative compliance for our clients.
  • Budgets are prepared taking into account the cost of repairing and maintaining common property to a standard that preserves property values for all owners.
Insurance
  • We ensure that prior to insurance renewal – all risks which impact the calculation of a building’s premium is addressed or conveyed to the broker in a way which paints a building in the best light.
  • Our insurance department facilitate the process around lodging claims, renewing your policy and disclosing all the correct information to the insurance broker and insurer smooth and hassle free.
  • Our team will negotiate the best outcome for buildings who that are perceived by the insurance market as risky to insure or undesirable e.g. buildings with flammable cladding, fire orders, unrectified defects and excessive claims history.
Dispute Resolution
  • We have in house experts who can conduct mediation sessions outside of going through NCAT.
  • Our strata managers are trained to negotiate and facilitate win/win outcomes so that owners are not burdened with legal costs, stress and lengthy proceedings.
  • We will brief the most suitable experts and lawyers where litigation is unavoidable.
  • We will go the extra mile to diffuse a situation before it escalates to a formal dispute.
Sustainability
  • Our team is familiar with local government and state government incentives and grants which our clients may be eligible to apply for.
  • We partner with specialists who will conduct an energy audit and provide recommendations and a strategy to reduced a building’s carbon emissions.
  • Our strata managers are experienced in building upgrades which will reduce utility consumption, help buildings get ready for electric vehicles.
  • We provide individual owners with strategies (within their Lot) to reduce carbon emissions and reduce costs.

Making community coexistence simple.

Community Management is essentially the management of community, precinct and neighbourhood associations with shared association property. 

Community title properties are quite distinct from strata schemes with diverse and sometimes complex requirements. Our team of specialist managers is experienced in understanding the nuances and complexity of managing multiple structures with overlapping titles.

While you might have more to think about than Strata, we don't.

What is Community Title?

Community Title relates to properties with at least two lots that share a common area, often a driveway and usually is used in large estates with mixed use Lots including retail, commercial, council owned parks and privately owned roads, gardens, footpaths, driveways and promenades.   Often there are multiple layers to a Community Association (CA) which may have within it Neighbourhood Precincts/Associations, BMCs and Strata Title buildings.

How Does It Differ to Strata Title?
  • For a CA, boundaries are defined as property that relates to surveyed land measurements as opposed to depth of walls/ceilings.
  • Lots within a CA refers to land measurements.
  • CA insurance only covers the CA property not individual buildings who are members, who need to arrange and pay for their own insurance separately.
  • There are no model by-laws, each CA has specific by-laws set out in their Community Management Statement.
Community Association Property

Examples of property that is owned by a CA are:

  • Swimming pools/spa/sauna
  • Gardens and landscaping
  • Recreational areas such as parks, playgrounds, gym
  • Country club, tennis court, golf course
  • Walking trails, bike tracks
Applying the Community Land Management Act & Regulations 2021

Our managers are well versed in applying the legislation and regulations that are unique to Community Associations and Neighbourhood Associations which do not fall under the provisions of the Strata Schemes Management Act.  The Community Management Statement is the applicable governing document specific to each CA, and often includes a Landscape Plan, Vegetation Management Plan and Architectural Code.

Your property is
our priority.

Building Management Committees (BMCs) are increasingly being adopted as an umbrella entity for mixed use developments that have shared facilities, used by more than two lots.

Our Senior Managers are well-versed in managing the components of a BMC, including how decisions are made by members and explaining expense allocation, and who owns what amongst the members.
Commercial strata properties we manage include:
Office buildings
Storage units
Light industrial units
Industrial factories and warehouses
Mixed-use parcels which may include retail, restaurants and residential strata lots.
"Finding a reliable and fair strata manager is harder than it should be - until now.️”
Ben Gibbons
Licensee-in-Charge at Neighbourly
What is a BMC?
  • A BMC is a legally binding contract between its members who are all a party to the contract.
  • It is a private agreement not governed by the Strata Schemes Management Act and its primary purpose is to create a mechanism for various legal entities to share the cost of repairing and maintaining the shared facilities.
Does a BMC own anything?
  • As a BMC is not a separate legal entity, it does not own any land nor does it own any of the shared facilities.
  • Shared facilities belong to one or more of its members, there are typically easements registered on titles to allow members of the BMC to have right of way and access each other’s land.
How are decisions made?
  • Voting rights are different to Strata. Rather than based on unit entitlements, the SMS will govern the voting rights each member has. It is common that voting rights are either 1 vote per member or weighted proportionately to the % contribution they pay for BMC expenses.
  • The various types of resolution differ to Strata as the Strata Schemes Management Act applies.  You will find that there are many more decisions that need to be by unanimous resolution, which is not so common for strata schemes.
Dispute Resolution
  • Our in house dispute resolution experts are equipped to resolve conflict that may arise due to competing interests in mixed use developments e.g. BMCs are commonly made up of residential apartments, retail component (Woolworths, cafes and dining) as well as commercial uses (Childcare centre, dentist, offices).
  • Because BMCs do not fall under the jurisdiction of NCAT, SMS have built in dispute resolution processes and clauses which usually involve expert determination, arbitration or a formal mediation process which need to be followed prior to any Supreme Court proceedings.
Shared Facilities Management
  • Our Strata Managers will ensure that all appropriate routine maintenance is scheduled for shared facilities e.g. garage door servicing,  carpark high pressure cleaning.
  • Budgets are prepared taking into account the cost of repairing and maintaining shared facilities to a standard that preserves values for all users.
BMC Expense Apportionment
  • Tailored chart of accounts to reflect the Shared Facilities Statement.
  • Accurate annual reconciliations to ensure any surplus distribution or deficit recovery is transparent.

Developing brighter communities with Neighbourly.

We work alongside developers throughout development lifecycle. We provide strata consulting services from pre-DA design  through to running the first AGM.   

Engaging our expert team early allows you to receive practical and realistic advice on legislative, operational and financial implications - to create neighbourhoods that thrive.

We’re bringing new thinking to the neighbourhood

1.
New development planning
We meet and provide recommendations to the development team, investors and other stakeholders by reviewing documentation in order to ascertain the appropriate structure and management requirements, all while understanding the project vision, and adding value to the end-value through experience and attention to detail.

We provide budgets, proposed levies for pre-sale marketing, review by-laws, liaise with sales agents and ensure stakeholders are up to date with legislative requirements. 
2.
Prior to development registration
We arrange insurance quotations, tender for the appointment of facilities managers and onsite services, finalise budgets, and draft request forms (move in, move out, pet applications, installation of blinds etc) and establish a defect management process.
3.
New development registration plan
We’ll hold the inaugural meeting to establish the books and records, confirm insurances, facilitate levies, prepare and hold books and records for the scheme in accordance with the Act.
4.
Settlement and handover
We arrange sales certificates and updates for owners and their solicitors, provide clients with welcome packs and information about their new purchase and filter any enquiries relating to common property and the scheme.

We manage the books and records on behalf of the owner's corporation. We work with the developer and new owners regarding building defects, matters relating to common property and other queries following settlement.
5.
Ongoing strata management
We convene the first annual general meeting within two months of the expiration of the initial period; prepare and issue notices for the meeting.

We will filter all client enquiries for the scheme and arrange contracts with contractors, building managers, embedded networks and other service providers for ongoing maintenance items.
"We're pretty straightforward here. We keep things clear and simple and are happy to guide you through a transparent step-by-step process.️”
Sonia Jacob
Business Development Manager

There's more to strata than ticking boxes.

We are always looking for opportunities to help you and your community. Neighbourly thinks outside the box to add value for our clients in lots of ways:
Revenue Generation
  • Granting a license (renting) or exclusive use by-law over common property (sale).
  • Creating new common area facilities which are then charged to residents on a user pays basis.
Strata Subdivisions
  • Exploring opportunities to sell rooftop space and build additional penthouses.
  • Creating extra car spaces through subdivision (then selling to owners for revenue to the Owners Corporation).
Social Activities for Residents
  • Facilitating a monthly book club.
  • Growing a communal garden.
  • Local outings and activities for those with children or dogs.
Strata Renewal
  • If your building is at an age where selling the site to a developer is the only viable economic option for owners, we can guide all owners through a collective sale process.
Sustainability
  • Get your building NABERS rated.
  • We can help you prepare your building for Electric Vehicle charging.
  • Energy audit with recommendations on reduction of carbon emissions.
Mediation
  • Our in-house mediator can conduct mediation services where owners do not wish to use the NSW Fair Trading mediation services.
  • We are experienced in negotiating win/win outcomes to avoid litigation.

Let's get Strata'd.

Let's make strata better for you.
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Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
Licensee in Charge: Benjamin S Gibbons - License #: 20242110
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