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The hierarchy of the body corporate is built around three key roles working together: the body corporate manager, the committee, and the caretaker. Understanding how these roles differ, and where their responsibilities overlap, is a common point of confusion, especially for those new to strata living. In this article, we break down each role, how they relate to one another, and the legislation that underpins the whole structure.
The term ‘body corporate‘ refers to the collective group of all lot owners within a community titles scheme (CTS). Think apartment buildings, townhouse complexes, and other multi-unit developments.
Whenever the term appears, whether on our website, in government documentation, or elsewhere, it refers to the entirety of owners as a single legal entity, not any one individual or company.
The body corporate manager (also known as a strata manager) is a service contractor engaged by the body corporate to carry out the day-to-day administrative, financial, and compliance functions on behalf of the committee. This can be an individual or a specialist strata management company like BCsystems.
A body corporate manager’s responsibilities typically include:
Importantly, a body corporate manager does not make decisions on behalf of the scheme — that responsibility sits with the committee. Instead, the manager acts as a professional advisor, ensuring everything runs in line with legislative requirements.
The body corporate committee is made up of lot owners elected annually at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The committee is responsible for the day-to-day governance of the scheme and is the key decision-making body acting on behalf of all owners.
A valid committee must have at least three members, typically a Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer, with up to four additional ordinary members, bringing the maximum to seven. (Schemes under the Small Schemes Module only require a Secretary and Treasurer.) One person can hold more than one executive position, though an owner can’t be both an executive and an ordinary member at the same time.
Core committee responsibilities include:
The caretaker, often referred to as the building or onsite manager, is an individual or a company engaged by the body corporate as a service contractor to carry out delegated functions.
The caretaker’s primary role is to take instruction from the committee and the body corporate manager in overseeing the day-to-day operations on the ground and ensure the property is maintained, well-kept, secure and free of any hazards.
The Caretaker’s responsibilities may include:
The structure of the body corporate functions as a collaborative framework in which each entity plays a distinct role to ensure the effective management and maintenance of the property.
By working together, the body corporate manager, body corporate committee, and the caretaker create an environment where property owners can enjoy the benefits of shared amenities, services, and resources while adhering to rules and regulations that promote community harmony.
Recognising when a decision calls for expert advice is part of making sound, well-informed decisions on behalf of the community.
When a conflict of interest occurs, the committee member is required to disclose the interest before any vote is taken. But disclosure is only the first step. Once a conflict has been declared, the committee must also manage it correctly.
