4 meetings
for the committee. Three online, one on site.
1 Condition Visit
by David in person, days 35 to 42. Included in the fixed fee.
24 hours
the longest any owner waits for a reply, seven days a week, from day one.
How do we change our body corporate manager?
Owners decide who manages their scheme, and the steps are set by law.
- 1
Check the current agreement. The manager's engagement (the manager's contract) sets its end date and how it can be ended. Under the Standard Module, an engagement cannot run for more than 3 years, including any option to extend it, and it ends when its term ends (Standard Module s 139). It can also be ended by agreement, under its own terms or under the Act, each by
ordinary resolution of the body corporate: a vote at a general meeting that passes when more votes are for it than against it (Standard Module s 150; BCCM Act s 108(3)). If the manager is not doing its job, see
What can we do if our manager isn't responding? - 2
Get quotes. If the cost is more than the scheme's major spending limit (the amount owners set by ordinary resolution at a general meeting, or a set default where none has been chosen), each owner must be given copies of at least 2 quotations with the notice of the meeting. This includes engaging a body corporate manager (Standard Module s 173(1), (2) and (5); schedule 1, "relevant limit for major spending").
- 3
Vote at a general meeting. The new manager is engaged by ordinary resolution, and no
proxy votes (votes cast by a person an owner appoints to vote for them) can be used for that vote (Standard Module s 135(2)(a)). The engagement must be in writing and state its term, the manager's functions and how the manager is paid (Standard Module s 137(2)). It must start within 12 months of the vote (Standard Module s 142).
- 4
Get the records back. The outgoing manager must hand over the body corporate's records and assets within 14 days of being served with notice of a committee resolution asking for them, and cannot hold the records back to secure a payment (Standard Module s 235). Owners can see the records at any time too. An owner can ask in writing to inspect them or for a copy, and the body corporate must respond within 7 days of receiving the request and the fee (BCCM Act s 205(2)).
- 5
Start the change-over. Once owners have voted, the change-over follows The 90-Day Onboarding Plan below. The first 30 days cover records and accounts, the next 30 the building, and the plan for the year ahead is ready by day 90.
These section numbers are for schemes under the Standard Module. See Which Module Governs Your Scheme?
What your committee holds at day 90
- 01Complete, checked records in the portal
- 02Accounts confirmed and reconciled
- 03Every service contract reviewed
- 04A photo record of the common property and defects listed by urgency
- 05A compliance calendar, a maintenance plan and the first budget
The 90 days at a glance
Three phases, four committee meetings and one Condition Visit.
- Days 1 to 30Records and accounts
- Week 1 · OnlineWelcome meeting
- Days 31 to 60The building
- Days 35 to 42 · In personCondition Visit with David
- Around day 60 · OnlineFindings meeting
- Days 61 to 90The plan
- Day 90 · OnlineDay 90 meeting
Day 0306090
Levies keep arriving and bills keep being paid, throughout
Days 1 to 30Records and accounts
The scheme's history and money, checked and in the portal.
- Records taken over. Every physical and digital record is collected from the previous manager, checked and filed in the portal.
- Errors found and fixed. Anything missing or wrong, such as roll details, by-laws or a contractor's lapsed insurance, is corrected. By day 30 you get a list of what was found and what was done.
- Accounts confirmed. Your accounts stay as they are unless the committee decides otherwise. Closing balances are verified and your payment authority is put in place.
- Contracts reviewed. Licences, insurance, renewal dates and termination terms, for every service contract.
- Owners welcomed. Every owner gets portal access, contact details and what to do in an emergency.
Committee: welcome meeting, week 1, online. Confirm the payment authority, agree the timeline, and decide on an engineer's inspection.
The building
Seeing the building and what it costs to run.
- Condition Visit. David inspects the common property and photographs its condition. Every photo and finding is filed in the portal, and the first budget is built from what he sees.
- Insurance reviewed. Sum insured, expiry and cover, checked against what the visit found.
- Running costs reviewed. Electricity, water and gas agreements checked for savings.
- Safety first. Findings are sorted by urgency. Safety items go to the committee straight away.
Committee: meet David on site during the Condition Visit, days 35 to 42. Then the findings meeting around day 60, online, to decide on any priority works.
The plan
The year ahead, agreed with the committee.
- Compliance calendar. Every inspection, notice and due date for the next 12 months, in the portal.
- Maintenance plan. Priority works from the Condition Visit, and the engineer's report if you chose one, tied to the sinking fund.
- First budget and financial statement. Built from the Condition Visit and the verified opening balances.
Committee: day 90 meeting, online. Agree the maintenance plan, compliance calendar and proposed budget for the next general meeting. The change-over is complete.
One Condition Visit. During onboarding David visits the scheme in person once, inspects the common property and photographs its condition. The first budget is built from what he sees. The committee can choose to add an engineer's inspection, at the body corporate's cost. Every other meeting, including the AGM, is held online. The visit is included in the fixed fee.