Guide to Strata and Body Corporate Building
Maintenance Programs

In states like Queensland, body corporates are legally responsible for maintaining common property. In Queensland, common property is defined as all the areas of a strata building that are not included in an individual’s lot. By this definition, body corporates are responsible for maintaining a broad range of common area infrastructure including:

• Painting to protect interior and exterior surfaces
• Landscaping and grounds maintenance
• Fixing flooring, wall and ceiling damage 
• Maintaining boundary markers like fencing and walls
• Reconditioning or replacing structural timber or concrete
• Plumbing and electrical repairs
• Removing rust and fixing water damage
• Maintaining recreational areas such as swimming pools, gyms and tennis courts

Body corporate maintenance programs are scheduled plans that detail exactly what needs to be done to maintain common areas. These plans often include strata and body corporate maintenance checklists. 

Why body corporates and stratas use building maintenance programs

Maintenance programs ensure that stratas are kept clean, safe and in good repair — and that body corporates meet their legal responsibilities. While these programs aim to fix existing problems, they may also include preventative maintenance. As the name suggests, preventative maintenance aims to fix issues before they turn into massive problems. Preventative maintenance plans can help your body corporate:

1. Save money — an effective maintenance plan extends the lifespan of buildings and assets, reducing replacement costs. Repair teams can also recognise infrastructural problems before they arise, preventing the need for expensive emergency repairs that disrupt your tenants.
2. Boost tenant satisfaction — preventative maintenance creates a well-cared-for environment where everything works. This keeps existing tenants happy and is key in attracting new tenants. 
3. Reduce injury risk and liability — neglected properties are likely to have structural hazards such as damaged walkways or ageing wiring that leads to electrical faults. These hazards increase the chance of someone being injured, which can lead to punitive liability costs. Building preventive maintenance plans are a safeguard against the financial and reputational consequences of injury occurring on your property.
   
   

With these benefits in mind, let’s explore how preventative maintenance contracts compare with once-off fixes.

Contacting a service provider on a case-by-case basis can work in your favour, depending on your management style and properties’ demands. But the freedom of using contractors for once-off projects could also leave you unnecessarily out of pocket. Here’s a quick overview of how once-off projects and long-term contracts can help or hinder you:

Once-off projects

Many strata managers prefer hiring once-off contractors. When managing newly built strata, for example, signing up for a lengthy maintenance contract may feel unnecessary.

The Pros

• Contracting different strata maintenance companies helps you assess how suitable these companies are for a long-term partnership. By working with them on shorter projects, you gain insights into the quality of their workmanship and the professionalism of their services. 
• Once-off work can be used when emergency repairs are needed and you don’t want to worry about long-term contracts.

The Cons

• Despite seeming to keep costs down, once-off projects can result in overlooking preventative maintenance. This leads to expensive fixes and emergency repairs. You may also lose out on discounts available from forming long-term partnerships with maintenance companies.
• Once-off contractors always pose a fly-by-night risk, where they leave before work is complete or they produce substandard work.
  
  

Body corporate and strata preventative maintenance contracts

Where once-off projects offer freedom, body corporate maintenance contracts provide security and peace of mind. 

The Pros

• Strata maintenance contracts keep your budget in check by preventing unplanned or emergency repairs — this can save you thousands of dollars while ensuring your buildings and common areas function as intended. And if something goes wrong with maintenance work, then your providers will fix it at their expense.
• Stratas with long-term building maintenance contracts in place enjoy reduced legal and financial risk. Generally, quality work is guaranteed as providers will be working with you for a long time. As licensed tradesmen, your contractor will carry the legal risk for each job they complete.

The Cons

• Signing with a provider can make strata managers feel locked into their contract. But if you include a cancellation or renewal clause in your contract, you have the ability to get out of an unsatisfactory partnership.
• By signing a maintenance contract, you naturally develop a long-term relationship with your contractor. While this can be an advantage, some body corporates may prefer to keep relationships more transactional.

Contract versus once-off work: what’s the right choice?

Signing a building maintenance contract with the right end-to-end maintenance service significantly reduces manager workload by providing one point of contact for all maintenance needs. By preventing expensive emergency repairs and keeping your property in excellent condition, these contacts offer better value for money while minimising stakeholder disruption. The security this gives to body corporates far outweighs the freedom of once-off contracts. 

Apart from getting once-off work or contracting an all-in-one maintenance provider, body corporates have the choice of hiring an in-house team to handle their preventative maintenance. 

While ongoing maintenance is essential for effective building management, the choice to insource or outsource your maintenance depends on your context. Body corporates managing large stratas often employ a team for everyday cleaning and maintenance. But when larger jobs are called for, like electrical or roofing repairs, you may want to keep your internal team free to maintain their day-to-day duties. This allows you to bring in specialists to focus on strategic, planned maintenance.

When contracting a maintenance service provider, they take over the legal risks that you would otherwise assume when performing in-house work. An additional benefit to outsourcing strata maintenance is that it reduces the administrative burden of hiring and managing staff and securing insurance. As licensed professionals, outsourced teams require minimal oversight and their work is covered by the necessary insurance. So when maintaining anything structural, or that carries a high risk like working at heights, major cost or is time-sensitive, it might be best to call in an expert team. 

If you’ve decided to enlist a contractor for your strata maintenance program, signing with a reputable company is key to getting maintenance tasks completed on time, to budget and with minimal disruption to tenants. Here are five signs that you’ve found the right provider.    

1. They have years of experience

Look for a company with trade qualified management staff that’s been in the business for more than a decade. Their longevity indicates an experienced team and a high standard of work. 

2. Their teams are both certified and highly qualified

Every person on their maintenance teams should be professionally qualified, police-checked and registered with relevant bodies like the Queensland Building and Construction Commission. The company and their work should be fully insured, with policies that cover construction risk insurance, public liability and employee risk insurance.

3. They have glowing testimonials from long-standing clients

Testimonials show that the company is reliable and consistently delivers high-quality work to deadline. When speaking with prospective companies, ask them about other stratas that they’ve maintained. Then get a referral from the relevant strata manager or body corporate.           

4. They have an excellent approach to work

Ask about their approach to maintenance. If possible, inspect sites they’ve worked on. Top maintenance companies exhibit attention to detail and they only use high-quality materials that are backed by guarantees. 

5. They embrace varied and challenging tasks.

Their willingness to tackle difficult tasks indicates expertise and trust in their teams. At First Response, for instance, we’re willing to take on jobs that regularly fall on other companies’ exclusion lists. 

There are a few things to expect when switching to a new maintenance provider or starting a new preventative maintenance plan. After finding the right company, most follow these five steps:

1. Get an onsite building assessment — your prospective maintenance supplier should visit your strata and extensively evaluate its maintenance requirements. This is crucial in setting the scope of your strata maintenance program.
2. Negotiate your contract — negotiate a transparent and flexible contract that includes a favourable exit clause.
3. Work commences — your maintenance provider should arrange a defects inspection meeting. You’ll be invoiced once maintenance tasks are complete and warranty documentation will be delivered upon receipt of payment. 
4. Assess provider value — after a few months into your contract, evaluate your supplier experience. Is their workmanship up to standard? And has maintenance caused any issues for tenants? 
5. Trigger your exit clause in case your provider fails to perform — if your provider fails to meet your expectations, discuss it with them. If they continue to provide inferior value, take advantage of your exit clause and move to a new provider.

Preventative maintenance programs are crucial in helping body corporates meet their legal responsibility while keeping their stratas clean, safe and desirable to live in. To limit your administrative burden and get top results for your maintenance program, consider contracting a reliable all-in-one maintenance solutions provider. 

At First Response, we’ve worked with many body corporates and strata managers to maintain their properties. While we’re available for once-off projects and emergency repairs, our partners enjoy working with us on long-term service maintenance contracts. By forming close, long-term partnerships, we get to learn the exact needs of your strata and tenants.

If you’re curious about our services, we offer free and no-obligation quotes for maintenance contracts. For a free quote or just a chat, click the button below.