02/09/2026
A change to Section 106(6) of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 has significantly extended how long owners have to make a claim for common property defects and it's important to understand it applies retrospectively.
What changed:
✅ The claim period for damages against an owners corporation for common property maintenance and repair failures has extended from 2 years to 6 years
✅ The 6-year window starts from when the owner first becomes aware of the loss, not necessarily when the defect occurred
✅ This applies retrospectively, meaning it can affect existing or ongoing matters, not just new claims going forward
Why this matters for owners corporations:
This is a meaningful shift in risk exposure. Buildings now carry a longer "tail" of potential liability for maintenance and repair failures making proactive building upkeep and accurate record-keeping more important than ever.
The solution? A strata manager who stays ahead of legislative changes like this and helps your committee manage risk proactively not reactively, after a claim lands.
At Strata United, keeping our clients informed and protected against changes like this is part of how we manage every scheme.
📞 Want to understand how this could affect your building? Call us on 1300 445 900 for a confidential chat.