NSW Strata Law Changes from October 2026

Changes beginning on 1 October 2026 will affect how NSW strata committees operate and will remove an annual reporting obligation for many two-lot schemes. The reforms are relevant to owners and committee members in apartments, townhouses, villas and strata duplexes throughout the Hills District and NSW.

What Changes on 1 October 2026?

The next stage of NSW strata-law reform introduces two practical changes: annual training for strata committee members and a reporting exemption for two-lot schemes.

Annual Training for Strata Committee Members

Anyone appointed or reappointed to a strata committee will have an annual learning obligation. The required course is available online without charge and must be finished no later than three months after the person’s appointment.

The requirement recognises that committee members make decisions about budgets, maintenance, insurance, records, contractors and disputes. Even in a small scheme, those decisions can affect every owner’s finances and use of the property.

Committees should include training in their post-annual-general-meeting checklist, record when members were appointed and retain evidence that training was completed. Managing agents may assist with reminders, but committee members should understand their own obligations.

Two-Lot Schemes and Strata Hub Reporting

The annual Strata Hub return will cease to apply to schemes containing only two lots from 1 October. This category commonly includes properties configured as strata duplexes.

This removes one administrative step, but it does not dissolve the owners corporation or remove every obligation under strata legislation. Two-lot schemes may still need to deal with insurance, common property, records, levies, repairs, meetings and by-laws. The registered strata plan and the physical layout of the property remain important.

Earlier 2026 Reforms Still Matter

The October changes form part of a staged reform program. Measures that began on 1 April 2026 included standard documentation for 10-year capital works fund plans and initial maintenance schedules, along with stronger independent review requirements for certain new multi-storey schemes.

Owners corporations should therefore review their obligations as a whole rather than treating the October commencement as the only recent change.

Practical Steps Before October

• Confirm the date of the next annual general meeting and who is likely to join the committee.
• Add the annual training deadline to the committee’s compliance calendar.
• Keep evidence of completed training with the scheme’s records.
• If the scheme has two lots, confirm whether the Strata Hub exemption applies.
• Do not assume that exemption from annual reporting removes other strata obligations.
• Review the scheme’s current capital works plan, maintenance responsibilities and by-laws.

Buying or Selling in a Small Strata Scheme

A duplex or other two-lot scheme can look and feel like two independent homes, but shared structures, insurance arrangements, common property and registered by-laws may create continuing legal and financial relationships between owners. Contract and strata-record review remains important even after the reporting exemption begins.

Official NSW Guidance

Owners and committee members can review the NSW Government summary of strata-law changes and the guide for strata committees and owners.

How Russell Kelly & Associates Can Assist

Russell Kelly & Associates advises on strata property transactions, contracts, by-laws, easements, common-property questions and related property disputes. Early advice can help owners understand both the registered documents and the practical consequences of a proposed decision.

Read more about our Property Law and Conveyancing services.

This information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. The application of NSW property law depends on the particular property, documents and circumstances. Information current as at 9 September 2026.