Is this available now?
The Strata Hub reporting exemption starts 1 October 2026. The "small strata scheme" rules (no meetings, written resolutions) are in a Bill that has passed the Legislative Assembly and is before the Legislative Council. Until it's proclaimed, where the law still requires a meeting we give you the templates to hold it yourselves in a few minutes. You can sign up now; nothing is charged until both owners have approved the appointment.
We've never had a manager. Do we even need one?
Legally, no — the Act does not require a 2-lot scheme to appoint a strata managing agent. But you do need building insurance in the owners corporation's name, a record of your decisions, a strata roll, and a Section 184 certificate when one of you sells. Most self-managed 2-lot schemes have none of those. Duplex Strata exists for exactly that gap.
What if my neighbour won't sign?
Then nothing happens — under the small-scheme rules every decision needs both owners. That's why we chase the second signature for you. If you genuinely can't agree, we give you a plain-English guide to your options — we don't take sides or act in disputes between owners. If a deadlock genuinely can't be broken, the Tribunal (NCAT) can make orders; we'll tell you honestly when that's the only route.
Can we leave our current manager?
Yes. Once both owners have approved our appointment, we issue the termination notice and request the books and records from your former manager. Check your current agreement for its notice period — we read it for you as part of sign-up and time the change so you're not paying two managers.
Is there a lock-in contract?
No. You pay one year at a time, and the two of you can end the agreement at any anniversary by giving us 30 days' notice. There's no exit fee and your records are yours to download. The agreement covers up to 3 years so you don't have to re-sign every year, and it never renews itself: before it ends we ask whether you'd like to continue.
Who actually does the work?
Townhouse Strata Pty Ltd — a small NSW firm run by Alan Hunter, a Class 1 licensed strata manager. Duplex Strata is our fixed-fee service for 2-lot schemes. Same licence, same accountability, same person.
Where is my money held?
We don't hold any. You pay the insurer and any trades directly and upload the receipts to your vault. If you want a manager to hold funds and pay bills, that's full management with Townhouse Strata.
Do we still need a capital works fund?
The general rule is yes — an owners corporation must have a capital works fund and a 10-year plan. 2-lot schemes have long been able to resolve not to establish one (s 74(5)); most do, and meet capital costs as they arise. We record whichever choice you make in a written resolution, and if you keep a fund, it sits in an account in the owners corporation's name operated by both owners — not with us.
What about the Section 184 certificate when we sell?
A buyer's conveyancer will ask for one; the owners corporation must provide it within 14 days. Because the strata roll, insurance and budget are already in the vault, we issue it within about 36 business hours at the regulated fee (currently $109 + GST), paid by whoever requests it.
Is the $395 the whole cost?
For the administration, yes. Insurance premiums, trades and any title search are paid by the owners directly and are not marked up. The extras table on the pricing page lists every fixed-price service and there are no others.
What happens if the law changes again?
We update the templates and tell both owners what, if anything, they need to do. The status box on every page shows exactly where the law is at.
- From 1 October 2026 (now in force): 2-lot schemes no longer lodge the annual Strata Hub report (NSW Fair Trading, "Changes to strata laws").
- Small strata scheme rules (no meetings, decisions by written resolution of both owners, new s 7A): in a Bill that has passed the Legislative Assembly and is before the Legislative Council. They start on a date to be proclaimed. Until then, where the law still requires a meeting, we give you a simple template pack so you can hold it yourselves in a few minutes.
- Unchanged: the duty to insure the building for full replacement value in the owners corporation's name, to keep common property in repair, to keep a strata roll and records, and to provide a Section 184 certificate when a lot is sold.