Owner and tenant contact records

The contact record is the quiet centre of a strata system. Every notice, levy bill and meeting invite depends on it. If it's wrong, everything sent from it goes to the wrong person.

The detail below comes from New South Wales (NSW), Australia, where the list of owners is called the strata roll.

What the roll holds

The NSW Government says the roll must include each owner's name, address and contact details, "such as an email address"¹. It also lists the agent's details if the owner has one. If the owner has a tenant, the roll holds the tenant's name, contact details and the date the tenancy started¹.

The roll also carries other items, such as how the lot is owned and the date the owner gained possession. So a contact record is more than a phone number. Check that the tool has room for an owner, an agent and a tenant on the same lot, each with their own details.

Keeping it current

Contact data goes out of date. A new owner moves in, a lease ends, an email address changes. The NSW page says the roll should be updated when a resident moves in or out or a property is bought or sold. New owners and landlords usually have to give their details to the secretary within 14 days¹.

For tenants, the landlord or their agent must tell the owners corporation in writing, within 14 days of the lease starting. The notice includes the tenant's name, an address for notices, the start date and the agent's name¹.

Software can help by keeping a history, with start and end dates on each contact. Ask whether you can see who was the owner of a lot on a given date. That matters when you look back at an old vote or levy.

Who may see it

In NSW, a current or potential owner can ask to see the roll at any time¹. So the tool should be able to produce a roll on request. Ask about permissions too. Can a committee member see everything, while an ordinary owner sees only their own lot?

Privacy in general terms

Privacy law varies by country, and the rules for a strata manager can differ from those for a volunteer committee. In Australia, the OAIC says most small businesses aren't covered by the Privacy Act 1988, though some are². It defines a small business as one with annual turnover of $3 million or less. For a firm answer, it points to its checklist, an industry association or a lawyer².

That's general information. It doesn't tell you whether your scheme or manager is covered. In the United Kingdom, ask the Information Commissioner's Office. In the United States, it depends on the state.

Before buying, ask the maker plain questions:

• Where is the data stored, and in which country?
• Who at the vendor can see it?
• Can an owner's record be exported or deleted on request, and what stays for the legal retention period?
• Is there a log of who viewed or changed a contact?

Answers should come from the maker's own documentation or privacy policy, not a sales call. Keep a copy with the date.