Records a strata scheme usually has to keep

Rules about what a scheme must keep come from the state or country, not from the software. The clearest official example in this site's sources is New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Other states and countries have their own rules, and the retention periods can differ.

The six kinds of record in NSW

The NSW Government page lists six kinds of record¹:

• the strata roll
• financial records, including receipts, invoices, bank statements and a record of levies
• communication sent and received by the owners corporation and strata committee
• documents from meetings, such as notices and minutes, voting papers, and proxies
• records the strata managing agent has given to the owners corporation about the exercise of their functions
• signed contracts with strata agents and building managers

Financial records, communications and records of changes to the roll must be kept for seven years¹.

The strata roll

The page defines it plainly: "A strata roll is a list of the owners in a strata scheme."¹ It must be kept up to date. It also says a current or potential owner can ask to see it at any time.

For software, that means the roll is a live list, not a one-off document. Check that the tool keeps old entries when an owner changes, because the records showing the changes must be kept too.

Meeting papers

For every meeting, the NSW guidance lists a copy of the agenda, a copy of the minutes, details of motions discussed, and "details and results of any votes"¹. For an annual general meeting it adds financial statements, the ten-year capital works fund plan, and details of the insurance. Another NSW page repeats that the agenda, financial statements, minutes and insurance details go on file².

Secret ballots are a special case. You keep the result, not the voters' names. The guidance says they "only need to be kept for 13 months."¹ A tool that attaches a name to every vote would clash with that. Ask how it handles secret ballots.

Electronic copies

From 11 June 2024, the NSW page says these records "must be kept electronically" for new records created from that date. Schemes may keep paper copies as well¹. So in NSW, a folder of files or a software tool is where they live now. Search is the real test. If you can't find a paper in a minute, it isn't doing its job.

What this means when you shop

Take the list of records above and ask a maker where each one lives in their product. Look for gaps. A tool that handles levies well but has no place for proxies or insurance details leaves you filing those elsewhere.

Ask, too, about retention. Can you keep a record for the full period and then remove it? Can you stop anyone deleting a record early?

Wikipedia describes strata title as a form of ownership for apartment blocks and subdivisions with shared areas³. The record rules are local. Before you decide what to keep, check with your own state regulator, a strata lawyer, or a registered strata manager. This page is general information, not legal advice.