Payment Plan Request

Request for payment plan for overdue contributions

This form lets you make a request to the owners corporation of your strata scheme, for a plan to repay overdue contributions (unpaid strata levies).

Prescribed under section 17K(1) of the Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2016

Who should use this form

An owner of a lot in a strata scheme who has overdue levies must use this form if they want to request a payment plan.

Note:

This payment plan request only applies to your overdue contributions. You must continue paying all new contribution notices when they are due. You should consider this when proposing a payment plan. If you fall into arrears with any new contributions, you may request another payment plan to cover those contributions.

If you do not comply with an accepted payment plan, the owners corporation has the right to take action to recover the overdue contributions.

A request for a payment plan and a request for interest to be waived each require a resolution of the owners corporation.

What you need to do

1. Complete this form. Lots with more than one owner should enter the name of each owner seeking to enter into the payment plan.

2. Submit the completed form to the strata manager or the secretary of the strata committee or owners corporation by email, mail, or in person.

What the owners corporation needs to do:

1. An owners corporation or strata committee must give an owner a written response within 28 days of receiving a completed payment plan request for overdue contributions from the owner.

2. If a request for a payment plan is refused, the written response must include the reasons for the refusal and explain how those reasons apply to the individual case.

For more information on the options available to assist with paying strata levies, visit nsw.gov.au/strata-levies-help

Free, confidential and independent financial counselling is available through the National Debt Helpline.

Call 1800 007 007 to speak with a financial counsellor or visit ndh.org.au for more information or to use their live chat service.

Understanding this form

Strata can be complex. Here’s an A to Z of some important things to know.

Committee

The strata committee is a group of owners elected by the owners corporation each year to help run the building. They speak for all owners and decide on the day-to-day running of the scheme, such as managing shared areas, maintenance and ensuring rules (called by-laws) are followed.

Interest

If an owner does not pay their strata levies within one month of the payment due date, they are charged interest at the rate of 10% simple interest per year. The owners corporation cannot increase or decrease the interest, but it can vote to charge no interest.

Levies

All owners in a strata scheme are charged a yearly levy (sometimes called a ’contribution’ or ’fee‘). Levies are normally paid quarterly. You will receive a levy notice each time before the levies are due. Strata levies are paid into different types of funds, managed by the strata committee.

Lot

A lot is a private property within a building or complex, like an apartment, unit, or townhouse, which belongs to one owner. The owner can live in it or rent it out. Everything outside the lot, like gardens, hallways, or pools, is called common property and is shared by all owners. Some lots can also be used for other purposes, like parking.

Overdue contributions

Overdue contributions are strata levies that have not been paid in full by the due date, as set out in a levy notice.

Owners corporation

The owners corporation is made up of all the owners in a building or complex. It looks after common property like gardens, hallways, and roofs, and makes decisions about repairs, rules, and budgets. You automatically become part of the owners corporation if you buy in strata.

Secretary

The secretary helps with administration and communications for the strata committee. They arrange meetings, send out meeting agendas and minutes, keep records, and share information with owners. This role helps the committee stay organised and follow the rules.

Strata manager

A strata manager (also known as a strata managing agent) helps the owners corporation and/or strata committee with the running of the strata scheme. The owners corporation can choose which jobs to give to a strata manager. These jobs could include collecting and banking levies, and obtaining insurance.

Strata scheme

A strata scheme is a building or group of buildings that has been divided into ‘lots’ such as an apartment, townhouse or villa. When you buy a lot, you also share ownership of common property with other lot owners. This may include shared gardens, external walls, roofs, driveways and stairwells.