Strata, owners corporation, body corporate: what is the difference?
By The stratai team
If you own an apartment or a townhouse in Australia, you have probably heard your building called strata in one conversation and an owners corporation or body corporate in another. It is easy to assume these are different things. Mostly, they are the same idea wearing a different name depending on which state you are in.
The shared idea
Whatever it is called, the structure is the same. You own your individual lot, the apartment or townhouse itself. You also collectively own the common property, the structure, the shared walls, the roof, the driveways and gardens, through a legal entity that every owner is automatically part of. That entity is run by a committee elected by the owners, usually with the help of a professional manager. The differences between states are mostly in the words and the legislation, not the concept.
New South Wales: strata scheme
In New South Wales, the building is a strata scheme, governed by the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015. The legal entity of owners is the owners corporation, and the elected body that runs it is the strata committee.
Victoria: owners corporation
In Victoria, the same structure is an owners corporation, governed by the Owners Corporations Act 2006. It was once called a body corporate in Victoria too, which is why older documents and long-time owners sometimes still use that term.
Queensland: body corporate
In Queensland, it is a body corporate, governed by the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997. The elected body is simply the committee, supported by a body corporate manager.
Why the words matter
The terminology is not just trivia. Your obligations, your forms, and the rules you have to follow come from your state’s Act, so knowing the local name is the first step to finding the right information. When you search for advice or software, the local term is the one that brings back guidance that actually applies to you.
Where stratai fits
stratai is built around each state’s vocabulary, so the words on your screen are the words your owners and committee already use. Whether you run strata schemes, owners corporations, or bodies corporate, the workspace speaks your state.
Book a demo and we will show you the version built for your state.