COVID-19

COVID-19 | Information for Strata Owners

COVID-19 has changed many aspects of our life and unfortunately its likely to linger around for the immediate future. Smarter Communities is proud to have led prompt and decisive action to best protect our staff and communities during the onset of COVID. Our teams have firmly proven that even a pandemic cannot dampen our drive to provide the best service to our customers and uphold our corporate values of honesty, quality, curiosity and collaboration.

As always, our priority is to ensure communities we manage continue to run smoothly, especially during turbulent times. Being a national company, we are well resourced and well positioned to guide strata committees through any current and future community issues.

For existing customers, don’t hesitate to contact your Community Manager for assistance or if you are looking to experience better, seamless strata management, click here to Request a Quote or call 1800 519 642 to see how we can help address your community needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I request financial relief for strata fees?

Strata committees, depending on their independent situation, may offer financial hardship assistance to individual owners who require temporary relief. This can come in many forms, such as:

  1. Offering a payment plan;
  2. Revising and/or postponing the debt recovery process;
  3. Waiving penalty interest on arrears (where legislation allows); and
  4. Honouring discounts (where applicable in QLD only) even if payment is made after due by date.

There is no ‘one size fit all’ solution. For example, the impact of postponing the debt recovery process for one lot in a three-lot scheme is far greater than a 100-lot community. Each strata committee must decide the level of assistance they can offer, balancing compassion and ensuring adequate cash flow to cover essential expenditures like cleaning, insurance and keeping the lights on. That is no easy task, particularly where most committee members are volunteers who may be dealing with their own work and personal COVID-19 disruptions.

Financial hardship application

To apply, please complete the Financial Hardship Application Form. Without explicit instruction from your committee, we as your strata manager, are not legally authorised to enact any financial relief. Help us reduce processing time by being as detailed as possible in your application e.g. upload supporting document(s).

Who decides if financial hardship assistance is offered?

The decision to offer financial hardship assistance, if any, rest with the strata committee who must ensure the Owners Corporation / Body Corporate has adequate cash flow to cover essential expenditures like cleaning, insurance and keeping the lights on.

Individual owners seeking financial relief should complete the Financial Hardship Application Form. All completed applications will be forwarded to your strata committee for consideration. Without explicit instruction from your committee, we as your strata manager, are not legally authorised to enact any financial relief.

Is Smarter Communities offering any relief to owners?

Apart from forwarding any financial hardship application to the committee for consideration in a timely manner and providing the committee with any relevant information to support their decision, Smarter Communities made a $30,000 donation to Lifeline Australia and Beyond Blue ($15,000 each) to support individuals in need.

Can we hold in-person strata meetings?

As the COVID situation varies between States, if you have any questions regarding holding a face-to-face meeting, please contact your Community Manager.

Smarter Communities have throughout COVID, and will continue to,  facilitate meetings via teleconferencing and/or videoconferencing technology, supported by online voting for the benefit of our customers.

Can onsite facilities open?

Common facilities such as pool & spa, gym and games room/BBQ areas must observe current COVIDSafe practices. Rules are updated frequently, please refer to the official Government websites for the latest information.

Rules are updated frequently, please refer to the official Government websites for the latest information: NSW | QLD | SA | VIC | If you need further guidance, please do not hesitate to contact your Community Manager.

Should I let my strata manager know that I've tested positive for COVID 19?

Yes. We ask all residents in any Smarter Communities managed communities to inform the Strata Community Manager and/or strata committee Chairperson immediately upon a positive diagnosis of COVID-19. This information will be kept strictly confidential. Upon notification, the Strata Community Manager with approval from the strata committee will arrange a commercial clinical clean of all common property in the impacted building and consider appropriate communication to other residents in the community.

At no time will any personal, identifiable details of the person(s) with a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 be disclosed unless directed by health authorities.

Where can I find more information on COVID-19?

For medical related enquiries or the latest update on COVID-19, please refer to the Department of Health website or call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080. You can also visit NSW Health (1300 066 055); Victoria Health (1300 651 160); Queensland Health (13 43 25 84); South Australia Health (1300 232 272).

Still Have Questions

We are here to help

Free Resources

Please feel free to download and share these printable A4 size posters in your community

Wipe
Sit
Wash
Room
Lift
Distance
Mask
Fact Sheet

Recommended Articles

Thank you to our education partners

Lannock Strata Finance Chambers Russell Lawyers Macquarie Logo Mabi Logo BCB Logo
Request a Quote

Newsletter

Get the latest Strata News, Investment Insights, Lifestyle & Inspiration Tips