From cracked tiles to water stains that reappear every winter, building maintenance mistakes are alarmingly common in strata properties, and they’re costing owners more than they realise. Delayed repairs, poor scheduling, and reactive fixes can spiral into major expenses, not to mention long-term property damage that chips away at value.
The problem is that too often, no one is taking real ownership of those issues. This is where your strata company should step in. The role of a strata company is not only to address issues when they arise, but also to prevent them. In this strata property maintenance guide, we break down the most common building maintenance mistakes and how to avoid costly maintenance repairs with actionable strata maintenance tips.
What Are the Most Common Building Maintenance Mistakes?
Some building maintenance mistakes are obvious. Others you don’t notice until the walls are showing signs of moisture damage, and the common areas start to feel neglected and worn.
One of the most common strata maintenance issues is neglecting early-stage wear, such as hairline cracks, bubbling paint, or signs of damp in ceilings or bathrooms. These are early-stage red flags calling for proactive strata maintenance before structural issues or mould take hold.
Another frequent oversight in building upkeep in strata properties is letting essential services slip off the radar. Things like annual roof inspections, pest control, or fire compliance checks often get delayed or forgotten altogether. Then there’s the false economy of hiring the cheapest contractors, who are unlicensed, uninsured, and unfamiliar with strata-specific requirements.
Lastly, seasonal blind spots, such as failing to prepare gutters before storm season, often result in blocked drainage and water ingress. These building maintenance mistakes aren’t just sloppy. They’re expensive, preventable, and usually the result of poor oversight.
Why These Mistakes Cost You More in the Long Run
So, how to avoid costly building repairs? Start by addressing minor issues immediately, before they turn into thousands-of-dollars headaches. Proactive strata maintenance leads to more predictable budgets, better asset longevity, and avoiding long-term property damage.
For instance, waterproofing failures are a classic case of building maintenance mistakes that can cause internal damage, trigger insurance claims, and even force evacuations if left unchecked for too long.
Avoiding long-term property damage also means understanding the wear cycle of your building’s critical systems, such as plumbing, roof membranes, and common-area lighting. Each has a lifespan. When maintenance planning for strata committees isn’t done proactively and with accurate lifecycle data, emergency repairs and costly infrastructure failures are almost inevitable.
There’s also a reputational cost. Poorly maintained buildings deter buyers and renters, negatively impact resale values, and increase the risk of non-compliance with NSW strata law. Insurance premiums rise with every avoidable claim. And every unresolved issue adds to the snowball — a leaky window here, a failing balustrade there.
The bottom line? The cost of inaction is almost always higher than the cost of proactive strata maintenance.
The Role of Your Strata Company in Avoiding These Issues
Strata company responsibilities go far beyond sending levy notices. The role of strata managers in maintenance is to monitor the health of the building and act before problems escalate. That includes scheduling preventative inspections, coordinating qualified trades, and documenting issues in detail, not just passing on contractor invoices.
Furthermore, the role of strata managers in maintenance should include verifying that all work is compliant with current codes (especially fire and safety regulations), ensuring warranties are properly recorded, and creating a multi-year maintenance plan with realistic budget forecasting.
Strata company responsibilities also involve educating committee members, most of whom are volunteers, about obligations under legislation. If your strata manager isn’t tracking maintenance cycles, recommending inspections, or pushing for timely repairs, they’re not fulfilling their role.
A hands-off approach to strata management isn’t sustainable, and your strata manager should be a proactive partner in managing building maintenance mistakes, not just an administrative middleman.
Proactive Maintenance Strategies for Strata Committees
Effective maintenance planning for strata committees is about protecting property value, keeping residents happy, and avoiding unnecessary repair bills. With multiple stakeholders and shared spaces, building upkeep in strata properties requires a structured approach, not spur-of-the-moment fixes.
The most common building maintenance mistakes happen when no one is tracking responsibilities, timelines, or costs. That’s where a solid plan makes all the difference. Here are a few strata maintenance tips that actually move the needle:
- Schedule formal inspections every six months to detect underlying issues early on.
- Use a shared maintenance calendar so that everyone on the committee can track recurring tasks, such as gutter clearing, pest control, and fire safety checks.
- Budget for lifecycle replacements, such as hot water systems, roof membranes, and lift components.
Proactive strata maintenance also means having a buffer fund, especially for items like waterproofing, façade works, or HVAC replacements.
Working Together: Committees, Residents, and Strata Teams
Building upkeep in strata properties works best when everyone’s aligned — residents, committees, and your strata company. Most building maintenance mistakes don’t come from malice or neglect. They come from miscommunication, unclear processes, and reactive habits.
At Clean Green Strata, we help our clients replace chaos with clarity. That starts with a tailored strata property maintenance guide, outlining what needs to be done, when, and by whom. We also provide expert-backed strata maintenance tips and proactive scheduling support to prevent issues before they escalate. Because when responsibilities are clear and tracked, things get fixed faster, cheaper, and with far less friction.
If your current strata company takes a vague, hands-off approach, it’s time to upgrade to a team that treats building upkeep like the high-stakes task it is. Get in touch with us today.
FAQs
What’s the difference between reactive and proactive maintenance?
Reactive maintenance waits for something to break. Proactive maintenance plans for it before it does, saving you money, time, and headaches.
Who is responsible for maintenance decisions in a strata building?
The strata committee holds decision-making power. The strata manager executes, advises, and coordinates, but isn’t the decision-maker.
How can strata committees make sure maintenance is being done correctly?
Set expectations: written scopes, licensed trades, post-job photos, and warranty records. Follow up. Ask questions. Know your responsibilities.
How do maintenance issues affect property value?
Neglected properties sell for less. Regular upkeep protects resale value, keeps insurance down, and attracts better tenants.
