Strata manager educational requirements are changing
Landgate has undertaken a review of the educational qualification requirements for individuals working in the strata management industry.
This review was triggered by changes made at a national level to the Certificate IV in Strata Community Management (Certificate IV). These changes have made it impossible for people working in the strata management industry to complete some of the educational qualification requirements of the Strata Titles (General) Regulations 2019 (STGR).
As a result of this review, amendments will be made to the STGR to accommodate these changes to the Certificate IV and to allow for future changes to the Certificate IV. Amendments will also be made to the STGR to address feedback received in response to Landgate’s consultation paper “A new educational qualification model for the strata management industry”.
Feedback on this consultation paper has now closed, however a copy of the paper can be found here.
Select from the proposed amendments below for more information.
The default educational qualification requirements for those individuals who are engaged by a strata management business to manage strata schemes will be the Certificate IV. This will apply to principals of the business and strata community managers (defined below). Principals of the business will also be able to complete the Diploma of Property (Agency Management - Strata) and comply with the STGR.
Unit numbers and names will also be removed from the STGR and replaced with requirements to complete a specific number of core and elective units. This decision was made to “future proof” the STGR against any future changes to unit names and numbers and allow strata management businesses more flexibility to determine the educational needs of their employees.
The definition and concept of a designated person will be removed from the STGR. Designated person will be replaced with several different definitions and concepts covering individuals that own strata management businesses or work in the role of a strata manager.
The role of principal of the business is already included in the STGR, however without a supporting definition. A definition of principal of the business will be introduced into the STGR to address this.
The principal will be defined as an individual who is the owner, a partner, a director, or employee of the business that is the strata manager holding a strata management contract with the strata company and, in the case of a partner, director, or employee is authorised by the strata manager to perform scheme functions without supervision.
Individuals who are principals will have to meet prescribed educational qualifications and hold two years’ experience in the strata management industry.
A new role and accompanying definition for strata community manager will be introduced into the STGR. This role will, in part, replace the concept of a designated person with a key role and apply to individuals who are undertaking work as a strata manager.
A strata community manager will be defined as an individual who is an agent, employee, or contractor of the strata manager and who is authorised by the strata manager and responsible for undertaking scheme functions that the strata manager is authorised to carry out. They carry out these scheme functions with no or minimal supervision or direction from a principal of the business.
Individuals who are strata community managers will also have to meet prescribed educational qualifications and hold one year experience in the strata management industry.
A new role and accompanying definition for assistant strata community manager will be introduced into the STGR. This role will be a career pathway into the strata management industry.
An assistant strata community manager is an individual who is an agent, employee, or contractor of the strata manager and who assists the principal or strata community manager in carrying out their role. They can undertake a scheme function but must do so under the supervision of a principal or a strata community manager.
Individuals who are assistant strata community managers will not have to meet immediate educational qualifications but will have to obtain a minimum qualification over a prescribed timeframe. There will be no experience requirements for assistant strata community managers.
The qualified person provisions in the STGR will be retained but amended to incorporate the new roles and definitions set out above. People who already hold a relevant qualification (qualified people) will still only be required to complete a limited number of the units of the Certificate IV but will need to meet experience requirements.
The four-year transitional period for satisfying the educational qualification requirements, which is due to expire on 30 April 2024, will be extended by 24 months. This is to give strata managers, strata companies and the industry time to adjust to these changes and to allow for the period where the educational qualification requirements of the STGR were not available.
Until these amendments are made, Schedule 4, clause 4(a) of the STGR allows a person to take a unit of the Certificate IV that supersedes and is equivalent to the units currently listed as educational qualifications. As such, a person who requires an educational qualification can take the new superseding/equivalent units of the Certificate IV and this may enable them to meet the educational qualification requirements of the current STGR.
Yes, corresponding amendments will be made to the Community Titles Regulations 2021 (CTR) to accommodate changes to the Certificate IV and ensure consistency in the educational qualification requirements between strata managers and scheme managers.
Amendments will be made to the CTR to:
- Make the default educational qualification requirements for those individuals who are engaged by a scheme management business to manage community schemes the Certificate IV.
- Allow principals of the business to complete the Diploma of Property (Agency Management - Strata) and comply with the CTR.
- Remove unit numbers and names from the CTR and replace them with requirements to complete a specific number of core and elective units.
- Remove the definition and concept of a designated person.
- Introduce a new role and a definition for scheme community manager.
- Introduce a new role and a definition for assistant scheme community manager.
- Retain allowances for qualified people.
- Introduce experience requirements for those working in the scheme management industry.
- Extend the transitional period for satisfying the educational qualification requirements so that it is in line with the timeframe specified in the STGR.