What are by-laws and where can I find them?

• By-laws are rules that are made to facilitate the smooth running of a strata scheme.
• They apply to all residents in a strata scheme. They deal with a range of issues surrounding the use of common areas and behaviour of residents.
• Failure to observe these rules can lead to pecuniary penalties (fines) being issued by the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal.
• Strata schemes registered prior to 1 July 1997 you can find the applicable by-laws in Schedule 1 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW). Any changes in these by-laws will be registered on the Certificate of Title for the common property.
• Strata schemes registered on or after 1 July 1997 the applicable by-laws will be noted on the Certificate of Title for the common property and on the strata plan. These may be custom by-laws or the strata plans may adopt the model by-laws listed in Schedule 1 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW).
• You can use our Phone a Lawyer service for a preliminary legal consultation if you think you may need legal advice.