AI enquiry agent for strata managers
An AI enquiry agent for strata managers answers lot owner and resident questions by phone, email and SMS using only the documents you supply for each scheme: fee notices, rules, minutes, meeting dates and the maintenance plan. After hours common property emergencies go to your approved contractors. In Victoria, bodies corporate became owners corporations on 31 December 2007.
Strata managers handle a large number of small questions across many schemes: when the next fee is due, whether a dog is allowed, who fixes the hallway light, when the AGM is. Most of the answers are already written down in the scheme’s documents. The agent finds the answer in the right scheme’s documents, quotes it, and passes anything that needs a decision to the manager.
What schemes are called in each state
The terms differ by state, and the agent uses the right one for each scheme.
- Victoria. An owners corporation manages the common property under the Owners Corporations Act 2006. Consumer Affairs Victoria explains that the body corporate became an owners corporation on 31 December 2007 and that lot owners are its members. A manager paid to run one must be registered with the Business Licensing Authority, hold the owners corporation’s money on trust and report at each annual general meeting.
- New South Wales. A strata scheme is run by its owners corporation, usually with a strata manager. The NSW Government’s strata pages cover by-laws, levies and repairs.
- Queensland. Community titles schemes are run by a body corporate. The Queensland Government’s body corporate pages cover by-laws, records and disputes, and the services of the Office of the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management.
- Other states and territories. Strata or community title schemes under their own laws. The agent is configured with each scheme’s own documents and the manager’s procedures, so the answers come from those rather than from general rules.
What owners and residents ask, and where the answer comes from
| Enquiry | Usually from | Answer comes from | What the agent does |
|---|---|---|---|
| How much is my fee and when is it due? | Lot owner | Fee notice or levy register export | Confirms the caller’s identity, then states the amount and due date for that lot only |
| Who fixes the leak in the hallway ceiling? | Resident or owner | Maintenance procedures, common property plan | Logs the job, sends urgent ones to the approved contractor, tells the caller what happens next |
| Can I keep a dog, park a trailer, or renovate my bathroom? | Resident or owner | The scheme’s consolidated rules | Quotes the relevant rule and explains how to apply for any approval it requires |
| When is the AGM, and how do I vote by proxy? | Lot owner | Meeting notices | Gives the date and sends the proxy form |
| I need an owners corporation certificate | Conveyancer, buyer or agent | Your certificate process | Logs the request and passes it to the manager, who issues the certificate once the fee is paid |
| My neighbour is too noisy | Resident | Rules and your complaints procedure | Records the complaint and explains the next step in your process |
| I want to make an insurance claim | Lot owner | Policy summary and claims process | Records the details and passes the claim to the manager; it does not assess claims |
In Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria says an owners corporation must issue a certificate within 10 business days of a written request and payment of the fee, and that the register must be available for inspection by lot owners, mortgagees and buyers. The agent logs the request date so the manager can meet that deadline.
After hours common property emergencies
- Safety. If anyone is hurt or there is fire, smoke or a gas smell, the caller is told to ring 000 or the gas distributor’s emergency line first.
- Location. The agent asks exactly where the problem is: common property (lobby, roof, car park, lift, shared pipes) or inside a lot.
- Common property. For common property, it calls the scheme’s approved contractor for that trade, in the order you set, within the spending authority the committee or owners corporation has given you.
- Inside a lot. Repairs inside a lot are usually the lot owner’s job. If the caller rents the lot, the agent tells them to contact their own property manager or landlord. An agency using the after hours maintenance line can take that call directly.
- Access to lots. Consumer Affairs Victoria says an owners corporation must give at least 7 days’ written notice before entering a lot to repair common property or services, unless it is an emergency. The agent records the occupier’s details so the manager can arrange access.
- Morning report. The manager, and the committee chair if you choose, receives a summary of every after hours call before business opens.
Answers come only from the scheme’s documents
Each scheme has its own document set in the agent: rules, the latest minutes and resolutions, fee notices, the maintenance plan, contractor list and insurance summary. When the agent answers, it names the document it used, for example the consolidated rules adopted at the last general meeting. If the answer is not in the documents, it says the manager will reply and creates a task.
The agent does not interpret the Act, decide whether a rule is valid, or take a side in a dispute between owners. Disputes go to the manager and, where needed, to the dispute process for that state.
Privacy and identity checks
The owners corporation register holds personal details of every lot owner. The agent confirms a caller’s identity (for example, the lot number and a code sent to the email address on the register) before discussing any lot’s account, and it never reads out another owner’s details. Where your business is covered by the Privacy Act 1988, the call handling and any recording should be described in your privacy policy.
What it does not do
- It does not approve works, spend beyond the authority delegated to you, or change a contractor order.
- It does not give legal advice or rule on disputes.
- It does not assess insurance claims or fault.
- It does not answer from general knowledge when the scheme’s documents are silent.
- It does not replace the committee or the manager at meetings.
Cost and next steps
Phone answering runs on the Yes AI plans; after hours and weekend cover starts with Professional at $599 per month monthly ex GST, and managers with many schemes or several phone lines usually need a Custom plan. Loading document sets for each scheme is quoted at setup. The cost guide explains plan sizing, and the property management FAQ answers common questions about privacy and setup.
Pick one scheme and send its rules and latest fee notice through the enquiry form; we will show the answers the agent gives to ten typical owner questions.