Owners Corporation and Strata Lawyers in Melbourne

Clear, practical advice for owners corporations, committees, lot owners, managers and developers.

Hendersons Legal are experienced owners corporation and strata lawyers in Melbourne. We advise and represent clients on every aspect of owners corporation and strata law in Victoria. Shared property ownership comes with its own set of rules and pressures. We understand how much the day-to-day running of a building depends on those rules being clear, compliant and workable.

We act for owners corporations, committees, lot owners, managers and developers alike. Whatever your role, our goal is the same: practical, cost-effective advice that heads off disputes where it can and resolves them efficiently when it can’t.

How We Help

Our owners corporation and strata law services cover the issues that shared property communities run into most often, including:

• Governance and compliance. We advise owners corporations and committees on their powers, duties and procedures under the Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic). We also advise lot owners on their own rights and responsibilities.
• Rules and by-laws, drafting, reviewing and enforcing rules on the use of common property, renovations, noise, parking, pets and short-stay letting, and sorting out disputes when a rule is broken or challenged.
• Dispute resolution and levy recovery. We act for clients in disputes about maintenance, levies, rules and the conduct of an owners corporation or its members. We help with recovering unpaid fees, from internal processes and mediation through to VCAT and the courts.
• Building defects and maintenance, advising on liability for building defects, repair obligations and claims involving builders, developers or insurers.

Resolving Owners Corporation Disputes

Most owners corporation disputes are best tackled internally first, using the grievance procedure in Part 11 of the Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic). To start that process, the complaint needs to be made formally in the approved form, an informal email is not enough. If the internal process doesn’t settle things, a lot owner, occupier or the owners corporation can apply to the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria (DSCV) for mediation. Where mediation is unsuccessful or one side declines, DSCV issues a certificate, which you generally need before you can lodge the matter with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for a binding decision.

Where a dispute involves building defects, it usually has to go through the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) first. The BPC took over this role on 1 July 2025, absorbing the former Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria (DBDRV). If the matter isn’t resolved there and a certificate of conciliation is issued, it can then proceed to VCAT. We can walk you through each of these steps, and where a matter goes to a hearing, our court and tribunal representation lawyers can act for you.

Common Owners Corporation Disputes

The owners corporation disputes we see most often include:

• Disagreements over the responsibilities of the owners corporation versus those of individual lot owners.
• Disputes over what is common property, which often decides who is responsible for maintenance and repair.
• Recovery of unpaid levies, and how levies for extraordinary or major budget items are allocated.
• Water leaks and water damage between lots or from common property.
• Breaches of the model rules or the owners corporation’s own rules. This includes disputes over pets, parking, noise, renovations and short-stay (Airbnb-style) letting.
• Building defects affecting common property.
• Committee decisions, meeting procedures and the conduct of the owners corporation or its manager.

The Law That Applies

The key legislation is the Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic) and the Owners Corporations Regulations 2018 (Vic). Depending on the issue, other laws may also apply, including the Building Act 1993, the Subdivision Act 1988, the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 and the Water Act 1989. We’ll pinpoint exactly which rules apply to your situation and explain what they mean for you in plain language.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Choose Hendersons Legal

Melbourne CBD Location

Our office is steps from all major Victorian courts and tribunals, including VCAT. Where it’s more convenient for you, we’re happy to meet by Zoom or telephone.

Speed and Reliability

We give priority to urgent work to protect your legal interests. You’ll know your matter is in capable hands and that we’ll keep you up to date as it progresses.

Transparent Pricing

We’re legally obliged to give you a cost estimate before we start work, confirmed in a Disclosure Statement and Costs Agreement that sets out our terms.

A Practical, Common-Sense Approach

We work to resolve issues early and keep our communication clear. We take the time to understand what you want from the outcome, then build a strategy to protect your interests within your strata community.

How It Works

To get started, call us or fill out our online enquiry form with the details of your matter. We’ll confirm the scope of work, give you a fee estimate and get moving, keeping you fully briefed at every stage.