The short version
- Self-managing saves the agency fee but none of the legal obligations: meetings, levies, insurance, records, maintenance plans and by-law enforcement.
- The failure mode is concentration: one owner holds the spreadsheet, the bank login and the knowledge, then sells.
- Software gives the scheme a record that outlives its volunteers and reminders for the deadlines that carry penalties.
- Lot-based pricing means a small scheme pays a small amount — well under a single agency fee.
What you still have to do
Whether the scheme has six lots or sixty, the Act applies. A self-managed owners corporation or body corporate must hold its AGM each year, prepare a budget and raise levies into the right funds, keep the strata roll and the required records, insure the building for replacement value, maintain common property, keep a capital works fund plan (NSW), sinking fund forecast (Queensland) or maintenance plan (larger Victorian owners corporations), handle by-law breaches properly and — in NSW — report annually to Strata Hub. Missing a deadline can mean penalties for the scheme and personal exposure for office bearers.
Where the spreadsheet breaks
Single point of failure
The treasurer has the spreadsheet, the secretary has the minutes, the chair has the insurance renewal in their inbox. One of them moves and the scheme starts again.
No trail
Who approved the plumber? Was the notice given 14 days before the meeting? Which owners were unfinancial at the vote? Spreadsheets do not remember.
Missed dates
Fire safety statements, insurance renewals, the AGM window, levy due dates and interest: the things with penalties are exactly the things nobody is paid to watch.
Owner disputes
Without a shared record, every disagreement becomes one owner's word against another's. A portal every owner can log into removes most of the heat.
What self-managed strata software should do
The roll and documents
Owners, tenants, agents and entitlements, with by-laws, plans, insurances and certificates in a register every committee member can reach.
A compliance calendar
AGM window, insurance renewal, fire safety statement, maintenance plan review and reporting deadlines with reminders to more than one person.
Meetings and voting
Notices, agendas, motions, proxies, electronic voting where your state allows it, and minutes filed against the meeting.
Maintenance and contractors
Requests from owners become tracked jobs; contractor insurances and licences are stored; the history stays with the building.
Communication
Notices with read receipts, a noticeboard and polls, so decisions are made with owners rather than around them.
Levies and funds (optional)
Budgets, levy notices, receipting, arrears and the fund balances — or leave the books with your accountant and use the portal for everything else.
Self-managed versus a managing agent
| Fully self-managed | Self-managed with software | Managing agent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | Volunteers' time | Per-lot software fee | Agency fee plus disbursements |
| Record keeping | Personal files | Portal, retained with the building | Agency system |
| Deadline reminders | Memory | Automatic | Agency |
| Owner transparency | Low | High — owners log in | Varies |
| Trust accounting | Scheme's own account | Scheme's own account, optional software | Agency trust account |
| Continuity at handover | Poor | Good | Good |
What it costs
TowerDesk is priced per lot: a $59 base fee per building per month plus $3.40 per lot per month for schemes up to 20 lots, falling for larger buildings. A 12-lot scheme is around $100 a month ex GST with every governance, maintenance and communication module included — considerably less than a typical management fee — and financial management can be added later if the scheme wants levies and funds in the same portal. See the calculator.
Give your self-managed scheme a proper record
A portal every owner can log into, on the building's own address, set up with you. Book a walkthrough or ask a question.
Frequently asked questions
Can a strata scheme manage itself without a strata manager in Australia?
Yes. There is no requirement to appoint a managing agent in NSW, Victoria, Queensland or the other states, provided the scheme meets all of its obligations under the Act — meetings, levies, insurance, records, maintenance and reporting. Many smaller schemes self-manage.
What are the risks of self-managing a strata scheme?
Missed statutory deadlines, under-insurance, poor record keeping, disputes between owners without an independent record, and dependence on one or two volunteers. Software addresses the record, the reminders and the transparency; it does not replace professional advice on legal or accounting questions.
Do self-managed schemes need trust accounting software?
A self-managed scheme keeps its own bank accounts in the scheme's name and does not operate a trust account in the agency sense. Many use their accountant for the books and a portal for everything else; TowerDesk offers levies and funds as an optional add-on if the scheme wants them in the same place.
Is self-managed strata software expensive?
With per-lot pricing, no. A 10-lot scheme on TowerDesk is under $100 a month ex GST with every governance, maintenance and communication module included.
Can we move from self-managed to a managing agent later?
Yes. Because the roll, records, maintenance history and documents stay with the building in the portal, an incoming agent inherits an organised scheme rather than a box of folders.