Deciding what to buy
Apartment
Strata title, common property and an owners corporation — what actually transfers with your title, and what to check before you buy.
- Most apartments are strata title, automatically creating owners corporation membership.
- Owners corporation fees, levies and rules apply, covering things like renovations, pets and noise.
- A car space may be part of your title or common property requiring a separate lease or licence.
- Noise, smells and waste-area proximity matter as much as the apartment's own condition.
Strata title and the owners corporation
Most flats, units and apartments are strata title: you own your specific unit and become a joint owner of the common property (shared areas), automatically becoming a member of the owners corporation (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026). Members must pay annual fees, levies and charges and follow owners corporation rules, which can cover renovations, pets and noise.
Researching the owners corporation
Before buying, you can research the owners corporation via the owners corporation certificate attached to the Section 32 vendor statement (fees, insurance, maintenance history, proposed works and any legal claims), the public register of owners corporation managers, contracts affecting common property, and the minutes of annual general meetings (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026). See the dedicated owners corporations guide for the full research checklist.
Car spaces are not always guaranteed
A car space may be a separate lot forming part of your title — confirm it actually transfers with the title — or it may be common property, in which case you need a lease or licence to use it rather than owning it outright (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026). This is a common point of confusion worth checking explicitly rather than assuming.
Practical checklist
Before buying an apartment
- Request and read the owners corporation certificate from the Section 32
- Confirm whether the car space is part of your title or common property
- Check for planned works, special levies, or legal proceedings affecting the owners corporation
- Visit at different times to check noise, smells and building activity
Questions for a professional
- What is the owners corporation's current financial position, and is a special levy likely?
- Does the car space transfer with the title, or is it common property?
Official resources
Sources and methodology
- Buying an apartment or unit - checklist — Consumer Affairs Victoria (retrieved 29 Jul 2026)
- Owners corporations — Land Use Victoria (retrieved 29 Jul 2026)
Figures on this page are drawn from Delora's local knowledge graph, refreshed from these primary sources and checked for changes on a regular schedule. If a figure here looks out of date, the official source above is always the authority — please let us know.