Inspecting properties
Apartments and common property
Inspecting your own lot is only part of it — what to check in the building and the owners corporation's own records.
Key points
- An apartment inspection covers two separate things: your own lot, and the building's common property.
- Walk corridors, lifts, basement, façade and shared amenities, not just your own unit.
- Confirm exactly which car space and storage are on title versus common property.
- The owners corporation's fees, maintenance fund and legal history come from its records, not a visual inspection.
Your lot is only part of the inspection
In Victoria, an owners corporation is automatically created when a plan of subdivision containing common property is registered (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026) — NSW uses the same term for the same automatic-membership concept under its own strata law (NSW Fair Trading, verified 12 Aug 2026), though the disclosure documents differ; see the owners corporations guide for how they work, and the due diligence guide for the full comparison across all 8 states and territories. Inspecting an apartment means checking your own lot the same way you would any property, and separately checking the common property and the owners corporation's own records — two different inspections, both necessary.
What to check in common property
Walk the common areas, not just your own unit: corridors, lifts, the entrance, basement and car park, façade and any visible roof access, waste facilities and shared amenities. Note any visible maintenance issues — water staining in common corridors or basements is a useful early signal of a building (not just a lot) issue. Confirm exactly which car space and storage cage are on title versus common property, since this varies by building.
The owners corporation's own records
Before buying, research current fees and levies, whether there's a maintenance fund and plan, any proposed or in-progress building works and whether funds are already raised for them, recent AGM minutes and complaint history, the registered manager, and any legal proceedings or VCAT decisions affecting the building (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026). These come from the Section 32's owners corporation certificate, the public register of managers, and the AGM minutes — not from a visual inspection.
Common mistake: inspecting only the apartment itself and treating the building's common property and the owners corporation's financial health as someone else's problem — as an owner, they become yours too.
Practical checklist
Apartment and common-property checklist
- Inspect your own lot the same way as any property
- Walk the common areas — corridors, lifts, basement, entrance, façade
- Confirm car space and storage boundaries against the plan of subdivision
- Request the owners corporation certificate, recent AGM minutes and maintenance fund status
- Check the public register of owners corporation managers and search for VCAT decisions
Want this as a checklist for your own purchase? Start free in the Delora app
Questions for a professional
- Does the owners corporation have an adequate maintenance fund, or is a special levy likely?
- Are there any known building-wide defects or disputes affecting this owners corporation?
Official resources
Important limitations: This is general education, not legal advice on any specific owners corporation's documents. NSW shares the same 'owners corporation' concept and terminology under its own strata law, but the disclosure documents and research process differ by state — see the due diligence guide for the full comparison across all 8 states and territories.
Sources and methodology
- Buying an apartment or unit - checklist — Consumer Affairs Victoria (retrieved 29 Jul 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
- Owners corporations — Land Use Victoria (retrieved 29 Jul 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Buying a strata property — NSW Fair Trading (retrieved 12 Aug 2026). Licence: NSW Government content, reproduced for research/citation purposes
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.
Evidence record
For advice specific to your situation, talk to your conveyancer and the owners corporation manager.
Keep reading
- When to obtain a specialist property inspection Previous in Inspect properties
- Recording evidence and questions to ask the agent Next in Inspect properties
- From inspection to due diligence Also in Inspect properties
- When to walk away after a property inspection Also in Inspect properties
- Complete due diligence Next step