Strata Common Area Defect Reports
A common-area report should let a building manager, committee member and contractor locate the same observation. Use building and level references, and keep the question of responsibility separate from the description of the condition.
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Define the areas covered
List the lobbies, corridors, stairs and other agreed areas included in the walk. Identify excluded or inaccessible spaces. Use authorised access arrangements and avoid entering service rooms or restricted areas simply to complete a checklist.
Do not infer whether an item is common property or a lot owner's responsibility from its position alone. Record the location and route the responsibility question through the relevant building process. This guide does not determine strata ownership or repair obligations.
Use a building-wide location convention
Include the building or tower, level, zone and exact component. “Tower B, Level 4 corridor, wall opposite lift lobby” is easier to use than “upstairs wall”. Where several identical doors or fittings exist, add a stable reference and a context photograph.
- Record the observation in neutral language.
- Identify whether it was seen directly or reported by another person.
- Note the current access or visibility limitation.
- Name the coordination contact when responsibility is unresolved.
- Keep any resident information separate unless it is necessary to the task.
Avoid copying every resident message into the report. Summarise the relevant observation with attribution and retain the original communication in the appropriate record system.
Example: a corridor finish observation
An illustrative record is: “Tower B, Level 4, wall opposite lift lobby. Local finish damage visible beside corner trim. Recorded on common-area walk; cause and responsible party not established.” Include one image of the corridor position and a detail image.
The next action could be a request to the building manager to confirm the responsible maintenance route. That is different from assigning liability to a particular resident or contractor. Update the record when a decision is supplied, identifying who provided it.
Prepare the right report for each reader
The committee may need the whole set of observations and outstanding decisions. A repair contractor may need only the items assigned to its company. Site Audit Pro can produce contractor-specific PDFs; check the selection before sending and retain the full issued record separately.
For periodic reviews, distinguish new observations, previously reported repairs and items awaiting access. Do not interpret the total number of items as the building's overall condition. The weekly progress workflow provides a way to explain movement in the list, while the location naming guide keeps repeated spaces traceable.