New NSW strata laws and moving day: what has changed, and what is still planned
Not yet: the new limits on when an owners corporation can charge residents a bond or fee have passed Parliament but have not started, so any bond or fee for your move is still set by your building's registered by-laws.
The new NSW strata laws have not changed what your building can charge you to move in or out. Not yet.
By our count, five stages of strata reform have started in NSW since July 2025, and the limit on bonds and fees charged to residents is in none of them. Our working: Fair Trading's changes to strata laws page lists reforms that started on 1 July 2025, 27 October 2025, 1 April 2026, 1 October 2026 and 23 October 2026, and the government's guide to strata law changes for strata committees and owners gives the same five. The bond and fee limit sits under changes planned to start in 2027, with no day or month given.
So for a move this summer, the rules that count are your own building's registered by-laws. Here is how Miller Street Movers suggests you find them, read them and ask the right questions before you book a truck.
Do the new strata laws change moving day?
NSW strata reform, step by step
- 11 July 2025Uncollected goods can be removed with lot owners' consent
- 227 October 2025Stronger Fair Trading powers on common property repair and maintenance
- 31 April 2026New schemes of three or more storeys above ground: surveyor-certified maintenance schedule and levy estimates before the first AGM. Section 184 certificates add embedded-network and compliance-action details.
- 41 October 2026Annual committee training; two-lot schemes exempt from annual reporting
- The billPassed NSW Parliament, per 16 Oct 2026 release
- 523 October 2026New and increased penalties; payment plans widened to current levies and interest
- Planned to start in 2027 (no date given)
- When owners corporations can request a fee or bond from residents, with a bond amount that must be reasonable
- EV charging on an owner's lot
- Building manager term limits
- Clearer levy reminders
- Mixed-use building reforms
Not on any day you can book yet. The NSW Government's release of 16 October 2026 says the Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025 was "passed by NSW Parliament last night". Passed is not the same as in force.
Reading the bond and fee limits as already in force in 2026 is a common mistake: Fair Trading lists the limits on owners corporation fees and bonds under changes planned to start in 2027.
Some changes have started, and a few touch a move:
- From 1 July 2025: the reforms include allowing uncollected goods to be removed with lot owners' consent. This is worth knowing if anything is left behind after a move.
- From 27 October 2025: Fair Trading gained stronger powers to enforce common property repair and maintenance.
- From 1 April 2026: in new schemes of three or more storeys above ground, an independent surveyor must certify the initial maintenance schedule and levy estimates before the first AGM. Section 184 strata information certificates must now also carry embedded-network details and compliance-action information. That matters if you are buying into a building.
- From 1 October 2026: annual training for strata committee members, and two-lot schemes exempt from annual reporting.
- From 23 October 2026: new and increased penalties, for example for an owners corporation that does not hold an AGM, and payment plan rules widened to current levies and interest.
The rest of the 2027 list has little to do with moving day. It includes an EV-charging right on an owner's lot, limits on building manager terms and clearer levy reminder notices.
Can strata charge a bond to move in?
| Source | Its words on bonds and fees | Status |
|---|---|---|
| NSW Government release, 16 Oct 2026 | Fair limits on when an owners corporation can charge strata residents a bond or fee. Example: bonds for access keys or swipe cards that are exorbitantly higher than the replacement cost will no longer be allowed. | Bill passed |
| Fair Trading changes page | Setting out when owners corporations can request a fee or bond from residents and requiring that a bond amount must be reasonable. | Planned to start in 2027 |
| Guide for committees and owners | Strict limits on fees and bonds charged to owners, for example for items such as access keys. | Planned to start in 2027 |
Neither Fair Trading page names move-in or move-out bonds, lift booking fees or deposits. Check your own by-laws.
That depends on your building's by-laws, and the new limits do not decide it yet. Once they start, the new laws put fair limits on when an owners corporation can charge strata residents a bond or fee. The government's example is that bonds for access keys or swipe cards that are exorbitantly higher than the replacement cost will no longer be allowed.
Fair Trading describes the planned reform as setting out when owners corporations can request a fee or bond from residents and requiring that a bond amount must be reasonable. The owners' guide calls it strict limits on fees and bonds charged to owners, for example for items such as access keys.
Read those words closely. Neither Fair Trading page names move-in or move-out bonds, lift booking fees or deposits. The examples given are access keys and swipe cards. Our view is that nobody should promise you the 2027 limits will cap a moving bond, and you should not plan around it.
Your building's rules still have limits of their own. By-laws can't be "harsh, unconscionable or oppressive" and can't conflict with existing laws. A strata moving bond is also separate from your rental bond, so treat them as two different payments.
For the paperwork side of a strata move, including certificates of currency and bond forms, see our strata moving paperwork guide.
What are my building's moving rules?
From owners' vote to a rule you must follow
- Level 3Residents get a new copy within 14 days of the change starting
- Level 2Registered: only now valid and enforceable
- Level 1Lodged with NSW Land Registry Services: must be registered within six months of approval
- GroundOwners vote: special resolution, no more than 25% of votes against
A by-law can't be harsh, unconscionable or oppressive, and can't conflict with existing laws.
If your building sets rules for moving, such as lift bookings, hours or a bond, the ones that bind you are its by-laws. By-laws are rules every resident must follow.
A new or changed by-law needs a special resolution, meaning no more than 25% of votes against. It is then not valid or enforceable until registered with NSW Land Registry Services, and the owners corporation must register it within six months of approving it.
That gap matters. A moving rule voted in at a recent meeting may not be enforceable yet, so it is fair to ask whether it has been registered.
When you are ready to lock in a time, our guide to booking the goods lift for a move walks through that step.
Where do I get a copy of the by-laws?
| You are | Ask | When |
|---|---|---|
| Owner or resident | Strata committee secretary or strata manager | Any time |
| Tenant | Agent or landlord must give you the by-laws | Before you sign the rental contract |
| Tenant in a mixed-use building | Agent or landlord must also give the management statement | Within 14 days of signing |
| Anyone, after a change | New copy of the by-laws or management statement | Within 14 days of the change starting |
Owners and residents can ask the strata committee secretary or strata manager.
If you rent, the agent or landlord must give you the by-laws before you sign the rental contract. If you never received them, ask the agent for a copy before you book a moving date.
Rules change, and you are owed the update. If the by-laws or the management statement change, residents must get a new copy within 14 days of the change starting.
Is a tower with shops or offices downstairs different?
Yes, in one practical way: there is a second document. In a mixed-use building, the agent or landlord must give tenants the management statement within 14 days of signing, as well as the by-laws.
Mixed-use buildings also have their own reforms planned for 2027. These include a maximum 3-year term for managing agents appointed by building management committees, and clearer cost allocation for shared facilities such as lifts. None of that applies yet.
If the lift you need is shared with the shops or offices, read both documents before you pick a time. Ask who takes lift bookings, because it may not be the same person who answers your strata questions.
What happens if a moving by-law is broken?
Maximums as listed on the NSW Government by-laws page (updated June 2026); the 23 October changes increased some penalties, so check the current figure
The path is set out step by step: warning, notice to comply, mediation in certain circumstances, then NCAT.
For a breach of strata by-laws, NCAT can fine up to $1,100. For a continuing breach the maximum is up to $2,200. Where an earlier order was not followed, it is up to $5,500. These are the figures as listed on the NSW Government by-laws page (updated June 2026). The 23 October changes increased some penalties, so check the current figure.
Most moving-day friction is smaller than that: an overrun lift booking or a van in the wrong spot. Parking by-laws usually say residents park in their allocated spaces and visitor spaces are for visitors only, but each scheme differs, so check yours before the truck arrives.
Questions to ask your building before you book
Questions to ask, not legal advice
These are questions to ask, not legal advice. Send them by email to the strata manager or committee secretary, so the answers are in writing.
- Can I have the current by-laws, and are any recent changes registered yet?
- Is this a mixed-use building? If so, can I have the management statement too?
- What bond or fee applies to my move, and what exactly is it for?
- How and when is a bond returned, and what would stop it being returned?
- Can I have a receipt for anything I pay?
Keep the email thread and the receipt together with your moving paperwork. If the answer seems out of step with the by-laws, the by-laws are the reference point, and they can't be harsh, unconscionable or oppressive.
Strata and your move: the figures in one place
Bill
“passed by NSW Parliament last night” (release dated 16 Oct 2026)
Bond and fee limits for residents
Planned to start in 2027
By-law change
No more than 25% of votes against
Registration
Within six months of approval; not enforceable until registered
New copy after a change
Within 14 days
Management statement for a mixed-use rental
Within 14 days of signing
Fines as listed on the NSW Government by-laws page (updated June 2026); the 23 October changes increased some penalties, so check the current figure
Up to $1,100; up to $2,200 continuing; up to $5,500 if an earlier order was not followed
Planning an apartment move with Miller Street Movers
Once you have the by-laws and your building's answers in writing, the moving plan gets simpler. You will know your lift window, your loading spot and any bond conditions before anyone lifts a box.
Your next step is to book a quote with Miller Street Movers and include the lift booking time and any strata conditions, so the quote starts from your building's rules. If you are still choosing a date, the move window planner can help, and our apartment and tower moves page explains that service.
Sources
- https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/strata-schemes-amendment-reduces-red-tape
- https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/fair-trading/news/changes-to-strata-laws
- https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/strata/guide-to-strata-law-changes-for-strata-committees-and-owners
- https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/strata/living/by-laws
Ready when your building is
Tell us the building. We arrive with the plan made.
Two minutes on the form: where you're moving, roughly what's coming, and the week you're aiming for. We call you back, talk to your building manager if there is one, and lock the window.