Not Every Strata Dispute Needs a Winner.
When a strata disagreement becomes personal, the next useful step may be a clearer conversation, an authorised decision or mediation. Start with the outcome people need.
An email arrives. Someone feels ignored. The reply explains why the committee was right. Another email follows, this time with more people copied in.
Before long, the original problem has company: frustration, suspicion and a growing need to have the last word.
Sometimes the best outcome isn't proving you're right. It's finding a way forward.
What happened? A useful reminder from mediation
In its 29 September 2026 release, the NSW Government reported that applications to the free strata mediation service increased from 2,760 to 3,591 during the last financial year, a rise of 30%. It also reported that 76% of matters were completely resolved. These are the Government's reported service results, not a prediction for an individual dispute.
The figures are a reason to consider a structured conversation before assuming a formal contest is the only path. An agreement still needs to address the real issue and respect the law.
A disagreement is a starting point
People can disagree about what happened, who should act or what a reasonable outcome looks like. That does not automatically mean someone has breached a by-law. It does mean there is something to clarify.
As a practical first step, describe the event and its impact without deciding the other person's motives. Ask what outcome is being sought. A resident asking for quiet after work and a neighbour defending ordinary use of their home may be answering different questions.
Know which process you are using
Early communication is a direct conversation, when safe and appropriate. Explain the concern and give the other person a chance to respond.
Internal dispute resolution uses the scheme's process, if it has one. The committee or manager can help clarify the issue and identify the decision required. Some matters need a motion and a properly authorised owners corporation decision.
Escalation means moving the issue to the person or process able to deal with it. Copying more people into an increasingly heated email is not, by itself, progress.
Fair Trading mediation brings the parties together with a neutral mediator to explore agreement. The mediator helps the discussion; they do not take sides or decide a winner.
NCAT is a formal decision-making pathway. It can determine matters within its jurisdiction and make orders. Its guidance says mediation is required for most strata disputes before an application, with exemptions. Check the requirements for the particular application rather than treating every matter alike.
Make the next conversation more useful
The Academy's HEAR method is a practical communication aid: Hear the concern. Explain the process. Agree the next step. Return when promised.
Try replacing ‘We have already explained this’ with ‘The unresolved question appears to be who can authorise the next step. We will check the records and update you by Thursday.’ That does not promise the answer someone wants. It gives them a clear action and a time to expect a response.
Keep a short factual record: the issue, the documents still needed, who will act, the authority required and the next update date. The manager's recommendation and a committee or owners corporation decision are different things. Make that distinction visible.
Communication has boundaries
Finding a way forward does not mean tolerating threats, giving up a legal right or negotiating away a statutory duty. If direct contact is unsafe, use an appropriate representative or formal channel. Urgent safety issues and legal deadlines need timely attention; do not let an informal conversation delay them.
An unresolved disagreement is not a failure of character. Sometimes the parties need independent help or a decision they cannot make for themselves. The useful question is which process can move this particular issue forward.
People still share the building afterwards
The next conversation may happen in the lift, at a meeting or during another repair. A fair process helps people understand what was considered and what happens next, even when they do not agree with the outcome.
Before sending the next reply, write down three things: the issue that remains unresolved, the outcome being sought and the person or process with authority to take the next step.
Hold this thoughtWhat would a workable outcome look like if nobody needed the last word? How is easy when you know the why.
Official NSW Government mediation release and practical guidance, and NCAT application guidance, checked 2 November 2026. The reported figures are from the 29 September release. Communication examples and HEAR are Academy learning aids, not statutory steps. Independent NSW strata education; STRATA IQ Academy does not represent a government entity. This article is not advice on a particular dispute.
Turn the explanation into practice.
Open the linked Guide or Academy pathway when you need the complete checks, official sources and practical learning.