When do you need a strata licence in NSW?
You need a strata managing agent licence to carry out the functions of an owners corporation in a strata scheme, or an association in a community scheme. That covers repairs and maintenance, financial management and records, arranging insurance and running meetings. The owners corporation decides which of these jobs it hands to the agent in its contract. Some keep control of committee meetings and pass only the finances to the agent.
Some agency support work needs no licence or certificate at all. You can answer phones, handle basic customer queries, book appointments for agents, help with inspection logistics and issue keys or access devices to existing residents. You can also send work orders to contractors, as long as a licence or certificate holder has authorised them. Anything beyond that, such as running an AGM or managing levies, needs a credential.
Assistant agent, class 2 and class 1: what each can do
The assistant agent certificate of registration is the entry level. You can start at 16. The certificate lasts 4 years and cannot be renewed. Your employer must hold a licence, and you must be supervised by a licensee in charge who holds a class 1 licence in strata. As an assistant you cannot sign agency agreements, affix the owners corporation's seal or authorise trust account withdrawals. If you have not moved up to class 2 within the 4 years, you must stop working as an assistant and wait 12 months before applying for a new certificate.
A class 2 licence lets you manage schemes in full. You can run meetings, organise maintenance and repairs, manage and report on funds, insurance and budgets, send notices and advise on complex strata law. You cannot open or manage a trust account, and you cannot be the licensee in charge. Class 1 lets you do all of that, be nominated as licensee in charge, and run your own business as a sole trader. Trust account withdrawals can only be authorised by a class 1 agent who is the business's nominated licensee in charge.
What the law expects once you are licensed
Licensing comes under the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002, and the required qualifications are set out in the Property and Stock Agents (Qualifications) Order 2019. Your day-to-day conduct is governed by the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015. You must act with reasonable skill, care and diligence, deal honestly and fairly with everyone, and act in the owners corporation's best interest.
The disclosure rules are strict. You cannot ask for or accept gifts or benefits worth more than $60. You can accept commissions and training services only where your appointment terms allow them or the owners corporation has approved them. At every AGM you must disclose commissions received in the past 12 months and those expected in the next 12. Before you are appointed, you must disclose any links to the developer. Failing to disclose can bring court penalties of up to $55,000.
CPD and staying licensed
The CPD year runs from 1 July to 30 June. Class 1 and class 2 strata licence holders must complete at least 6 hours of interactive training each year with an approved provider. That training covers three compulsory topics: regulatory change in strata, repairs and maintenance, and roles, authority and risk. Class 1 holders must also spend at least 5 hours at a NSW Fair Trading accredited forum. Assistant agents instead complete at least 3 units each year from the Certificate IV needed for class 2.
If you miss CPD, your licence can be suspended or cancelled, and a court can fine you up to $11,000. Licences run for 1, 3 or 5 years. NSW Fair Trading emails a renewal notice 60 days before your licence expires. If the licence lapses, you have 3 months to restore it. After that, unless the Commissioner grants an extension, you must apply again and you cannot trade until the new licence is issued.
Pay
AUD a year, before tax. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, moved to 2026 with a wage index. State figures are modelled, not official, and actual pay moves with licence class, portfolio size and employer. Refer to the Strata & Body Corporate salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- AgeYou must be at least 16 for an assistant agent certificate and at least 18 for a strata managing agent licence.
- Fit and proper personNSW Fair Trading runs police and financial checks. A fraud or dishonesty offence in the last 10 years, a conviction under the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002, or links to a declared criminal organisation will rule you out.
- Assistant agent unitsYou need set units from the Certificate IV in Strata Community Management. That is 7 units from CPP40516, or 4 units from CPP40521 plus Work effectively in strata community management (CPPSCM3017).
- Class 2 qualificationYou need the full Certificate IV in Strata Community Management (CPP40521), including Handle strata community funds held in trust (CPPSCM4085), or the earlier CPP40516.
- Class 1 qualificationYou need a Diploma of Property (Agency Management - Strata) CPP51122, a Diploma of Property (Agency Management) CPP51119, or a Diploma of Property Services (Agency Management) CPP50307.
- LogbookYour licensee in charge must sign off each work experience task. Class 2 needs 9 Part 1 tasks and 5 Part 2 tasks. Class 1 needs every Part 1 task and 8 Part 2 tasks.
- Registered officeYour registered office must be in NSW. It can be within 50 km of the border instead, but only if you also hold a licence from that jurisdiction.
How to get there
- Before startingComplete the entry unitsFinish the required Certificate IV in Strata Community Management units with a registered training organisation such as TAFE NSW.
- Month 0Get an assistant agent certificateApply through Service NSW. A new 4-year certificate costs $351, or $340 if you lodge online (2026-27 fees).
- Year 1-4Work under supervisionWork for a licensed agency under a class 1 licensee in charge. Complete the full Certificate IV and the class 2 logbook tasks, and do 3 units of CPD each year.
- From year 2Apply for a class 2 licenceYou must have held the certificate for at least 12 months. A new 1-year class 2 licence costs $616, or $589 if you lodge online.
- Year 3-5Build toward class 1Hold class 2 for at least 2 years, complete the class 1 logbook tasks and finish the Diploma of Property (Agency Management - Strata).
- Year 4 onwardApply for a class 1 licenceA new 1-year class 1 licence costs $933, or $879 if you lodge online. You can then be a licensee in charge or run your own agency.
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Questions people ask
Can I work in a strata agency without any licence?
Yes, in a support role. Answering phones, basic queries, booking appointments, issuing keys to existing residents and sending authorised work orders need no credential. Managing schemes, running meetings or handling scheme finances needs at least an assistant agent certificate.
How long does it take to become a class 1 strata manager in NSW?
At least 3 years. You need 12 months as an assistant agent before class 2, then 2 years holding class 2 before you can apply for class 1. You also need the logbook tasks and the diploma.
Can a class 2 strata manager handle the trust account?
No. Class 2 holders cannot open or manage a trust account or act as licensee in charge. Only a class 1 agent nominated as licensee in charge can authorise withdrawals from the agency's trust account.
What happens if my assistant agent certificate expires?
The certificate lasts 4 years and cannot be renewed. If you have not reached class 2 by then, you must stop working as an assistant agent and wait 12 months before applying for a new certificate. Extensions are only available in exceptional circumstances.
Can I use an interstate strata licence in NSW?
Often, yes. Under automatic mutual recognition, holders of an equivalent licence from another state or territory can work in NSW after notifying NSW Fair Trading, unless they move their main residence to NSW. Queensland does not take part in this scheme.
Do strata managers need a separate real estate licence?
No. Strata managing agent is its own licence category. You can add a real estate category to your licence if you have the qualifications and experience for it, but then you must complete CPD for both categories.
Sources
- NSW Government (NSW Fair Trading): Strata managing agent licence
- NSW Government (NSW Fair Trading): Assistant agent certificate of registration
- NSW Government: CPD requirements for property professionals
- NSW Government: Property and stock agents fees
- NSW Government: Disclosure requirements for strata managing agents
- Service NSW: Apply for a property certificate of registration
