More than half of NSW strata buildings have serious defects, with an estimated $79 million being spent by owners’ corporations to rectify the issues, a survey has found. 

The joint initiative between Strata Community Association (SCA) NSW and the Office of the Building Commissioner found 53% of buildings had serious defects between 2016-2022, up from 39% in a 2021 survey. 

The most common defects were waterproofing (42%), fire safety systems (24%), building enclosures (19%), structural issues (15%), key services such as plumbing and elevators (14%), and non-compliant cladding (8%). 

Problems related to waterproofing, structural defects, and non-compliant cladding have decreased, while those related to fire safety, enclosure, and services have seen an upward trend.  

“Tackling building defects continues to be a formidable task and one that is time-consuming, financially burdensome and emotionally draining for all involved,” SCA NSW President Stephen Brell said. 

“While, regrettably, we have seen an increase in serious defects since 2021, surveys such as this are central to our ability to advocate for the greater strata community and create government reform that ensures we are working towards more positive outcomes in the future.” 

Positives included that serious defects have decreased to 27% from 34% for schemes registered since 2020, 48% of strata managers say recent reforms have increased consumer confidence and 34% of consumers are more confident in reporting defects to the regulator.  

Some 642 schemes participated in the survey, up from 492 in 2021.