In a groundbreaking move, property peak body Strata Community Association (SCA) has released an industry-first Strata Insurance Disclosure Best Practice Guideline. This landmark guideline is poised to reshape strata insurance practices, ensuring better outcomes for the association’s members and the broader community of strata insurance consumers.
The strata insurance landscape continues to evolve rapidly and become increasingly complex for Australia’s approximately 6 million strata residents, prompting the need for a comprehensive insurance guide. SCA’s three-step best practice process—disclose, document and communicate—aims to provide clarity and support in navigating this complex terrain.
Key features of the SCA Best Practice Strata Insurance Disclosure Guide include:
- Inclusion of all eight financial items in quotations and invoices.
- A straightforward three-step process (disclose, document and communicate) for easy adherence.
- Templates to standardise information presented to strata committees.
- Communication principles, processes and timeframes between all parties.
- Full disclosure of all commissions, conflicts of interest and the allocation of remuneration between parties.
Speaking on the guide’s launch, SCA National President Chris Duggan said, “It has become clear that the bare minimum is just not hitting the mark for the consumer, and therefore we are implementing a system that ensures that practices are transparent, and consumers are provided with enough information to make informed choices.”
“Our goal is to elevate SCA members in the eyes of strata committees and consumers, eliminate poor practices and bad actors who undermine consumer confidence, and improve relationships between strata managers, committees and residents.”
“When someone sees that a strata manager or practice has an SCA logo, we want them to know that the utmost is being done to ensure complete transparency in the strata insurance process,” said Mr Duggan.
SCA National Vice-President Josh Baldwin has been encouraged by the widespread industry support received for the implementation of these transformative changes.
“Over the last six months, these guidelines have been on an immense journey, having been consulted on across all of the major strata underwriters, brokers, software providers, strata management firms, our specially formed strata insurance taskforce and each of the state and territory SCA boards and executive chapters.
“As a result, we expect these guidelines to bring harmony to insurance disclosure practices for SCA members, and consequently, the majority of lots under management in Australia and New Zealand.
“The insurance services provided by strata managers, brokers and underwriters is not always simple, and thus the unification between these services is essential to positive outcomes, now aided by this critically important set of guides, said Mr Baldwin.”
To ensure the successful implementation of the guidelines, SCA plans proactive engagement and training for its members. The guide will become the practice standard for SCA members, further enhancing their credibility in the eyes of the strata community.
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