When you pay your Owners Corporation (OC) fees [whether quarterly, bi-annually, or annually] those funds belong to your OC. They’re held in trust and used to pay the OC’s expenses such as insurance, gardening, maintenance, utilities, and the professional services of your appointed manager.

This article explains Campbell Corporate Services’ management and administration fees, the fees charged for our professional services in managing your OC. It outlines what’s included in the core management fee, what counts as additional services, and how other common charges are applied.

Our aim is to keep things clear, transparent, and fair - so you can see exactly how your community’s funds are used and how our service fees are structured.

1. Management Fee (Contract Clause 2.1)

What it is:
The Management Fee covers the day-to-day administration, financial management, and compliance obligations of your Owners Corporation. It’s the core fee under Clause 2.1 of your Contract of Appointment.

What’s included:
The following services are part of the standard management fee:

Annual General Meeting (AGM):

• Conducting your AGM during business hours (9 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday) at our offices or via Zoom
• Preparing the agenda, budget, financial statements, and minutes
• Submitting the Manager’s annual report
• Implementing decisions made at the meeting

Financial Management:

• Preparing and issuing levy notices
• Preparing the annual budget and sinking-fund forecast (if required)
• Reconciling bank accounts and preparing financial statements
• Paying invoices on behalf of the OC
• Maintaining complete financial records

Administration & Compliance:

• Maintaining the OC register and records as required by legislation
• Managing routine correspondence and enquiries
• Ensuring compliance with ASIC requirements (where applicable)
• Providing access to records upon request

Insurance:

• Obtaining quotations and arranging placement of the OC’s insurance policy
• Lodging and progressing claims (up to 30 minutes per matter)
• Coordinating repairs relating to claims
• Maintaining insurance records and renewal documentation

Common Property Maintenance:

• Coordinating routine and authorised works on common property (up to 15 minutes per matter)
• Providing scopes of work for caretakers (as approved by the committee)

Other Professional Duties:

• Acting as Public Officer (if applicable) and affixing the common seal (if applicable)
• Providing guidance to assist the OC to meet its legal obligations
• Carrying out lawful instructions of the committee and/or OC

Key points:

The 2.1 fee covers all the core services needed to lawfully manage your OC.

Work that extends beyond normal requirements – such as lengthy correspondence, complex projects, extended AGMs, or extra site visits – is billed as Additional Services under Clause 2.2.

This approach ensures fairness: every community receives the same core service level, and only pays extra for what’s actually used.

2. Additional Services (Contract Clause 2.2)

What it is:
When your OC requests work outside the standard scope, those tasks are charged either at our hourly rate (billed in 15-minute units) or at a fixed fee for defined items. This ensures OCs only pay for services they actually use - not inflated “one-size-fits-all” base fees.

Examples include:

Administration

• Handling complex or lengthy enquiries
• Preparing breach notices or rule amendments
• Managing a new-manager handover
• Rectifying historical or complex register updates

Common Property & Maintenance

• Managing repairs or maintenance that require more than 15 minutes
• Additional property inspections (beyond the one included annually)
• Managing access devices, keys, fobs, or security passes
• Preparing maintenance notices or engaging specialist professionals

Financial

• Preparing special levy notices
• Coordinating BAS returns, audits, or tax matters
• Managing multiple bank accounts
• Overseeing debt recovery or legal liaison

Insurance

• After-hours attendance for claims
• Site meetings with assessors
• Coordinating complex claim repairs
• Providing certificates of currency

Meetings

• Committee or general meetings held outside business hours
• In-person meetings (rather than via Zoom or at our office)
• Preparing and conducting ballots

Other

• Attending VCAT or other hearings on behalf of the OC
• Liaising with external professionals (engineers, lawyers, surveyors, etc.)
• Travel time for site attendance

In summary:
Most OCs rarely incur additional charges - perhaps a few per year, if any. This structure keeps base management fees affordable while ensuring larger or more complex tasks are transparently costed.

3. Administration & Disbursement Fee (Contract Clause 2.3)

What it is:
A fixed annual charge applied per lot. This covers the underlying systems and overheads that support efficient OC management - not management time itself.

It includes:

• Printing & Postage – maintenance of printers, copiers, and the supply of paper, ink, and office consumables.
• Technology & Software – OC management systems, online portals, cloud storage, and communication platforms.
• Telephone System – call handling, recording, and VOIP services that enable consistent client support.
• Archiving & Record-Keeping – secure storage of historical documents and compliance with statutory record-retention obligations.
• Key & Access Device Storage – secure management of building keys, fobs, and access systems.

Why it matters:
These are baseline operating costs that exist whether an OC is fully digital or still uses paper correspondence. Separating them from management fees provides transparency and ensures costs are fairly distributed across all OCs.

4. Sales Administration Fee

Key message:
A Sales Administration Levy applies when a lot is sold. 

What it covers:

• Liaising with sales agents, purchasers, and the committee regarding signage and information
• Processing the Notice of Disposition and Notice of Acquisition
• Updating ownership records
• Issuing a Welcome Pack with building rules and move-in information

This fee is separate from the statutory Owners Corporation Certificate (OCC), which is issued under legislation. Your OC may resolve at an AGM whether this fee is charged to the individual vendor or covered collectively.

5. Insurance Commissions & Disclosure

Key message:
We receive insurance commissions, and they’re disclosed transparently. For more details, see our full article on Insurance Commissions and Fees.

6. Annual Fee Reviews

Key message:
Fees and disbursements are reviewed annually to reflect inflation and genuine operating costs.

Management Fee (Clause 2.1): Increases by 5% each year on the anniversary of your contract commencement.

Disbursement Fee (Clause 2.3): Reviewed annually on 1 July to ensure it aligns with real business costs.

Any adjustments are clearly communicated to your OC.

Final Note

Our approach to fees is guided by three principles:

Fairness. Transparency. Accountability.

Every OC receives a consistent core service for an agreed base fee.

Extra work - whether meetings, maintenance, or projects - is billed only when required, ensuring every community pays its fair share and receives value for money.