You settle on the townhouse, the agent hands you the contract, and suggests signing early to hold it. The price is right, the floor area is right, the handover date is right. What the contract does not tell you is what the scheme has pending, how much is in the sinking fund, or whether a by-law rules out your cat.
When you are buying a body corporate property in Queensland, that information sits in other documents — and the seller has to give them to you before you sign. The problem is that if you do not know they exist, you cannot tell what you are missing.
This article covers those documents, what each one contains, and — just as importantly — what they are not required to contain. Everything comes from the Queensland Government’s pages, checked on 3 September 2026.
The short version on buying a body corporate property: before you sign the contract, the seller must give you information about the lot you are buying and the scheme it is in, and you will find it in the body corporate certificate and the seller disclosure statement. The seller disclosure scheme applies from 1 August 2025 under the Property Law Act 2023, and the buyer may be able to terminate the contract if the seller does not comply. But some things are not required to be in the disclosure statement — including structural soundness of the building and flooding history.
What you are entitled to receive before signing
The government states it directly on the page for buyers: before you sign the contract, the seller must give you information about the lot you are buying and the scheme it is in. It then points to exactly two places to find that information — the body corporate certificate, and the seller disclosure statement under the seller disclosure scheme.
It also lists three further ways to learn more: accessing the body corporate’s records, contacting the body corporate secretary or manager, and contacting Titles Queensland.
Document one: the body corporate certificate
The government describes the body corporate certificate as having a lot of the information you will need to make an informed decision about your purchase.
On the form: it is completed using BCCM form 33 — or BCCM form 34 for specified two-lot schemes — or BUGTA form 18. The form number differs because the type of body corporate differs, so do not be surprised if the certificate you receive carries a different number from someone else’s.
The certificate includes the following information:
- Body corporate secretary or manager
- Insurance
- Maintenance
- Improvements
- Levies
- By-laws
- Community management statement
Those seven cover most of what affects living there. The levies line gives you the figure you will be paying — how that figure is put together is set out in our guide to body corporate fees in Queensland. The by-laws line tells you what is restricted, and on the government’s own description by-laws govern conduct inside the lot as well as on common property. The insurance line tells you how far the body corporate’s cover extends.
Document two: the seller disclosure statement, from 1 August 2025
This is a recent change, and a lot of buyers do not know they have this right.
From 1 August 2025, important changes to property transactions started in Queensland under the Property Law Act 2023, which introduces a mandatory seller disclosure scheme. The government describes the scheme as requiring sellers to give buyers key information about a property before a contract of sale is signed. It applies to residential properties — houses, townhouses or units — as well as commercial properties and vacant land.
On what happens if the seller does not comply: the government states the buyer may be able to terminate the contract if the seller does not comply with the scheme. “May be able to” is the source’s phrasing, so do not read it as an automatic right in every situation — the government has a separate section on exceptions that this article does not reproduce. If you are in that situation, it is one for your solicitor.
What the disclosure statement is not required to tell you
This section matters as much as the last one, and it is where a buyer is most easily lulled.
Once you learn there is a scheme compelling sellers to disclose, the natural reflex is to assume you are fully covered. The government states there are some details a seller is not required to include in the disclosure statement, such as:
- structural soundness of the building
- flooding history
- previous building or development approvals
Read that list again. Those are three things most buyers assume are covered by default.
So on the government’s own account the disclosure statement is a starting point, not an end point. Those three sit outside the document’s scope, which is why many buyers check them separately or pay someone to. For a new build, our guide to the QBCC licence check covers verifying the builder through the public registers.
Document three: the community management statement
This is the scheme’s founding document, and it answers the question of which law applies to you.
In Queensland there are several kinds of body corporate with different Acts that can apply, and each owner should know which one governs their body corporate — which can be checked with Titles Queensland. Most bodies corporate in Queensland fall under the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997.
A community titles scheme has a community management statement registered with Titles Queensland, and that document tells you which rules apply. The regulation modules that sit alongside the Act are designed to suit different types of community titles scheme — and a different module means different detailed rules. Our guide to what a body corporate is sets out the five modules.
Accessing the body corporate’s records
Beyond those three documents, you can ask for copies of the body corporate’s records to learn about the property. The government’s advice is to be specific about what you want.
This is where you see the things that do not appear on a certificate — the minutes of recent meetings, for instance. If the scheme has just met about repainting the whole complex, or about something unresolved, the trace of it is usually in the minutes.
What to check before you pay a deposit
Gathered into a practical list, all of it based on what the government sets out above:
- Ask for the body corporate certificate and read all seven groups of information, particularly the levies line and the by-laws line.
- Ask for the seller disclosure statement and the prescribed certificates, and remember you are to receive them before you sign.
- Get the community management statement from Titles Queensland so you know which Act and which regulation module apply.
- Ask for the body corporate’s records, including meeting minutes, to see what is pending.
- Arrange your own checks on the three things the disclosure statement is not required to cover: structural soundness, flooding history, and previous building or development approvals.
- If you have a pet, read the animal by-law before you pay a deposit rather than after.
- Give the whole set of documents to your solicitor before you sign.
The uncomfortable parts, said plainly
First, there is more paperwork here than in buying a house without a body corporate, and much of it uses terms specific to this area of law. Build time into the schedule for reading it, rather than signing quickly to hold the property.
Second, a certificate that raises no issues does not mean the scheme has none. It means that nothing within the scope of that document raised an issue. The three things the disclosure statement is not required to cover remain outside that scope.
Third, the boundary of this article: Nextstar Realty does not provide legal services. Reading and interpreting a contract, a community management statement or a scheme’s by-laws should be done by a solicitor or an appropriate legal professional, within the scope of their registration. Questions about tax obligations belong with a tax agent registered with the Tax Practitioners Board. This article does not reach a conclusion about any particular transaction.
The three documents at a glance
| Document | Form or where to get it | What it contains | What to remember |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body corporate certificate | BCCM form 33, or BCCM form 34 for specified two-lot schemes, or BUGTA form 18 | Seven groups: secretary or manager, insurance, maintenance, improvements, levies, by-laws, community management statement | Described as having a lot of the information you need to make an informed decision |
| Seller disclosure statement | Under the seller disclosure scheme, Property Law Act 2023 | Key information about the property | Applies from 1 August 2025; given before the contract is signed; the buyer may be able to terminate if the seller does not comply; there is a separate exceptions section |
| Community management statement | Registered with Titles Queensland | Tells you which rules apply, and holds the lot entitlement schedules | This is where you find the scheme’s regulation module |
| Body corporate records | Ask the body corporate; be specific about what you want | Includes meeting minutes | Where pending matters usually show up |
| Not required in the disclosure statement | — | Structural soundness, flooding history, previous building or development approvals | Arrange these checks yourself |
Frequently asked questions
What must the seller give me?
Before you sign the contract, the seller must give you information about the lot you are buying and the scheme it is in, and you find that information in the body corporate certificate and the seller disclosure statement. You can also learn more through the body corporate’s records, the secretary or manager, and Titles Queensland.
Which form is the body corporate certificate?
BCCM form 33, or BCCM form 34 for specified two-lot schemes, or BUGTA form 18. The form differs with the type of body corporate, so the number on your certificate may differ from someone else’s.
When did the seller disclosure scheme start?
From 1 August 2025, under the Property Law Act 2023. The scheme requires sellers to give buyers key information about a property before a contract of sale is signed.
What if the seller does not provide it?
The government states the buyer may be able to terminate the contract if the seller does not comply with the scheme. That is the source’s phrasing rather than an automatic right in every situation, and there is a separate exceptions section — so a specific case is one for a solicitor.
Does the disclosure statement cover flooding?
No. The government lists flooding history — along with structural soundness of the building and previous building or development approvals — among the details a seller is not required to include. Those three sit outside the document’s scope.
How do I find out which regulation module applies?
A community titles scheme has a community management statement registered with Titles Queensland, and that document tells you which rules apply. Each owner should know which Act governs their body corporate, and that can be checked with Titles Queensland.
Next steps
If you are not clear on how a body corporate runs, start with what a body corporate is in Queensland. To understand the figure on the levies line, read body corporate fees in Queensland.
For the transaction itself, our guide to transfer duty in Queensland covers the state charges. If you are looking at a new build instead, see house and land packages in Brisbane, how to go about choosing a block of land, the current Brisbane projects, or book a consultation.
About Nextstar Realty
Nextstar Realty (Nextstar Investment Group Pty Ltd) is a licensed real estate agency in Queensland, based in Rocklea, Brisbane. It sells new-build homes in Brisbane, Queensland, including house and land packages, townhouses and new apartments, and works with buyers in Vietnamese and English. Articles on this blog are general information and cite government sources. Nextstar does not provide legal, financial or tax advice. You can see the projects currently for sale or book a consultation.
Sources
- Queensland Government — Buying a body corporate property
- Queensland Government — Seller disclosure scheme
- Queensland Government — Body corporate and community management
- Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld)
- Property Law Act 2023 (Qld)
Note on scope and timing: the rules and form numbers above were checked against the Queensland Government’s pages on 3 September 2026. The seller disclosure scheme is recent, applying from 1 August 2025, and the government maintains a separate section on exceptions that this article does not reproduce in full — so for a specific transaction, ask a solicitor or read the source page.
This article is general information only and does not take into account your personal circumstances, financial situation or objectives. It is not legal, financial or taxation advice. You should obtain independent professional advice before making any property decision.
