FAQs about Our Body Corp

We can assist with any of the following self-managed strata issues:

• Insurance
• Audit
• Tax Returns
• Valuations
• Handyman
• Specialist legal advice
• Sinking Fund Planning
• Fire Compliance Audit
• OH&S Audit
• Mediation

Phone 1300 848 343 or email support@ourbodycorp.com.au to help you get back on track. OBC’s got lots of nifty solutions to get you through, eg. an agent can run your strata for a while (higher fee), scan and upload documents etc.

It’s an online business so OBC can keep its costs down.

If you get stuck follow these steps.

Step 1 – In your email inbox you’ll receive an email with this invitation – click on Accept Invitation:

From Accept Invitation

Step 2 – Accept Invitation (click on Sign Up if you’re a new user):

From Accept Invitation

Step 3 – Register your details and make sure you agree to the Terms and Conditions (if you do agree!):

From Accept Invitation

Step 4 – Do nothing! This is just a thank you to say all has gone through nicely:

From Accept Invitation

Step 5 – Log back into your email account and click on ‘Verify my email address’:

From Accept Invitation

Step 6 – Account verified – now click on ‘Go to [name of your strata community]’:

From Accept Invitation

If you get stuck, follow these steps.

Step 1 – Complete the fields – “what’s this?” hints explain unfamiliar terms:

From Setup a New Scheme

Step 2 – As it says, to get started click on Add Unit:

From Setup a New Scheme

Step 3 – Add the first unit:

From Setup a New Scheme

Step 4 – Add the details of the unit:

From Setup a New Scheme

Step 5 – Add another unit:

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Step 6 – Keep adding units until you reach the total number of units in your block:

From Setup a New Scheme

Step 7 – Now invite your owners to join the community by completing the fields on this page:

From Setup a New Scheme

Step 8 – Congratulations, you’re done! Owners will now receive your invitations via email:

From Setup a New Scheme

Click ‘Groups’ on the vertical blue toolbar on the far left-hand side of your page. If you want to start a new discussion group, click the pink ‘+ New Group’ button. Give your group a name, choose to make the group public (anyone can join) or private (members must be invited) and invite the people you’d like to join. Click the blue ‘Create Group’ button at the bottom and you’re done.

Once your group is created, you get your own personal notice board. Start new discussion topics relevant to your group by clicking the pink ‘+ New Discussion Topic’ button. A new window will open and you can type your message in there. When you’re done, click the blue ‘Create Topic’ button.

You’ll be redirected to a screen where you can upload an attachment to go with your message. If you don’t want to do this, just click ‘skip this’ and you’ll be redirected back to your group’s notice board automatically. Your message will now appear at the top of the list and all group members will receive an email notification of your post.

To post replies on existing topics, locate the message thread you want to add to, click it, then hit the pink ‘+ Post a Reply’ button. From here, the method for posting a reply is exactly the same as the above, and all members will receive your reply via email.

Click ‘Meetings’ on the vertical blue toolbar. Once you’re redirected, click the pink ‘+ New Meeting’ button and you’re on your way.

On the next page, fill in the ‘type’, ‘place’ and ‘time’ details for your meeting and click the pink ‘Create Meeting’ button.

You’ll then be redirected to a page where you have the option to create an agenda (you don’t have to). When you’re happy with the meeting details, click the pink ‘Save’ button.

Congratulations! You’ve created the online invitation to your meeting. Now you can invite other users, edit your agenda and add attachments like posters and past minutes. Everyone you invite will receive an email notification to let them know about the event.

Access the notice board by clicking ‘Notice Board’ on the vertical blue toolbar. If you want to start a new topic, click the pink ‘+ New Discussion Topic’ button. A new window will open for you to type your message. When you’re done, click the blue ‘Create Topic’ button.

You’ll be redirected to a screen where you can upload an attachment to go with your message before it posts. If you don’t want to do this, you can click ‘skip this’ and you’ll be redirected back to the notice board automatically. Your message will now appear at the top of the list and all users will receive an email notification of your post.

Just click the pink ‘+ Add Image’ button, ‘Choose File’ to find your photo, then ‘Upload File’ to add it to the pinboard. It’s that easy!

If you’re looking for past AGM agendas and minutes, property by-laws or copies of bills paid, you should find them all here.

Any documents attached to meetings, or message board or group posts will automatically upload to the Documents section too.

If there’s a document you’d like to add, open the appropriate folder to upload it to, then click the pink ‘Upload File’ button on the right-hand side of the page. Click ‘Choose File’ then ‘Upload File’ and your document will automatically appear.

The Our Body Corp team only use the information you have supplied to:

•  identify you as the subscriber and to provide better customer service to you.
•  operate our business in a more effective way for you.
•  fulfill legal and regulatory obligations.

Rest assured, all personal information that is submitted to Our Body Corp is protected both on and offline. Our web pages that request information use the Hypertext Transport Protocol Security (HTTPS) protocol, which allows data to be transferred in an encrypted form known as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

In short, we only use your personal information to make using Our Body Corp a more enjoyable and successful experience for you, the user.

For more information, feel free to read our Privacy Statement and our Terms and Conditions.

Your suburb and postcode will still appear to all users (you all live in the same strata community, so chances are your neighbours will know this information already anyway).

Email addresses can’t be hidden. If you don’t want your email address to appear to other users, the OBC team suggests creating a new ‘dummy’ address to use only on this site and for no other communications.

To edit your details, log into Our Body Corp, click your name (displayed on the right of the top navigation bar) then click My Details. Here you’ll see how your contact information displays to other users. You can edit your name, address and phone number.

Finding ways to resolve disputes is important to maintain harmony and co-operation between all members of your strata community. For some top tips on keeping the peace, check out our FAQs on self-managed strata.

Maintenance programs should include watering, fertilising, weed control, pruning and plant replacement. Try using the Our Body Corp notice board to organise a working bee for your community and get everyone involved! Many hands make light work, and it will increase the sense of community ownership and pride across your property.

Common noise problems include loud music, loud conversation, barking dogs, slammed doors, noisy wooden floors and maintenance or renovations. Mechanical noises (for example, washing machines, dryers, and exercise equipment such as treadmills) can also cause annoyance for your neighbours sharing walls or floors. Placing equipment on vibration isolators will absorb some of the machine’s activity and can help reduce noise.

The best answer to resolving noise from neighbours is to first talk to them. If you’re angry, take the time to cool down and collect your thoughts before speaking to them. Remember, you have to live next to them, so picking a fight can escalate a conflict into a much deeper and prolonged stress than the incident that caused it!

So, your approach should always be calm, rational, and polite. Most people are reasonable. It often happens that offenders are completely unaware of how distressing their noise is, and welcome being told so they can tone down their behaviour.

If you don’t feel comfortable contacting your neighbour directly, get in contact with your body corporate who can assist with the matter.

Dog barking is one of the most common reasons for dog-related complaints to councils. Dogs tend to bark because of boredom, fear, territory guarding, separation anxiety or other noises.

If your dog only barks when you’re out, a complaint about dog noise might come as a surprise. Stay positive and thank the complainant for letting you know so you can work on a solution.

Key strategies to reduce dog-related noise include training, providing more company for the pet, providing more toys, seeking advice from a professional animal behaviourist, using a citronella collar, or (where practical) keeping the dog indoors.

Try to work out why your dog barks. If you can find the cause, you may be able to fix it. More exercise can solve many dog problems. If you don’t have time for extra walks, hire a dog walker or ask a neighbour to help out.

Make separation less of a “big deal” for your dog. Don’t make a fuss of your dog when you come and go. Provide distractions such as treats, toys, a radio or television. Pet stores and vet clinics often stock a wide range of engaging toys. If you think your dog has a serious case of separation anxiety, you should speak to a vet about desensitisation and medication.

Keeping cats indoors prevents noisy fights, extends their lifespan and protects local wildlife. But indoor cats will cry to be let out if you don’t enrich their environment. Fortunately, there are many ways to keep indoor cats amused.

An outdoor enclosure or a window your cat can see out of can make all the difference. You can also provide climbing platforms and scratching posts, crumpled up paper balls, paper bags with the handles cut off – or the ever-popular cardboard box.

When you adopt a kitten, consider adopting two – they can keep each other entertained. Cats need exercise too! Some cats can be entertained for hours by a laser pointer cat toy. Some can even be trained to walk on a leash.

– Our Body Corp Privacy Statement
– Our Body Corp Terms and Conditions

For more helpful documents specific to your community, head to your property’s Documents section on Our Body Corp.

Follow these instructions to make edit marks on your documents.

Save these edited documents to your private Adobe folder, so no one else in the group can see them.

We pride ourselves in getting back to you promptly. We’re here for you and will come back to your email generally within 24 hours, if not sooner.