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AFSS for strata managers: coordinating the annual statement

For strata buildings the owner is the owners corporation. Here is how the annual statement fits a strata manager's compliance calendar.

For a strata scheme, the building owner for fire safety purposes is the owners corporation. That makes the annual fire safety statement a standing item on the strata manager's compliance calendar, alongside insurance valuations and other recurring obligations. Getting it wrong exposes the owners corporation to escalating council penalties, so the process is worth running deliberately.

Know every scheme's due date

Each building has its own AFSS anniversary. If you manage a portfolio, the single most useful thing you can build is a register of due dates so no scheme slips. Work back three months from each due date to set the assessment booking date, because the assessment must be done within the three months before the statement is issued.

Coordinate assessment and rectification

Engage an accredited practitioner (fire safety) whose accreditation covers all measures on that building's schedule. Build in time for rectification: if a measure fails, it has to be repaired and re-inspected before the statement can be signed, and rectification often needs an owners corporation decision or spend. Starting early is what keeps a failed measure from turning into a missed deadline.

Who signs, and lodging

As the managing agent you may sign the owner's declaration on behalf of the owners corporation, provided you were not involved in the assessment. Once signed, lodge with the local council and Fire and Rescue NSW, keep a copy in the strata records, and display the current statement and schedule in the building. Record the lodgement date and the next due date in the same movement, so the following year's cycle is already scheduled.

Sources

• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 (NSW).
• NSW Planning Portal, fire safety certification.
• Fire and Rescue NSW, annual fire safety statements.

This is general information, not legal or compliance advice. Confirm current requirements and figures with your council and the FPAA register.

Keep reading

• What is an annual fire safety statement (AFSS)?The AFSS is the yearly document that certifies a NSW building's essential fire safety measures still perform. Here is what it covers and who it applies to.
• Who can sign an annual fire safety statement in NSW?A common point of confusion: the accredited practitioner assesses the measures, but the owner signs the statement. There is a specific rule about who cannot sign.
• AFSS deadlines and penalties for late lodgement in NSWThe AFSS runs on a strict annual cycle with a three-month assessment window. Miss the due date and councils issue escalating penalty notices.