21 May 2026
The first cold snap usually arrives in late May or early June. By July, every strata manager in NSW is fielding the same calls – burst pipes, ceiling leaks, blocked drains, dead hot water systems. The damage was preventable in almost every case. The window to prevent it is now.
Here’s what your committee should be checking, why it matters, and what good looks like.
Gutters and downpipes
Autumn leaves are sitting in your gutters right now. When the first proper storm hits, blocked gutters overflow inward – water tracks back under the roof tiles, into the eaves, and down into ceiling cavities. The damage shows up as stained ceilings, peeling paint, and in worst cases, collapsed plasterboard.
A gutter clean costs a few hundred dollars. A water-damaged ceiling repair, including paint and any affected contents, starts at several thousand and can run into the tens of thousands if it sits undetected.
What good looks like: gutters cleared annually, with a second check after heavy autumn leaf-fall. Downpipes flushed to confirm flow.
Stormwater pits and grates
Blocked stormwater grates are the single biggest cause of basement and garage flooding in NSW strata. The water has nowhere to go, so it pools, and the lowest point in your building is usually the carpark.
The fix is a 20-minute clean-out by a maintenance contractor. The alternative is a flooded basement, damaged vehicles, and an insurance claim that pushes your premium up next renewal.
What good looks like: pits inspected at least twice a year, with one check timed for late autumn before the heaviest rainfall.
Roof inspections
Summer heat moves flashings. Storm activity loosens valleys. By late autumn, the small movement that started in January has often become a slow leak waiting for the first sustained rain to reveal itself.
A pre-winter roof inspection catches the small stuff – a lifted flashing, a hairline crack, a slipped tile – before it becomes a ceiling collapse or an insurance claim.
What good looks like: visual roof inspection every 12 to 18 months, with closer attention to flashings around penetrations, valleys, and the perimeter.
Hot water systems
Hot water systems fail in the cold. The thermal stress of heating cold water in a cold environment is what kills the older units. Shared hot water systems in older buildings get hit hardest because the load is constant.
If your shared HWS is over 10 years old, get it inspected now. A planned replacement during business hours is far cheaper and less disruptive than an emergency callout at 6am on a Tuesday in July when no-one in the building has hot water.
What good looks like: HWS age tracked in the building’s records, with inspection at year 8 and replacement planning by year 12.
Insurance
Storm damage is one of the most common claim categories in NSW strata, and one of the most variable in coverage. Excesses creep up at renewal. Sub-limits change. Cover for specific events – flood, accidental damage, machinery breakdown – can drop out without anyone noticing if no-one reads the schedule.
What good looks like: the committee receives a renewal summary that flags any changes to cover, excesses, or sub-limits, not just the premium total. If your manager doesn’t provide this, ask for it.
The point
None of this is glamorous work. None of it makes headlines. All of it is the difference between a quiet winter and a string of emergency calls, insurance claims, and emails from owners asking why no-one saw it coming.
The best time to prevent winter damage was March. The second-best time is this week.
If your strata manager has already raised these items with you, you’re in good hands. If they haven’t, ask why.
JM
Founder + Managing Director
Bettr Strata