The owners corporation pays for common-property repairs from the administrative or capital works fund. Common property usually includes external walls, roof, foundations, lifts, common hallways, gardens, driveways and most pipes and wiring inside the structure.
Check the registered strata plan — it shows the dividing lines. As a rule, anything inside the painted face of the wall, ceiling and floor is your lot. Anything behind, on the other side, or shared with neighbours is usually common property.
It depends where the leak comes from. If the source is common property (a roof, common pipe, the lot above's bathroom waterproofing) the owners corporation pays for repairs to common property and usually claims insurance for damage to your lot. If the source is your own appliance, you pay.
The structure of the balcony, its waterproof membrane and the railing are common property in almost every Australian strata scheme. The lot owner is usually only responsible for cosmetic finishes and any non-original additions they put in.
Original windows and external doors are usually common property — meaning the owners corporation pays. Internal doors and any windows you've installed or replaced yourself (with approval) are usually your responsibility.
Anything that's an immediate risk to safety, security or further property damage — burst water mains, electrical faults, broken external doors and locks, lift entrapments, fire system failures, gas leaks and storm damage.
Most states give the owners corporation rights against the original builder and developer for structural and waterproofing defects for 6–10 years after completion. Get an independent defect inspection in the first 12–24 months — defects only get worse and harder to claim.
Most states require at least 2 quotes for any single contract above a dollar threshold (commonly $30,000 in NSW). Best practice is 3 quotes for any significant works regardless, so the committee can demonstrate value and proper process.
Deferred maintenance is fixing things later than you should — usually because a scheme is underfunded. It's a problem because most building issues get exponentially worse and more expensive the longer they're left.
Because they trust them, they know the building, they're insured, and they price competitively. Most strata managers maintain a panel of vetted contractors. It's not a kickback if the rates are competitive and you can audit them.