Will my current strata manager find out we're getting quotes?

Not from us. Local Strata Manager does not contact your current strata manager simply because you have requested replacement quotes — your enquiry stays private during the comparison stage, and you decide when and how the current manager is formally notified.

Not from Local Strata Manager. We do not contact your current strata manager when you request replacement quotes, and your enquiry is treated as private.

You remain in control of when and how the current manager is told that the owners corporation is considering a change.

Your quote request is shared only as needed with participating, verified strata managers who are being invited to quote. Our privacy policy says owner request details may be sent to up to five pre-screened managers, and that we do not sell or publicly share your property information.

Who receives information when I request quotes?

We use the information you submit to match your building with suitable strata managers. Those managers need enough information to decide whether the scheme suits their service area and to prepare a meaningful quote.

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Does the platform contact the current manager to verify information?

No. We do not contact your current manager simply because you are seeking quotes.

That means you can compare alternative managers before starting any formal termination or non-renewal process. If extra information is needed for a quote, we or a shortlisted manager will ask you for it rather than approaching the current manager without your involvement.

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Could the current manager still find out another way?

Yes. We can keep the enquiry private, but we cannot control everything that happens outside the platform. Industry networks are also small, so no platform can guarantee information will never become known through independent conversations.

Common ways a current manager learns about a review:

• A committee member discusses the quote process with the current manager
• An owner mentions the proposed change
• A quote email is forwarded or copied to the wrong person
• The current manager controls a shared email account used for the enquiry
• The committee asks the current manager for contract or financial information in a way that reveals the review
• A proposed termination or replacement motion appears on a meeting agenda
• A third party independently discusses the enquiry with the current manager

How can we keep the quote process discreet?

• Use a committee-controlled or personal email address rather than an inbox administered by the current manager
• Limit the initial quote project to committee members who need to be involved
• Do not copy the current manager into quote correspondence
• Use documents already available to the owners corporation where possible
• Avoid discussing the review in broad email chains until the committee is ready
• Keep quote files in a committee-controlled folder and use neutral file names
• Agree internally who will communicate with shortlisted managers
• Do not make allegations about the current manager when a factual description of the scheme is enough

What information can we provide without involving the current manager?

Most initial quotes can be prepared from information the committee already knows or can access. You usually do not need the current manager to prepare a special information pack just to begin comparing alternatives.

• Building address and postcode
• Number of lots and building type
• Approximate annual budget or levy income
• Number of committee and general meetings
• Major facilities such as lifts, pools or gyms
• Known major works or defects
• Current management fee, if known
• Contract expiry date, if known
• Main reasons the committee is reviewing the service

Where does the current manager become involved?

A well-managed transition separates the private comparison stage from the formal decision and notice stage.

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Should we tell the current manager before the owners vote?

That is a strategic and governance decision for the committee, not a requirement of the quote-request stage.

Some committees raise service concerns first and give the current manager an opportunity to improve. Others benchmark the market first so they know whether realistic alternatives exist. If the relationship is already difficult, the committee may prefer to finish its comparison and contract review before opening the discussion.

What if we only want to benchmark our current fees?

You can request quotes even if the committee has not decided to switch. Many committees benchmark every two to three years without changing managers — and simply having a competing quote often produces a sharper deal at renewal.

What if the current manager administers our email or portal?

If the current manager administers the email address, cloud folder or portal the committee normally uses, assume they may be able to see activity in that environment.

Use an independent committee-controlled channel for the early comparison. Do not move or delete official scheme records to hide a review — keep the private quote process separate from the owners corporation's formal records until the appropriate governance stage.

Should we hide the process from other owners?

Privacy from the current manager during preliminary market research is different from avoiding proper owners corporation governance.

A committee can investigate options and obtain proposals before recommending a change, but a formal appointment or termination must still follow the decision-making process required for the scheme.

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What if confidentiality is especially important?

If the scheme is dealing with a sensitive dispute, alleged misconduct, litigation or a difficult relationship with the current manager, tell us that confidentiality is important before detailed information is circulated.

Share only what prospective managers genuinely need at each stage. Privileged correspondence, legal advice and personal allegations should not be distributed as part of an ordinary quote request. Where disclosure could affect litigation, get advice about what can safely be shared.

Simple confidentiality checklist

• Use an independent email address
• Keep the early comparison to the committee members who need to be involved
• Do not copy the current manager into quote correspondence
• Store quote documents in a committee-controlled location
• Share sensitive dispute material only where genuinely necessary
• Plan the formal notice and handover before announcing the change

Key takeaways

Key takeaways

• We do not contact your current strata manager because you requested quotes.
• Your enquiry stays private during the comparison stage.
• Request details go only to the pre-screened managers invited to quote (up to five).
• We do not sell or publicly share your property information.
• The current manager could still find out through owners, shared inboxes or meeting papers.
• Getting quotes does not commit the owners corporation to switching.

Related questions

Will Local Strata Manager tell them?

No. We do not contact your current manager, and your enquiry is private.

Who will know about the enquiry?

Local Strata Manager and the participating managers responding to your quote request, plus anyone you choose to involve.

Will prospective managers see my details?

Relevant owner and property information is shared with the managers participating in the quote request.

Can the current manager still find out?

Potentially — through independent conversations, shared email or document systems, or the later formal meeting and notice process.

Can we compare managers before telling the current one?

Yes. That is one of the practical benefits of the private quote stage.

When should we notify the current manager?

When the owners corporation is ready to begin the formal termination or non-renewal process under its agreement and governance requirements.

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