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Second annual edition - July 2026

The 2026 Melbourne strata compliance benchmark report

What 839 independently audited properties reveal about fire safety management, and how the same 752 buildings moved in twelve months.

 26%
of buildings are non-compliant
 63%
of last year's non compliant buildings were still non compliant
 164 days
the median time to rectify a critical defect
 0% to 83%
defect-free spread across portfolios

Why we publish this

We publish this benchmark to help strata managers understand how their buildings compare, where defects persist and where follow-up can make a difference. By tracking results over time, we aim to help make buildings safer.

Three findings from this year's edition

The market's criticals are stuck, not cycling
web_card_1_stuck
63% of non-compliant buildings were stuck a year ago too.
The standard says minimum of delay
web_card_2_delay
The market takes a median of 164 days to rectify a critical defect.
Defect rectification is Manager influenced
web_card_3_spread
Defect-free rates run 0% to 83% across our largest 19 portfolios

Five questions to consider for any portfolio

1. What percentage of your properties are free of ESM defects right now?

2. How old is your average open ESM defect?

3. Of the defects raised last year, what share was confirmed closed?

4. Do you know your contractors' defect rates per 100 assets?

5. Could you produce compliance figures for a committee meeting in five minutes?

If any of those were uncomfortable, the report shows you aren't alone.

Download the 2026 edition

Missed the inaugural 2025 edition?  Download it here.

Want to know where your portfolio sits?

Where we monitor a good share of your portfolio, your comparison is free. Only a building or two? Talk to us anyway.