How Cohabit gets building records

Who this article is for

Buyers and buyer’s agents
Lot owners and committee members
Anyone wondering how Cohabit gets the information shown in a building profile

What we mean by “building records”

When we talk about building records, we’re referring to strata-related documents and data, such as:

Financials – budgets, levy notices, statements
Minutes – meetings of the Owners Corporation/body corporate
Insurance policies and certificates
Maintenance and capital works reports
Compliance certificates – e.g. fire, pool, lift, other required checks
Past inspection or expert reports

These records help us:

Generate Building Health Scores
Prepare Building Insight Reports
Power Cohabit Building Intelligence, renewals and compliance tracking

(Screenshot: Documents & Records tab showing categories like Financials, Minutes, Insurance, Maintenance & Works, Compliance)

We only collect records after we have authority

Cohabit does not automatically trawl through records or access them without permission.
We only collect building records once we have authority to inspect them.

There are two main ways this happens:

1. When a lot owner submits a lot connection request

When an owner signs up and goes through the process to connect their lot to a building in Cohabit, they:

Confirm their ownership and details, and
Effectively give Cohabit (and our strata experts, where relevant) the authority to inspect strata records on their behalf.

This owner authorisation is what allows us to request or review records from strata managers and other relevant parties.

(Screenshot: owner flow screen showing “Connect to your lot” and confirmation of ownership)

2. When a buyer makes a request through Cohabit

When a buyer (or buyer’s agent) uses Cohabit to:

Request a Building Health Score, and/or
Request a Building Insight Report,

they provide sale details (e.g. contract, listing link, vendor contact details). Using those details, Cohabit can work with the buyer’s conveyancer/solicitor to obtain a letter of authority.

That letter of authority gives us permission to inspect strata records for the lot/building related to that purchase, so we can prepare the health score and/or report.

(Screenshot: buyer flow showing “Request health score” and options to upload contract / enter details / link listing)

Where records then come from

Once we have the necessary authority (via an owner lot connection or a buyer + conveyancer letter of authority), building records are typically:

Provided by the strata manager, often as bundles of financials, minutes, insurance, compliance and maintenance documents
Reviewed and uploaded or assigned by Cohabit strata experts, especially when preparing a Building Insight Report
Supplemented by owners, who may upload levy notices or similar for their lot as part of configuring their profile

(Screenshot: upload/assign interface for strata managers or experts with a list of uploaded documents)

We do not:

“Scan the internet” for documents, or
Access any of your private accounts or systems without authority.

Everything we use has been legitimately provided in connection with an authorised request.

How records feed into Health Scores and Insight Reports

Once records are available in Cohabit for a building, they can be used to support:

Building Health Scores – high-level snapshots of how healthy a building appears, based on available records.
Building Insight Reports – detailed, expert-prepared reports that interpret those records and highlight risks.
Building Intelligence – ongoing monitoring and quarterly refreshes (where active) based on updated records.

For example:

Financial statements, minutes and insurance documents can influence both the Building Health Score and what appears in the Building Insight Report.
Maintenance and compliance documents help power Renewals & Compliance tracking and insights.

(Screenshot: Building profile showing Health Score card and a Reports tab)

Accuracy: based on the most recent inspection

It’s important to understand that the information you see in Cohabit is not live-linked to your strata manager’s system.

Any information shown in a building profile about:

Financials
Compliance
Minutes
Maintenance & works

is based on the most recent inspection and document review Cohabit (or our experts) performed.

That means:

It is accurate as at the date of the most recent inspection, and
It may not reflect changes (e.g. new minutes, new levies, updated certificates) that happened after that inspection.

Where possible, Cohabit will show things like:

“Last inspected” date, or
The period covered by the most recent Building Insight Report or Building Intelligence update.

(Screenshot: Building profile showing a “Last inspected” or “Last updated” label near financial/compliance information)

Why some buildings have more data than others

You’ll notice some buildings in Cohabit have rich, detailed information, while others show very little.

Buildings often have more data when:

An owner has connected their lot and authorised us to inspect records.
A buyer has requested a Building Insight Report, triggering document review.
The building is on a Cohabit Building Intelligence subscription, where records are reviewed regularly (e.g. quarterly).
The strata manager actively uploads and keeps records current in Cohabit.

Buildings have less or no data when:

No owner has connected their lot yet via Cohabit.
No buyer has requested a health score/report (so there’s been no letter of authority process via a conveyancer).
The strata manager or expert hasn’t provided records to Cohabit yet.
The building is new or has minimal history.

If your building looks empty, see Why is my building missing data?

(Screenshot: Building profile “empty state” with a prompt like “No records yet – request a health score or connect as an owner to get started”)

What you can do if records seem out of date or missing

If you think the information for your building is incomplete or out of date, you can:

As an owner:
- Make sure you’ve completed your lot connection, and
- Upload your levy notice when prompted to help configure your profile.
- Ask your Strata Manager if they can provide updated records for Cohabit.
As a buyer:
- Consider requesting Health score + Building Insight Report, which will usually involve a fresh inspection/review of records.
- Work with your conveyancer to ensure any required letter of authority is provided.