Who this article is for
Lot owners
Committee members
Anyone whose building has a Building Health Score in Cohabit and wants to understand what it means
What is a Building Health Score?
Your Building Health Score is a high-level indicator of how your strata building is tracking, based on the strata records Cohabit has been authorised to review at the time the score was generated.
It takes into account things like:
Financial strength and levies
Meetings and governance
Works and maintenance activity
Compliance and insurance
Issues and disputes that show up in records
It’s designed to quickly answer:
“Does this building look like it’s in good shape, average shape, or showing signs of strain or risk?”
💡 Important:
The score itself is free and generated when you request it.
Detailed written insights and commentary come from a separate, paid Expert Report.
Where to see your Building Health Score
Log in to Cohabit.
Go to My Buildings.
Click your building to open the Building Profile.
Look for the Building Health Score section on the Overview or in the Building Snapshot.
(Screenshot: Building Profile / Snapshot showing the Health Score panel)
You’ll usually see:
The score, and
A short summary or comparison (e.g. how it sits relative to similar buildings).
How owners can use the Health Score
As an owner or committee member, the Health Score is less about “Should I buy?” and more about:
“Is our building heading in the right direction?”
“Do we have early warning signs we should talk about as a committee?”
Here’s how to use it.
1. Start with the overall score and summary
Look at:
The score itself, and
Any short description (for example, suggesting the building is stronger, average, or higher risk compared to similar schemes).
This gives you a quick feel for whether your building looks:
Healthy / strong
Okay but with some concerns
Higher risk / needs attention
2. Look at the breakdown (if available)
If there’s an option like “View full Health Score” or “More details”, open it.
You may see how different areas are contributing to the score, for example:
Financials
Works and maintenance
Meetings and governance
Compliance
Issues/defects
Use this to understand where any problems are likely coming from. For example:
Strong finances + good compliance, but repeated disputes in minutes
Weak funds + large upcoming works flagged in records
These are great talking points for AGMs, EGMs and committee meetings.
3. Watch for changes over time (especially with Building Intelligence)
If your building is on Cohabit Building Intelligence, your Health Score is designed to be updated quarterly, based on:
New records (minutes, financials, insurance, compliance, works, etc.)
Updated data and insights from each quarterly review
You can use this over time to see whether:
Recent decisions are helping (e.g. improved funds, works completed, issues resolved), or
Risks are building up (e.g. repeated issues in minutes, low funds, many deferred works)
A simple practical habit:
Before each AGM or key meeting, check your latest Health Score and Building Snapshot to see what’s changed since last time.
4. Pair the score with deeper explanation (Expert Report)
If you want to understand why the score looks the way it does, consider a Cohabit Expert Report:
The Health Score = high-level signal
The Expert Report = detailed explanation, based on the same kinds of records
An Expert Report will:
Highlight key risks and patterns
Explain what’s going on in areas like financials, works, defects and issues in everyday terms
Give you more context to take into discussions with your strata manager and committee
What your Health Score doesn’t tell you
It’s important to keep a few limitations in mind:
It’s only as current as the latest records that were available and reviewed when the score was generated.
It cannot see anything that isn’t in the records (e.g. issues never documented in minutes or reports).
It’s not legal, financial or tax advice, and doesn’t replace:
Your strata manager, or
Your own conveyancer/solicitor, accountant or other advisers
Treat the Health Score as a signal and conversation starter, not the final word.
FAQs
Q: My Health Score looks worse than I expected – why?
The score may be reflecting things you haven’t focused on yet, such as:
Past or ongoing disputes in the minutes
Low funds compared to upcoming works
Compliance gaps or lapsed certificates
A history of issues/defects in the records
Use it as a prompt to:
Check your Building Snapshot and Files, and
Talk with your strata manager or committee about any specific areas of concern.
Q: How do I get my Health Score updated?
You can:
Request a new Health Score from your Building Profile, and/or
Enable Cohabit Building Intelligence, which is designed to update building data, insights and Health Scores quarterly as new records come in.
Q: Does a good Health Score mean there are no problems?
No. A good score suggests the building looks relatively healthy based on the records reviewed, but it doesn’t guarantee:
That no issues exist, or
That none will arise in future.
Always consider the score alongside Expert Reports, records, and advice from your strata manager and professional advisers.
Q: Can the Health Score replace an Expert Report?
No. The Health Score gives you a high-level indicator.
If you need deeper understanding (for example, for big decisions or major works), an Expert Report provides detailed commentary and is usually the better tool for that situation.