Who this article is for
Lot owners in a strata building
Committee members who want a clear, independent view of their building
Owners who want more than a Health Score or snapshot
What is an Expert Report (for owners)?
A Cohabit Expert Report (sometimes called a Building Insight Report) is a paid report prepared by a Cohabit-vetted strata expert.
For owners, it’s useful when you want a deeper view of:
How your building has been managed
Financial strength and upcoming costs
Works, maintenance and defects
Issues and disputes in the records
Compliance and risk areas
Price: $49 (including GST) per report.
When you purchase an Expert Report, you also get:
A direct message thread with the assigned expert in your Messages section
Notifications on your Cohabit page and on mobile when the expert messages you
When might an owner order an Expert Report?
Typical reasons owners and committees order a report:
Preparing for a big AGM or EGM
Facing a special levy or major works decision
Concerned about defects, disputes or repeated issues
Wanting a clear picture before selling, refinancing, or proposing changes
Building has a lower Health Score and you want to understand why
How to purchase an Expert Report as an owner
Step 1 – Open your building
Log in to Cohabit.
Go to My Buildings.
Click the building you own in to open its Building Profile.
(Screenshot: My Buildings with a building selected → Building Profile)
Step 2 – Go to the Expert Report tab
On the Building Profile, click the Expert Report tab.
You’ll see either:
A prompt like “Purchase Expert Report” if there’s no current report, or
Your current report, plus an option to update it, if the last report is older.
(Screenshot: Expert Report tab with “Purchase Expert Report” button)
Step 3 – Review or choose your expert
On this screen, you’ll see an expert card showing who will prepare your report.
By default, this will be the previous expert who last reported on this building (where applicable).
You have two options:
Use previous expert – the expert shown on screen will write your report
Choose your own expert – select a different available expert (where supported)
If you don’t choose a different expert, the previous expert will be automatically selected when you continue.
(Screenshot: expert card with “Choose your own expert” option)
Step 4 – Confirm your details and lot
Next, you’ll confirm:
The building
Your lot/apartment number
Your ownership details
If you’ve already connected your lot through Your apartments → Add new lot, these details may already be filled in for you.
Review everything carefully, then continue.
(Screenshot: confirmation screen showing owner + lot details)
Step 5 – Review the price and pay
You’ll now see the final review screen.
Confirm the price: $49 including GST
Enter your payment details
Click Pay / Purchase Expert Report
Once your payment is successful:
Your Expert Report request is created
The expert you selected (or the previous expert) is assigned
A message thread with your expert will appear in your Messages
You’ll see an on-screen confirmation
You’ll usually receive a confirmation email as well
(Screenshot: purchase confirmation screen)
Where your report appears
Once the report is complete:
You can read it from the Expert Report tab in your Building Profile.
In My Buildings → Expert Reports, you’ll see it under:
Current – for reports from the last ~3 months
Later it will move into Past once it’s older than 3 months
If your building is on Cohabit Building Intelligence, the building data and Health Score continue to be updated quarterly, even after a particular Expert Report becomes “past”.
FAQs
Q: Do I need a new Expert Report every time something changes?
Not necessarily. Many owners use an Expert Report for key moments (major works, levies, suspected issues), and rely on Building Intelligence for quarterly updates in between.
Q: Is the Expert Report included in Building Intelligence?
No. An Expert Report is a separate one-off, deep-dive report by a strata expert. Building Intelligence focuses on quarterly updates to building data and Health Scores.
Q: Can I talk to the expert after I get the report?
Yes. When you purchase an Expert Report, you get a Messages thread with that expert. You’ll receive notifications when they reply.
See: How to chat with your expert.