Who this article is for
Owners and committee members who already have an Expert Report
Anyone wanting a simple way to navigate and use it inside Cohabit
Before you start
You’ll need:
A Cohabit Expert Report that’s been completed for your building
Access to your Cohabit account
If you haven’t purchased one yet:
➡️ Purchasing an Expert Report (Owners)
Step 1 – Open your building and go to the Expert Report tab
Log in to Cohabit.
Go to My Buildings.
Click your building to open its Building Profile.
Click the Expert Report tab.
(Screenshot: Building Profile with Expert Report tab selected)
If you have multiple reports (for example, a current one and older ones), choose the report you want to view.
Step 2 – Start with the summary
At the top of the Expert Report view you’ll typically see:
A high-level summary of the expert’s overall impression
Key themes or headline risks/issues
Context for how this building compares to typical or similar schemes (where provided)
Read this first. It helps you understand the big picture before diving into details.
(Screenshot: report summary section)
Step 3 – Review the list of insights
Below the summary, you’ll see the main insights grouped by section (for example: Financials, Works & Maintenance, Meetings, Compliance, Defects, Issues).
Each insight usually appears as a card/row that includes:
A short title or label
A brief description or key point
The section/category it relates to
To see more detail:
Click on an insight card to expand it.
You’ll see the full write-up for that insight.
(Screenshot: list of insight cards, one expanded)
This is where the expert explains what they saw in the records and why it matters.
Step 4 – Open the underlying section view (optional, but powerful)
From an expanded insight, you may see a way to jump to the related section (e.g. Financials, Works, Meetings).
Use this when you want to:
See multiple related insights in context
Look at the structured data sitting behind the expert’s comments (e.g. levy history, meeting history, works timeline)
This is particularly useful for:
Preparing for AGMs/EGMs
Talking through issues with the strata manager or committee
(Screenshot: section view with grouped insights/data)
Step 5 – Check the attachments and source documents
Many insights have attachments – the underlying documents the expert relied on, such as:
Meeting minutes
Financial statements and budgets
Insurance policies
Reports or quotes for works
Compliance certificates
To view them:
In the insight or section view, look for any attachment/file links.
Click to open or preview the document.
(Screenshot: insight with attached files list)
This helps you see exactly what the expert was looking at, and is handy if you want to:
Share documents with your committee, or
Pass them on to your conveyancer/solicitor or other advisers.
Step 6 – Use the report for decisions and discussions
Some practical ways owners and committees use Expert Reports:
As a briefing pack before big decisions (e.g. loans, special levies, major works)
To structure questions for the strata manager
To highlight patterns in disputes or defects
To support conversations with your conveyancer/solicitor, accountant or broker
Consider noting down:
Action items (e.g. “Ask strata manager about X”, “Confirm timeline for Y works”)
Follow-up questions for your expert or advisers
Step 7 – Ask your expert follow-up questions
If something isn’t clear, or you want a bit more context:
Go to your Messages section in Cohabit.
Open the conversation with your assigned expert (created when you purchased the report).
Reference the specific building, section or insight (e.g. “In the Financials section, you mentioned…”).
Send your question.
You’ll get notifications on web and mobile when the expert replies.
See: How to chat with your expert.
FAQs
Q: My report is a few months old – is it still useful?
Yes – it’s still valuable for history and context. Just remember it reflects the records at the time it was prepared. For current status:
Rely on Building Intelligence (if enabled) for quarterly updates, and
Consider a new Expert Report if you’re facing major new decisions.
Q: Do I have to read every single section in one go?
No. Many owners:
Start with the summary, then
Focus on the sections most relevant to their current concerns (e.g. Financials + Works before a big levy decision, Issues + Defects if problems are emerging).
Q: Can I share the Expert Report with my strata manager or advisers?
You’ll need to follow any sharing options or limitations provided by Cohabit, your agreement, and your own professional advice. At minimum, you can reference key points in meetings and share source documents (attachments) where appropriate.