Who this article is for
Owners and committee members
Anyone who wants to pay strata levies through Cohabit instead of manually transferring from their bank
Before you start
You’ll need:
A Cohabit owner account
Your levy notice (from your strata manager)
At least one Payment Method set up (Card or PayID)
See How to add payment methods (Owners)
Overview: How levy setup works in Cohabit
When you go to Payments for the first time, Cohabit guides you through a simple 3-step process:
Add levies – Bring in your levy details from your notice
Add payment method – Save a card or PayID
Personalise your payments – Choose how and when to pay
(Screenshot: “Set up levy payments – Step 1, Step 2, Step 3” flow)
Once this is done, Cohabit can:
Show you upcoming levy instalments
Let you pay manually
Or pay automatically via your chosen method
Step 1 – Add levies (from your levy notice)
Go to Payments (desktop left nav or mobile menu).
If you haven’t configured payments yet, you’ll see a Set up levies or similar prompt.
Click Get started or Add levies.
(Screenshot: Step 1. Add Levies screen)
You’ll then be asked to enter or confirm details from your levy notice, such as:
Building and apartment/lot
Levy amount(s)
Due date(s) (one-off or multiple instalments)
Period (e.g. quarterly)
Fill in the requested fields to match your levy notice as closely as possible.
Click Next or Save/Continue when done.
Step 2 – Add a payment method (if you haven’t already)
If you don’t already have a payment method set, you’ll be prompted to add one now.
You can choose:
Credit/Debit Card
PayID
(Screenshot: Step 2. Add payment method screen)
Adding a card or PayID during levy setup
Click Add payment method.
Choose Card or PayID.
Enter the required details.
Accept the Terms & Conditions.
Save.
Your new method will be used for levy payments and will also appear under Profile → Payment Methods.
Step 3 – Personalise your payments
After adding levies and a payment method, Cohabit lets you personalise how you pay.
(Screenshot: Step 3. Personalise your payments screen)
Here you may see options like:
Automatic vs manual payments
Which payment method to use (if you have more than one)
Payment timing (e.g. on due date)
Splitting payments into instalments (if supported by your setup)
Option A – Automatic payments
If you turn on Auto Pay:
Cohabit will automatically charge your chosen card or PayID according to the schedule you’ve set.
You’ll see these scheduled payments in your Payments view.
This reduces the chance of missing a due date.
Option B – Manual payments
If you prefer manual payments:
Cohabit will still track your upcoming levies,
But you will manually click Pay or Pay now each time an instalment is due, and choose your method at that time.
We’ll cover the manual “Pay Now” flow below.
Click Finish or Confirm setup to complete your levy configuration.
(Screenshot: Set-up success screen)
Paying a levy manually (Pay Now)
If you’ve chosen manual payments or want to trigger a payment yourself:
Go to Payments.
Find the upcoming levy you want to pay.
Click or tap View levy or Pay now (depending on the UI).
(Screenshot: View Levy screen with a Pay Now button)
Choose your payment method (Card or PayID) if you have more than one.
Confirm the amount and date (usually today).
Click Confirm / Pay.
You’ll see the status change from Upcoming or Scheduled to Processing, and then to Paid once the payment completes.
How you know a levy has been paid
You can confirm payment in a few ways:
On the Payments screen – the levy will show as Paid
On the Levy detail page – status will update to Paid and may include a date/time
Your bank/statement – you’ll see the charge from the payment provider
(Screenshot: Levy detail with Paid badge)
Changing your payment method for future levies
If you want to change which method is used:
Go to Profile → Payment Methods to add the new method (if needed).
Go to Payments and open the levy or levy settings.
Look for Payment settings / Edit.
Select your new default payment method (e.g. switch from Card to PayID).
Save your changes.
Future scheduled payments will use the updated method.
FAQs
Q: Do I still need my original levy notice?
Yes. Cohabit uses levy details from your notice to set things up, but your notice remains the official source of truth.
Q: Can I stop automatic payments?
Yes. You can go into your levy’s payment settings and turn off Auto Pay. Payments will then become manual.
Q: What happens if a payment fails?
You’ll see an updated status in Payments, and you may receive a notification. You can then:
Check or update your payment method
Try Pay now again
Q: Can I use different methods for different buildings?
Yes. Each levy setup can have its own payment method selected (e.g. Card for one building, PayID for another).