Body Corporate AGM Checklist for Chairs

Running an AGM without this checklist is how disputes start.

Most contentious body corporate meetings are not caused by difficult owners. They are caused by gaps in preparation. A notice that went out a few days late. A financial statement nobody could follow. A levy increase that arrived without explanation. A maintenance plan presented as a wall of numbers. Each of these hands owners a reason to challenge the process, and once the process is in question, even sensible decisions become a fight.

The good news is that almost every AGM flashpoint can be anticipated. The Unit Titles Act 2010 and the Unit Titles Regulations 2011 set out a clear framework for how an annual general meeting must be called, what owners must receive and who is entitled to vote. Chairs who work through that framework methodically, and pair it with clear communication, tend to run shorter, calmer and more productive meetings.

This checklist walks through what every Chair should have ready, from the first notice to the final vote.

Key Takeaways

What key items must a Body Corporate Chair prepare before an AGM?

Statutory notices, on time: a notice of intention (inviting nominations and agenda items) and a formal notice of meeting, issued within the timeframes set by the Unit Titles Regulations 2011.
A complete meeting pack: agenda, text of every motion, candidate names, proxy and postal voting forms, and the most recent financial statements.
A clean voting roll: confirmed owner details, levy arrears checked and proxies ready to be verified, so eligibility is never argued on the night.
Plain-English financials and a clear Long-Term Maintenance Plan (LTMP) summary: so owners understand what they are paying for and why.

Part 1: Pre-Meeting Documentation and Statutory Compliance

Every AGM rests on its paperwork. If the notices are wrong, a decision made at the meeting can be open to challenge, regardless of how well the meeting itself was run. The official AGM notice requirements are the place to start, and the detail sits in the Unit Titles Regulations 2011.

When the AGM must be held

A body corporate must hold an AGM once every calendar year, and it must be held no more than 15 months after the previous AGM. Diarise the latest permissible date as soon as each AGM closes, then work backwards to set your notice deadlines.

Step one: the notice of intention to hold the AGM

Before the formal notice of meeting, the regulations require a notice of intention to be sent to every owner by their preferred method of contact. For a standard development this must go out at least 3 weeks before the AGM (at least 6 weeks for a parent unit title development). The notice of intention must:

state the date, time and venue of the meeting;
state that an owner may not vote unless all levies and other amounts payable to the body corporate for their unit have been paid;
invite nominations for Chair and, where applicable, the body corporate committee, and confirm that candidates must own a principal unit;
invite owners to propose matters for discussion; and
state the deadline for nominations and agenda items, and who they should be sent to.

Step two: the formal notice of meeting

The notice of AGM must then be issued at least 2 weeks before the meeting (at least 3 weeks for a parent unit title development). It must set out the agenda, the full text of any motions, the names of candidates for election, the procedure for proxy and postal voting, and what will happen if a quorum is not present. It must be accompanied by:

a proxy appointment form;
a postal voting form;
the financial statements for the most recent financial year; and
any other document the Chair or body corporate considers relevant (the proposed budget, LTMP summary and insurance details are sensible inclusions).

Word each motion carefully. Under the regulations, if the text of a motion is materially amended at the meeting, postal votes cast on that motion cannot be counted. Getting the wording right at the notice stage protects every owner who votes in advance.

Step three: audit the voting roll before the meeting

Voting disputes on the night are almost always avoidable. In the week before the AGM, confirm:

The owners register is current, including any recent sales, deceased estates or changes of contact details.
Levy arrears are identified. Owners with unpaid levies or other amounts owing are not entitled to vote, so give them a courteous reminder and the chance to pay well before the meeting rather than raising it at the door.
Proxies are logged and checked. A proxy is appointed for a specific meeting and is only effective if the form is delivered in the way the body corporate requires by the start of the meeting.
Quorum is realistic. Count confirmed attendees, proxies and postal votes against the 25% threshold. If numbers look thin, follow up with owners directly.
Remote attendance works. Owners can now attend general meetings by audio or audio-visual link. Test the technology and circulate joining instructions in advance.

“The meetings that go wrong are rarely the ones with the hardest decisions. They are the ones where the notice went out late, nobody checked the proxies and the quorum was guesswork. When the process is watertight, owners can focus on the decisions, not on picking holes in how the meeting was called.” – Tim Taylor, Managing Director, Hallmark and Stone

Part 2: Financial Reporting Essentials

Financial reporting is where owner trust is either built or lost. Most owners are not accountants, and they should not need to be to understand where their money has gone.

Presenting the year-end financial statements

Body corporate financial statements must be audited at the end of each financial year, unless the body corporate has decided by special resolution not to do so. Whatever the position for your development, present the statements in a way owners can follow:

Balance sheet: show the balance of each fund separately, typically the operating account and the long-term maintenance fund, plus any contingency or capital improvement fund.
Income and expenditure: compare actual spend against the approved budget line by line, and explain any material variance in one or two sentences.
Levy arrears: report the total outstanding, how long it has been owed and what recovery action is under way, without naming individual owners in the general pack.

Structuring the proposed budget and levies

The clearest budgets separate what it costs to run the building from what it costs to protect the building. Present them as two distinct parts:

Operating costs: insurance, management fees, cleaning, utilities for common areas, routine maintenance and compliance costs such as the building warrant of fitness.
Long-term maintenance contributions: the amount being set aside for future work identified in the LTMP, such as roofing, cladding, lifts and painting.

Then show owners what the proposed budget means for them in practice. A simple table showing the levy for a typical unit this year, next year and the difference goes further than pages of line items.

Part 3: Presenting the Maintenance Plan (Without Turning It into a Budget Argument)

The LTMP is often where AGMs lose momentum. Owners see a large future number, assume it is all due now, and the conversation turns to cost rather than value.

Know the rules before you present

Every body corporate must have an LTMP, and it must be reviewed at least once every 3 years. Following the 2022 amendments to the Act, the planning period is at least 10 years for all developments and 30 years for large developments (defined in official guidance as 10 or more principal units). Large developments must also consult building or other suitably qualified professionals as necessary and appropriate, unless the body corporate decides otherwise by special resolution. The official guidance on Long-Term Maintenance Plan requirements sets this out in full.

How to present it so owners engage

Lead with condition, not cost. Open with the current state of the building and the key items coming due, supported by photos where possible.
Group spend into time bands. Show the next 1 to 3 years, 4 to 10 years and beyond separately, so owners can see what is urgent and what is planned.
Show the alternative. Explain what deferring a major item typically means, such as higher replacement costs, emergency call-out rates, insurance complications or a large special levy later on.
Link it to compliance. Where plan items relate to specified systems, connect them to the owner’s obligations under the building warrant of fitness and compliance schedule regime.
Separate the plan from the vote. Present the LTMP as information first, then take questions, and only then move to the budget and levy motions.

“Owners respond to a maintenance plan very differently when they can see it is protecting the value of their home. Show them the condition of the building, the timeline and the cost of doing nothing, and the conversation moves from “why is this so expensive?” to “what is the smartest way to fund it?”.” – Sam Taylor, Director, Hallmark and Stone

Part 4: Heading Off Common AGM Disputes

Most AGM disputes follow familiar patterns. The most effective strategy is to deal with them before the meeting, not during it.

Unexpected levy increases

A levy rise that owners first see in the meeting pack will almost always be challenged. Signal significant increases early, explain the drivers (insurance premiums, LTMP funding, compliance costs) and show the per-unit impact in dollar terms.

Rule changes

Proposed changes to operational rules, such as pet policies, short-term letting or noise, generate strong feelings. Circulate the proposed wording early, explain the problem the change is meant to solve and invite written feedback before the AGM. Be clear about which resolution threshold applies. An ordinary resolution needs more than 50% of votes, while a special resolution needs 75%. The official guidance on how the body corporate makes decisions is a useful reference to share with owners.

Maintenance delays and contractor performance

Owners frustrated by slow repairs will raise it at the AGM regardless of the agenda. Get ahead of it with a short maintenance update in the meeting pack covering what has been completed, what is outstanding and why.

Committee elections

Contested elections are healthy, but uncertainty over nominations is not. Follow the nomination deadline in your notice of intention strictly, publish the candidate list in the notice of meeting and explain the voting procedure clearly at the start of the item.

Keep the meeting itself on track

Agree and circulate a timed agenda.
Explain voting procedures at the start, including how proxies and postal votes will be counted.
Park issues not on the agenda for general business or a follow-up committee meeting.
Record decisions and voting outcomes clearly, and circulate the minutes promptly.

Your AGM Checklist at a Glance

Confirm the latest permissible AGM date (no more than 15 months after the last one).
Issue the notice of intention at least 3 weeks before the AGM (6 weeks for a parent development).
Collect nominations and agenda items by the stated deadline.
Finalise and, where required, audit the financial statements.
Prepare the proposed budget, levy schedule and LTMP summary.
Draft motions carefully and check which resolution threshold applies to each.
Issue the notice of meeting with proxy and postal voting forms and financial statements at least 2 weeks before the AGM (3 weeks for a parent development).
Check the owners register, levy arrears and proxies in the final week.
Test remote attendance technology and confirm the venue.
Prepare the Chair’s briefing notes on likely flashpoints.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the mandatory notice period required for a Body Corporate AGM in New Zealand?

Under the Unit Titles Regulations 2011, there are two notices. A notice of intention must be issued at least 3 weeks before the AGM, and the formal notice of meeting at least 2 weeks before it. For a parent unit title development, the periods are at least 6 weeks and at least 3 weeks respectively. Both must be sent to every owner by their preferred method of contact.

Can unit owners vote at an AGM if they have unpaid levies?

No. The regulations require the notice of intention to state that an owner may not vote unless all levies and other amounts payable to the body corporate for their unit have been paid. Chairs should remind owners in arrears well before the meeting so they have the opportunity to pay and restore their voting rights.

What happens if a Body Corporate fails to achieve a quorum at its AGM?

A quorum is at least 25% of eligible voters, present or represented. The meeting may still proceed if postal votes plus those present together represent at least 25% of the principal units. If not, the meeting must be adjourned to the same day one week later, at the same time and place unless the Chair notifies all owners of a change at least 3 days beforehand. The reconvened meeting must then proceed, whether or not a quorum is present.

How far in advance should the Long-Term Maintenance Plan (LTMP) be reviewed before the AGM?

The law requires the LTMP to be reviewed at least once every 3 years, but it does not set a specific lead time before the AGM. As a practical guide, we recommend completing any review, and receiving any professional condition reports, at least 6 to 8 weeks before the meeting. That leaves time to reflect the findings in the proposed budget and include a clear summary in the meeting pack.

A Well-Run AGM Protects More Than the Agenda

A well-prepared AGM does three things. It protects property value, because maintenance and funding decisions are made on good information. It protects the committee, because decisions made through a compliant process are far harder to challenge. And it protects community harmony, because owners who feel informed and heard are far more likely to accept the outcome, even when the vote does not go their way.

Preparation is not bureaucracy. It is what turns a potentially tense evening into a productive one.

Want an experienced hand at your next AGM? Get in touch with Hallmark and Stone before your next meeting date.

This article provides general information about the Unit Titles Act 2010 and Unit Titles Regulations 2011 and is not legal advice. Requirements can change, so please check the current legislation or seek professional advice for your specific development.

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The Body Corporate AGM Checklist: What Every Chair Should Have Ready