What to do now
Official path: Consumer Affairs Victoria, Complaint handling and resolving disputes. Optional free mediation: Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria. Binding orders: VCAT owners corporations · Apply. Fees: use the VCAT fees finder (select Owners corporations). Amounts are set under the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Fees) Regulations 2026 and change around 1 July each year. Do not rely on a remembered dollar figure. Re-check the live finder before you pay.
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Use the internal OC complaints process today. A lot owner, tenant, or manager lodges a written complaint on the approved CAV Owners corporation complaint form. Complaints can allege a breach of the Owners Corporations Act 2006, the Owners Corporations Regulations 2018, or the scheme rules. Keep a dated issue log, photos, correspondence, meeting minutes, and the outcome you want.
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Watch the OC clock if a breach notice issues. If the OC decides to take action, it must give the person complained about an approved Notice to rectify breach (28 days to fix). If that fails, the OC can issue a Final notice to rectify breach (another 28 days). The final notice can warn that the OC may apply to VCAT if the breach is not fixed. If the OC decides to take no action, it must give you written reasons.
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Optional free DSCV. If you are a lot owner, tenant, or manager and the internal process does not resolve it, you can seek free dispute resolution help from DSCV. DSCV is not compulsory before VCAT for those applicants. DSCV can only try to resolve the dispute if all parties agree to take part.
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Apply to VCAT if you need a binding order. Use the owners corporations apply pages. Confirm the fee for your application type and fee category (concession, standard, or corporate) on the VCAT fees finder. Hearing or appropriate dispute resolution fees may also apply later. Fee relief (waiver, reduction, or pay later) may be available for financial hardship.
Two paths (do not mix them up)
Lot owner, tenant, or manager: internal written complaint → optional DSCV (everyone must agree) → VCAT.
Owners corporation as applicant: the OC must follow its internal complaints process before the OC applies to VCAT. After a final breach notice fails, the OC's next step is usually a VCAT application (not DSCV).
CAV also notes that an owners corporation must either use the model dispute-resolution rule in the Owners Corporations Regulations 2018 or make its own recorded rules for handling disputes.
What VCAT can deal with
VCAT can hear owners corporation disputes about common property and subdivided land (apartments, units, formerly "body corporates"). Examples on the official apply pages include unpaid OC fees (after proper fee notices), financial management and records, manager fees and performance, repairs and maintenance of lots and common property, neighbourhood issues on common areas (noise, parking, rubbish, pets), short-stay accommodation disputes that meet the statutory tests, and interim injunctions in urgent cases.
VCAT can make a wide range of orders (for example requiring someone to do or stop doing something, ordering money to be paid, imposing a penalty for rule breaches, appointing or removing a manager, or appointing an administrator). Soft cite: Owners Corporations Act 2006; VCAT owners corporations pages.
Soft related path (not this guide): ordinary neighbour fencing or tree disputes outside an owners corporation use different Victorian pathways (including DSCV fencing and trees pages). Stay on the OC and VCAT owners corporations pages if your dispute is about an owners corporation.
Fees without guessing
Do not paste a remembered dollar amount into your application. Use the interactive VCAT fees finder, choose Owners corporations, and answer the fee-category questions. Rates sit in three categories (concession, standard, corporate) under the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Fees) Regulations 2026. Eligible concession cards can reduce the rate. Larger businesses and government bodies often pay the corporate rate. Confirm the live figure before you pay. Fees update around 1 July each year (the 2026 Regulations commenced late June 2026).
Where to go
CAV: Complaint handling and resolving disputes · Owners corporations hub
DSCV (optional, free): disputes.vic.gov.au · 1300 372 888
VCAT: Owners corporations · Apply · Fees finder
Legislation soft cite: Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic); Owners Corporations Regulations 2018 (Vic); Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Fees) Regulations 2026.