What Is a Community Title Scheme?
If you are buying a townhouse, villa, or lot in a planned residential estate in Queensland, there is a good chance the property sits within a Community Title Scheme (CTS). Understanding how a CTS works — and what a title search will reveal about one — is essential before you sign a contract.
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A Community Title Scheme is a form of land tenure in Queensland governed by the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (BCCMA). It allows multiple lots to coexist on a single piece of land, with shared common property and collective governance through a body corporate. While the phrase "body corporate" is familiar to most buyers, the CTS framework beneath it is more nuanced than many realise.
How Community Title Schemes Differ from Standard Freehold
When you purchase a standard freehold property in Queensland, you own the land and everything on it. Your Certificate of Title identifies your lot, its boundaries, and any encumbrances registered against it. Simple and self-contained.
In a CTS, the picture is layered:
- Your lot — what you individually own (often just the internal airspace of a unit, or a defined area of land)
- Common property — driveways, gardens, pools, lifts, and shared infrastructure owned collectively
- Community Management Statement (CMS) — the governing document that sets out by-laws, lot entitlements, and levies
This three-tier structure means your title search must cover more than just your lot number. It must also capture the scheme's structure, any registered CMS, and what obligations run with your lot.
What a Title Search Reveals About a CTS Property
A current title search on a CTS property will show:
1. Lot Entitlements
Every lot in a CTS is assigned two entitlement figures: an interest schedule lot entitlement (which determines your share of common property ownership and the calculation basis for levies) and a contribution schedule lot entitlement (which determines your share of body corporate expenses). These figures are set in the CMS and can only be changed by a resolution of the body corporate — or by order of a specialist adjudicator.
If the entitlements seem disproportionate — for instance, your two-bedroom unit carries the same levy share as a four-bedroom penthouse — it is worth investigating further before purchase.
2. Registered By-Laws
The CMS contains by-laws that govern how owners use their lots and common property. Common restrictions include:
- Prohibitions on short-term letting platforms like Airbnb
- Pet restrictions (number, breed, size)
- Renovation and exterior alteration rules
- Parking allocation and visitor parking limits
- Noise and nuisance provisions
By-laws are legally binding on all lot owners and their tenants. If you intend to run a home-based business, install a solar system, or rent via a short-term platform, review the CMS carefully before purchase.
3. Exclusive Use Areas
Some CTS properties grant exclusive use rights over portions of common property — a private courtyard, a car space, or a storage area. These exclusive use areas are part of the common property but are allocated to a specific lot. They appear in the CMS and may or may not appear on the survey plan. Confirm whether any area you are relying on (such as a garage or courtyard) is actually part of your lot, or just an exclusive use area that could theoretically be revoked by body corporate resolution.
4. Staged Development Schemes
Many modern community title estates are developed in stages. In a staged CTS, the developer reserves the right to add further lots and common property in later stages. A title search on a staged development may show a smaller existing scheme with provisions allowing significant future expansion — which could affect parking, infrastructure capacity, and levy calculations.
Always check whether a CMS contains staged development rights before purchasing in what appears to be a small, quiet complex.
Searching the Community Management Statement
The CMS is lodged with the Queensland Land Registry and is searchable via a title search. A current title search costs $74.50 and will confirm the scheme identifier and any registered encumbrances. However, to obtain a full copy of the CMS (including by-laws and entitlement schedules), you will also need a dealing instrument copy, priced at $91.80.
For buyers doing serious due diligence, ordering both the current title and the CMS dealing instrument is strongly recommended. The title confirms ownership and encumbrances; the CMS tells you how you can actually use the property.
The Survey Plan in a CTS
Community title properties have their own survey plan format — most commonly a Building Unit Plan (BUP) or Volumetric Lot (VL). The survey plan defines:
- The boundaries of each individual lot
- The extent of common property
- Any exclusive use areas allocated to specific lots
- Easements affecting the scheme (such as drainage easements across common property)
A survey plan copy costs $85.90 and is essential if there is any ambiguity about what you are buying — particularly in townhouse complexes where fencing, driveways, and garden beds may or may not fall within your lot boundaries.
Levies and Financial Obligations
Unlike freehold property, purchasing into a CTS means accepting ongoing levy obligations. These cover:
- Administrative fund levies — day-to-day expenses (gardening, insurance, management fees)
- Sinking fund levies — long-term capital maintenance (roof replacement, lift servicing, painting)
- Special levies — one-off contributions for unexpected or major expenditure
Levies are not shown on a title search — they are set by the body corporate at its annual general meeting. To understand current and projected levies, you need a body corporate records search, which is separate from a Queensland Land Registry title search. Be sure to budget for levies as part of your holding costs.
Key Due Diligence Steps for CTS Buyers
Before exchanging contracts on a CTS property in Queensland, work through this checklist:
- Order a current title search ($74.50) to confirm ownership, encumbrances, and scheme details
- Obtain a copy of the CMS dealing instrument ($91.80) to review by-laws, entitlements, and staged development rights
- Order the survey plan ($85.90) to confirm lot boundaries and exclusive use allocations
- Request a body corporate records search through the body corporate manager for levy histories, minutes, and maintenance fund balances
- Check for any outstanding special levies or major works approved but not yet invoiced
- Review by-laws for any restrictions that may affect your intended use
Why This Matters More Than Ever in Queensland
Community title living has grown substantially across South East Queensland. From inner-Brisbane apartment towers to master-planned estates on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, CTS developments now represent a significant proportion of the Queensland property market. Yet many buyers still treat a CTS purchase as equivalent to freehold — and are surprised post-settlement by levy increases, by-law restrictions, or disputes over exclusive use areas.
A thorough title search and CMS review before purchase is not just good practice — it is the most cost-effective way to avoid expensive surprises in Queensland's community title landscape.
Search Your CTS Title Today
TitleFinder provides fast, reliable access to Queensland Land Registry title searches, dealing instruments, and survey plans. Whether you are buying your first apartment or building a portfolio of CTS properties, our searches give you the information you need — delivered quickly and at transparent prices.
- Current Title Search: $74.50
- Dealing Instrument (e.g. CMS copy): $91.80
- Survey Plan: $85.90
Start your search today at titlefinder.com.au.
