Question 1

Can I enter fees manually without uploading a document?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We offer manual entry for users who don't have digital copies or prefer not to upload documents.
    Manual entry allows you to:
    
      Enter your property address using Google Places autocomplete
      Input your total quarterly or annual fee
      Optionally provide a breakdown (Administrative Fund, Sinking/Capital Works Fund, Special Levy, etc.)
      Add year, period dates, and email (all optional)
    
    The fund terminology automatically adjusts based on your state (e.g., NSW shows "Capital Works Fund" while QLD shows "Sinking Fund").
    Manual entries follow the same verification process as uploads - you'll confirm your address and optionally complete the property questionnaire.

Question 2

What file formats are supported?

Accepted Answer

If you choose to upload a document, we accept the following file formats:
    
      PDF (.pdf) - Most common format for body corporate statements
      JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg) - Photo or scan of your statement
      PNG (.png) - Screenshot or scan
      HEIC (.heic, .heif) - Apple iPhone photo format (automatically converted)
    
    File size limit: 10MB maximum
    Document types accepted: Body corporate statements, invoices, or receipts showing fee breakdowns.
    Don't have a digital file? You can use manual entry instead - just enter your fees directly.

Question 3

How does the contribution process work?

Accepted Answer

You have two options to contribute:
    Option 1: Upload Statement (AI extracts data automatically)
    
      Upload: Select your body corporate statement file (PDF or image)
      Consent: Check the privacy consent box confirming you've read the Collection Notice
      Processing: Our AI extracts fee data and property address (5-10 seconds)
      Deletion: Your document is immediately deleted from our servers
      Confirmation: Review and confirm your property address type (physical vs postal)
      Optional: Complete property questionnaire (building type, amenities, etc.)
      Complete: Your contribution is saved and you see success screen
    
    Option 2: Manual Entry (enter details yourself)
    
      Address: Enter your property address using autocomplete
      Fees: Enter total amount and optionally break it down by category
      Details: Add year, period dates, and email (optional)
      Confirmation: Review and confirm your property address
      Optional: Complete property questionnaire
      Complete: Your contribution is saved and you see success screen
    
    Both options take less than 2 minutes and follow the same approval workflow.

Question 4

What happens if extraction fails?

Accepted Answer

If our AI cannot extract data from your document:
    
      You'll receive an error message explaining what went wrong
      The file is temporarily stored so we can retry with improved methods
      If you provided an email, we may contact you about the issue
      The file is automatically deleted when we determine it can't be processed or when successfully reprocessed
    
    Common reasons for extraction failure:
    
      Document is too blurry or low quality
      Non-standard statement format
      Handwritten amounts (we need typed/printed text)
      Non-Australian property address
    
    You can try uploading a clearer copy or a different page of your statement.

Question 5

What if my address is extracted incorrectly?

Accepted Answer

During the upload process, you have the opportunity to review and confirm your property address before we save it.
    If you notice the address is wrong:
    
      You can cancel the upload and try again with a clearer document
      Make sure the address on your statement is clearly visible
      We validate all addresses against Australian address databases
    
    If you've already submitted and need to correct it, email privacy@bodycorporatefees.com with subject "Data Correction Request".

Question 6

What is the property questionnaire and is it required?

Accepted Answer

After you submit your contribution (via upload or manual entry), you'll be offered an optional property questionnaire about your building. It collects:
    
      Building type: Low-rise apartment, mid-rise apartment, high-rise apartment, or townhouse
      Building age: Approximate age range of the building
      Number of units: How many lots/units are in the complex
      Bedrooms: Number of bedrooms in your unit
      Amenities: Whether the building has a pool, gym, and other shared facilities
    
    This information helps improve suburb overviews — for example, filtering fees by building type or amenities. It's completely optional. Your contribution is saved and counts toward the suburb threshold regardless of whether you complete the questionnaire.

Question 7

Can I contribute a statement for an investment property or a property I'm considering buying?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You can contribute a body corporate statement for any Australian property — whether it's your primary residence, an investment property, or a property you're researching before purchase.
    If you're uploading a document, you just need access to the statement. Contributions from investors and buyers researching suburbs are just as valuable as contributions from owner-occupiers.
    All contributions help build better suburb data for everyone making property decisions.

Question 8

Can I upload statements for multiple properties?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You can upload statements for as many properties as you have. Each contribution helps build better suburb overviews.
    We use cryptographic fingerprinting to detect duplicate submissions, so you won't accidentally submit the same statement twice.
    If you have multiple statements for the same property from different years, you can upload all of them to help us track historical trends.

Question 9

How much does it cost to access suburb data?

Accepted Answer

Free for all users (once a suburb reaches its contribution threshold):
    
      Summary statistics: average, median, lowest, and highest fees
      Top buildings by fee amount
      Common amenities breakdown
      Building age distribution
    
    Premium access (purchase required):
    
      Detailed fee breakdown by bedroom count
      Full premium report with percentile comparisons and additional analyses
      Downloadable PDF report
    
    Pricing:
    
      Full price: $19.95
      With contributor discount code: $12.95 (save $7)
    
    Before a suburb reaches its data threshold: all suburb data is free to access for everyone while the suburb is still building contributions.
    After the threshold is reached: the free suburb overview (summary stats, top buildings, amenities) remains free for all. The full premium report (bedroom breakdown, percentile comparisons, downloadable PDF) requires purchase. Contributors to that suburb receive a discount code by email entitling them to the $12.95 price.

Question 10

What's included in a suburb report?

Accepted Answer

The premium suburb report includes:
    
      Fee statistics: Average, median, minimum, and maximum fees for the suburb
      Bedroom breakdown: Average fees segmented by number of bedrooms
      Top buildings: Highest fee buildings in the suburb
      Amenities analysis: Common amenities and their prevalence
      Building age: Distribution of building ages in the suburb
      Percentile comparisons: See how fees compare across the suburb
      PDF download: Downloadable report for offline reference

Question 11

What is the refund policy for premium reports?

Accepted Answer

Due to the instant digital delivery of premium suburb reports, all sales are generally final.
    Refunds are considered in exceptional circumstances only, including:
    
      Technical errors that prevented you from accessing the report
      Duplicate purchases made in error
      Significant data quality issues (as determined by us)
    
    Refund requests must be made within 7 days of purchase. To request a refund, email support@bodycorporatefees.com with your purchase details.
    Refunds will not be granted if there is evidence the report was shared or distributed. See our Terms of Service for full details.

Question 12

How do I get a contributor discount code?

Accepted Answer

When you contribute a body corporate statement (via upload or manual entry) and provide your email, you'll receive a discount code.
    This code gives you $7 off ($12.95 instead of $19.95) when purchasing the premium report for the suburb you contributed to. Each code is suburb-specific — it's only valid for the suburb it was issued for, and can only be used once.
    The discount code is sent to your email after your contribution is approved. To use it, enter the code on the purchase page for that suburb before completing payment.

Question 13

How current is the fee data in suburb overviews?

Accepted Answer

Suburb overviews are updated continuously as new contributions are submitted and approved. The data reflects all approved contributions to date.
    Each contribution includes the statement period (year and date range), so you can see when the fees were applicable. The suburb overview shows a mix of contributions from different years.
    Things to keep in mind:
    
      Body corporate fees typically change annually — older contributions may not reflect recent fee changes
      Special levies are one-time charges that won't appear in ongoing fee comparisons
      Suburb overviews are best used as a benchmark comparison rather than an exact current figure
    
    For the most current fees, we always recommend verifying with the relevant body corporate or strata manager before making property decisions.

Question 14

When will suburb overviews be available for my suburb?

Accepted Answer

Suburb Overviews become available once we reach certain contribution thresholds for your suburb.
    You can check your suburb's progress on the homepage by searching for it.
    The more people contribute from your suburb, the faster the suburb overviews become available!

Question 15

Why are some suburbs not showing overviews yet?

Accepted Answer

Suburbs need a minimum number of contributions before we can display reliable overviews. This ensures:
    
      Statistical validity: Enough data points for meaningful comparisons
      Privacy protection: Individual contributions can't be identified
      Accuracy: Outliers don't skew the results
    
    You can help by:
    
      Contributing your own body corporate statement
      Sharing the platform with other property owners in your building or suburb
      Encouraging your body corporate or strata manager to promote contributions

Question 16

What can I ask the chat assistant?

Accepted Answer

Our AI chat assistant can answer questions about:
    
      How body corporate fees work
      Using the platform (uploads, manual entry, etc.)
      Privacy and data handling
      Understanding your statement
      General body corporate/strata topics covered in our guides
    
    The assistant uses our FAQ and blog articles as its knowledge base. For account-specific questions, contact support@bodycorporatefees.com.

Question 17

Why do you need my email?

Accepted Answer

Your email is entirely optional. You can contribute anonymously without providing an email.
    If you choose to provide your email, we use it to:
    
      Founding contributor ranking: Claim your ranking badge for being an early contributor
      Discount code provision: Provide you with a discount code for use when premium reports are available for your suburb
    
    We will never sell, rent, or share your email with third parties for marketing purposes.

Question 18

How do I unsubscribe from emails?

Accepted Answer

You can unsubscribe at any time:
    
      Click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email we send you
      Email us: Send a message to privacy@bodycorporatefees.com with subject "Unsubscribe"
    
    We'll remove you from our mailing list within 2 business days. Your contribution data will remain in our suburb overviews (anonymised), but we'll stop sending you emails.

Question 19

What is a founding contributor?

Accepted Answer

Founding contributors are the first people to contribute body corporate statements to our platform. As a founding contributor, you:
    
      Get a ranking: Based on when you contributed (earlier = lower ranking number)
      Receive a badge: Recognition for helping build the platform
      Help others: Your contribution directly helps thousands of property buyers make informed decisions
    
    To claim your founding contributor status, you must provide your email during the upload process. You'll receive a notification with your ranking once your contribution is verified.

Question 20

Will my document be used to train AI models?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely not. Your document is processed for data extraction only and deleted within 30 seconds. We use Google Gemini's enterprise API which guarantees zero data retention and no AI training on customer data.
    We never store, share, or use your documents for any purpose beyond the one-time extraction you consented to.

Question 21

How is my document deleted and when?

Accepted Answer

If you choose to upload a document: Your document is automatically deleted immediately after data extraction is complete, typically within 10-30 seconds of upload.
    The deletion process:
    
      You upload your document
      Google Gemini API processes it in real-time to extract fee data and address
      The document is immediately deleted from both our servers and Google's servers
      We confirm the extracted data with you before saving
    
    If extraction fails, the file is temporarily stored so we can retry with improved methods, then automatically deleted.
    If you use manual entry: No document is uploaded or processed, so there's nothing to delete.

Question 22

What data do you actually store?

Accepted Answer

We only extract the minimum data needed for suburb overviews:
    
      Property address: Physical address only (unit/lot, street, suburb, state, postcode)
      Fee data: Fee amounts, descriptions, and date ranges
      Email (optional): Only if you choose to receive contributor rankings and notifications
    
    What we DON'T store:
    
      Your uploaded document (deleted immediately)
      Owner names
      Postal addresses (if different from property address)
      Phone numbers
      Original filenames

Question 23

What does "improve AI extraction accuracy" mean in your privacy policy?

Accepted Answer

We analyze patterns in the structured data you've already shared (like common fee categories or address formats) to make our extraction more accurate for future users.
    For example, if we notice many statements list "Administrative Fund" vs "Admin Fund", we can improve our AI to recognise both variations.
    Important: We never analyze, store, or train on your original documents. This improvement uses only the extracted fee amounts and addresses you've already consented to share - not your original PDF or image.

Question 24

Can I delete my contribution?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You have the right to request deletion of your personal information.
    To request deletion:
    
      Email privacy@bodycorporatefees.com with subject "Data Deletion Request"
      Provide your email address and/or property address
      We will delete your email subscription and personal identifiers within 30 days
    
    Note: Anonymised contribution data (property address and fees) may be retained for suburb overviews, as it cannot be traced back to you and is necessary for our service to function.

Question 25

Can I access the data programmatically or via an API?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Body Corporate Fees offers API access for authorised developers, businesses, and AI agents that need programmatic access to suburb fee data.
    What the API provides:
    
      Suburb fee benchmarks and progress data
      Bulk suburb queries (multiple suburbs in one request)
      Data contribution endpoints for automated systems (e.g. strata management platforms)
      Chat/Q&A delegation to our AI knowledge base
    
    How to get access: Email info@bodycorporatefees.com to request an API key, with a brief description of your use case.
    Note: API access is limited to public suburb data. Premium suburb reports remain available for human purchasers only.

Question 26

Is there an OpenAPI specification?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The full OpenAPI 3.1 specification for all available endpoints is published at /api/openapi.json (and /api/openapi.yaml).
    The specification documents:
    
      All available API endpoints and their purpose
      Request and response schemas
      Authentication requirements (X-API-Key header for agent endpoints)
      Rate limiting and error response formats
    
    The OpenAPI spec is compatible with tools like Swagger UI, Postman, LangChain, and other agent frameworks that can auto-generate API clients.

Question 27

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We implement comprehensive security measures:
    
      HTTPS/SSL encryption: All data transmitted securely
      Encryption: Data encrypted at rest
      Immediate deletion: Documents deleted within 30 seconds
      Restricted access: Database access limited with authentication
      Environment security: API keys and secrets stored in secure environment variables
      No sensitive PII: We don't store owner names, phone numbers, or personal postal addresses
    
    We comply with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

Question 28

Which browsers are supported?

Accepted Answer

Our platform works on all modern browsers:
    
      Chrome: Version 90+ (recommended)
      Firefox: Version 88+
      Safari: Version 14+ (including iOS Safari)
      Edge: Version 90+
    
    For the best experience, we recommend using the latest version of your browser. Mobile browsers are fully supported - you can upload photos of your statements directly from your phone.

Question 29

The upload is taking too long. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

Upload processing typically takes 5-10 seconds. If it's taking longer:
    
      Check file size: Large files (near 10MB) take longer to process
      Check internet connection: Slow connections may delay upload
      Complex documents: Multi-page PDFs with lots of data take longer
      Wait 30 seconds: If nothing happens after 30 seconds, refresh and try again
    
    If you continue experiencing issues, email support@bodycorporatefees.com with details about your browser and file type.

Question 30

Do you support properties outside Australia?

Accepted Answer

No, we currently only support Australian properties.
    Our system validates all addresses against Australian address databases and will reject non-Australian addresses.
    We focus exclusively on Australian body corporate and strata fees to provide the most accurate and relevant suburb overviews for the Australian property market.

Frequently Asked Questions

Using the Platform

Pricing & Access

Suburb Overviews & Data

Chat Assistant

Account & Notifications

Privacy & Data

API & Developer Access

Technical

Still have questions?