The 10-Year Maintenance Plan: The blueprint for stronger, more resilient community schemes

South Africa’s community schemes are entering a period where proactive planning is becoming one of their greatest strengths. Rising arrears, delayed collections, and aging buildings have highlighted that schemes that plan ahead thrive while those that don’t struggle unnecessarily. 

One of the most powerful tools available to everybody corporate is the 10-Year Maintenance, Repair and Replacement Plan. Required by law, but often underutilised in practice, this plan has the potential to transform the financial stability and future resilience of any scheme – but only when trustees embrace its purpose rather than treating it as a compliance exercise. 

ALSO READ: Shared spaces, shared costs – who is responsible for maintenance and repairs in sectional title? 

The introduction of the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act (STSMA) and Prescribed Management Rules (PMRs) in October 2016 reshaped the sectional title landscape. For the first time, every scheme had to adopt a long-term approach to maintenance, supported by an obligatory maintenance reserve fund. 

This shift was is meant to burden schemes, but rather to protect them. The new legal framework encourages trustees to think strategically, anticipate future needs, and remove the guesswork that leads to special levies and crisis maintenance. 

When used well, the 10-Year Plan becomes a stabilising force. It gives owners confidence, supports consistent levy budgeting, and ensures that buildings remain safe, functional, and appealing. 

Under PMR 22, every scheme must prepare a plan that: 

1. Lists major capital items needing maintenance or replacement over a ten year cycle;
2. Assesses the current condition of those items;
3. Estimate the cost of the maintenance, repair and/or replacement; an
   
4. Aligns those costs with the maintenance reserve fund 

A well-prepared plan should give owners insight into the what, when and the how maintenance needs to be tackled over the coming years and should instil confidence that the future value of their investment is secure. 

This insight provides an opportunity to move away from reactive repairs to proactive maintenance. It means that trustees can prioritise projects, schedule them sensibly, and ensure the scheme is financially ready long before the work is due. 

Although the framework appears simple, a good plan requires specialised insight. Each building is unique, with its own design, materials, and environmental stresses. A copied plan or a trustee-drafted version may overlook critical details or underestimate true costs. 

A qualified professional brings experience, accuracy, and objectivity, helping trustees avoid the pitfalls that lead to shortfalls, unplanned levies, or premature deterioration. 

While each scheme’s needs differ, comprehensive plans usually include: 

1. Roofs and waterproofing; 
2. External painting and redecorating; 
3. Security and access systems; 
4. Electrical and water reticulation; 
5. Driveways, paving, and carports; and 
6. Lifts and other mechanical equipment 

Ensuring that these core components are included gives trustees a strong foundation for long-term planning. 

The STSMA requires schemes to maintain minimum reserve fund levels, but these are merely starting points. The real goal is ensuring the maintenance reserve fund can fully support the 10-Year Plan. 

When the plan is accurate and regularly reviewed, most schemes naturally exceed the legal minimums and owners gain peace of mind knowing that major projects are already accounted for. 

The greatest value of the 10-Year Plan emerges when it is actively used. Trustees can strengthen their scheme by: 

1. Reviewing and updating the plan annually; 
2. Basing levy increases on real maintenance needs; 
3. Communicating project timelines and funding to owners; and 
4. Using the plan to guide responsible financial decisions 

This transforms the plan from a document into a roadmap for long-term sustainability. 

When embraced fully, the 10-Year Maintenance Plan becomes one of the strongest indicators of good governance. It preserves building integrity, reduces financial shocks, minimises special levies, and supports healthy property values. More importantly, it gives owners and potential purchasers’ confidence that the scheme is well-managed and future-focused. 

In a sector where delays can quietly erode stability, a strong maintenance plan does the opposite: it strengthens, stabilises, and protects. With proactive planning and disciplined execution, community schemes can look to the future not with uncertainty, but with confidence.