Michael Teys is the Founder and Chairman of The Strata Professionals Australia. He brings together more than 30 years of specialist strata law practice, a decade of strata business ownership, and an active programme of academic research into multi-owned property governance.
Michael practised as a specialist strata lawyer from 1994 to 2018, advising committees, developers, and owners on the full spectrum of strata disputes, compliance, and governance. He served as a Fellow of the Australian College of Strata Law from 2006 to 2018. From 2004 to 2014 he was the CEO and major shareholder of strata management companies operating across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia, with a combined portfolio of 28,000 apartments. Running those businesses gave him direct exposure to the operational pressures strata managers face and revealed the structural weaknesses that became the catalyst for founding The Strata Professionals Australia.
Michael holds a Master of Philosophy (Built Environment) from UNSW, where his thesis examined how mixed-use strata developments create anti-commons risks that impede urban renewal. He has held research positions at the City Futures Research Centre (UNSW) and Deakin University, contributing to published work on building defects, passive fire protection, and pathways to professionalism for strata managers. He presents regularly at international research forums and policy discussions, including the International Research Forum on Multi-Owned Properties, the House of Commons, and the International Institute for the Sociology of Law. His current research undertakes a comparative socio-legal analysis of catastrophic governance failures in high-rise, multi-owned residential buildings.
This combination of legal practice, business ownership, and academic research gives Michael a perspective few in the Australian strata industry can match. Every element of the firm’s operating model, from the no-commission pricing structure to the Balanced Strata Method™ governance framework, is grounded in something tested rather than assumed. Committees that engage The Strata Professionals Australia are engaging a firm led by someone who understands their legal obligations, has run the operations they rely on, and is actively shaping the future of strata governance through published research and policy engagement.
Four Corners Exposes Strata Manager Scandals: Get ahead of the crisis with expert advice. Learn how to handle tough questions, protect your reputation, and maintain client trust in the face of industry scrutiny. Don't miss this essential guide for strata managers navigating the aftermath of the Four Corners investigation.
This article delves into the critical issue of compliance risk in strata management, highlighted by a recent tragic incident involving a fatal accident on common property. The article explores the severe consequences faced by the strata manager, including potential hefty fines and the devastating personal impact of such a tragedy. It argues for a greater recognition of the significant risks inherent in strata management, emphasising the need for increased professional training, improved service delivery, and a commensurate adjustment of management fees to reflect these heightened responsibilities.
This article exposes the potential pitfalls of using comparison brokers to find new strata management services. It highlights conflicts of interest, questionable business practices, and the potential for unrealistic expectations among owners.
Is your strata management business profitable? Learn how Miller's Law and industry benchmarks reveal the harsh reality of the current pricing model.
Many professionals fall in love with their careers but find themselves trapped in the relentless demands of running a business, risking their health, relationships, and personal fulfillment. This article explores the moment of realizing “enough is enough” and the importance of reclaiming time through mindset shifts and smarter systems to achieve both business success and a balanced life.
This article discusses critical issues affecting the strata management industry. It features an interview with industry experts on a podcast, delving into topics such as questionable charging practices, accountability gaps, and the challenges of industry reform.
Discover how a simple chart reveals the breakdown of administrative and capital works levies in a 14-lot residential scheme in Sydney, debunking the myth that strata fees are excessively profitable.
Strata law reform has become an interstate sport to rival any national sporting league. Each state and territory compete, holding enquiries, roundtables, and issuing endless white papers and press releases. They proudly claim their ideas to be the latest and greatest. The rules of the game require them to largely ignore independent research, and critical evaluation of the lessons of each other’s previous attempts.
A deadly pattern is emerging in the world’s high rise disasters. From Wang Fuk to Grenfell to Champlain Towers, residents warned, experts hesitated and regulators failed to act. Australia has escaped mass casualties so far—but is that design, response, or luck? This blog asks the hard questions about what must change.
