How to raise a complaint in your community scheme | A step-by-step guide for grievances
30 April 2026 | Sarah Sydenham
Living in a sectional title scheme or homeowners association (HOA) can be incredibly rewarding: shared spaces, maintained gardens, and a sense of community. But what happens when something goes wrong? A noisy neighbour. A maintenance issue nobody's fixing. A rule you feel is being enforced unfairly. Knowing how to raise a complaint properly can make all the difference between a frustrating standoff and an actual resolution.
As Nicole Nel of TVDM Consultants recently shared at the National Association of Managing Agents (NAMA) Western Cape Regional Event, the way we approach these conflicts is vital.
Nicole eloquently explained that going to the Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS) is like calling an ambulance after the accident, but internal dispute resolution is like putting on your seatbelt to prevent that accident in the first place.
Step 1: Try talking to your neighbour
It sounds obvious, but it's worth saying: before you put anything in writing or involve the trustees, try speaking directly to the person causing the issue. A calm, respectful conversation can resolve a surprising number of disputes before they become formal complaints. Not everyone realises they're causing a problem, and sometimes a quick chat is all it takes.
If that conversation doesn't go anywhere, or if the situation makes a direct approach unsafe, then it's time to take it further.
Step 2: Start inside the scheme
Before escalating a matter further, you should always use your scheme's internal dispute resolution process. Most community schemes have a process which requires a structured way to raise issues before they become expensive or formal. Typically, this involves filling out a complaint form that is delivered to the body corporate, which then notifies the other party and convenes a meeting to resolve the matter as soon as reasonably possible.
Step 3: Using mediation as your seatbelt
If the initial fails to bring peace, we suggest contacting Nicole* at TVDM Consultants for our professional mediation service. Choosing mediation has the potential to resolve issues more quickly and collaboratively than going straight to the CSOS. While the CSOS process can be combative and similar to a court proceeding, mediation is designed to bring about a collaborative solution that preserves community relationships.
*Nicole Nel is an Accredited Mediator with an LLM from Stellenbosch University, with a dissertation focused specifically on dispute resolution in community schemes. Her expertise ensures that you are working with someone who knows the legal territory of sectional titles and HOAs inside out.
Step 4: The CSOS: An "ambulance" for unresolved conflicts
If your internal process hasn't resolved things, or if your scheme simply doesn't have a proper process in place, your next step is the CSOS.
The CSOS is a national government body set up specifically to resolve disputes in community schemes. Any person who is materially affected by a dispute in a community scheme can apply for resolution.
While the CSOS is a vital tool, it should be viewed as the final resort when mediation and internal efforts have reached a dead end. The process begins with conciliation, but if that fails, it moves to adjudication where an official makes a binding order that can be enforced through the courts. It is important to remember that the CSOS will often ask for proof that you attempted the internal process first, so skipping the "seatbelt" phase can delay your case.
The bottom line | Use a practical path to resolution
Raising a complaint doesn't mean you're being difficult. It means you're using the system the way it was designed to work. Community schemes function better when issues are raised properly, and resolved appropriately.
So if something's not right in your scheme, don't just stew about it. Start with a conversation, document as you go, and if that doesn't work, consider mediation as a method of internal dispute resolution.
Need guidance on a dispute in your community scheme? Reach out to the TVDM Consultants team at info@tvdmconsultants.com or visit us at www.tvdmconsultants.com. We're here to help.
About the Author:
Sarah Sydenham is a Community Schemes Consultant at TVDM Consultants
Learn more about Sarah Sydenham here.