Body corporate and managing agent deadlines in South Africa — AGM, CSOS returns and FFC renewal

A sectional title body corporate has two hard annual clocks: the annual general meeting within four months of financial year end, and the CSOS annual return within four months of financial year end. A managing agent that is a property practitioner has a third: the PPRA Fidelity Fund Certificate renewal window, which runs from 1 July to 31 October each year for the following certificate year.

Reviewed by TefCo Compliance Research — last verified 7 September 2026.

In short

AGM within four months of the scheme's financial year end (Prescribed Management Rule 17, made under the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act 8 of 2011, section 10).
CSOS annual return within four months of financial year end (Community Schemes Ombud Service Act 9 of 2011, section 59).
CSOS levies are collected monthly per unit, not once a year.
PPRA renewal is a window, not a single date — 1 July to 31 October for the next certificate year.

The four-month rule, twice over

Prescribed Management Rule 17, in Annexure 1 to the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Regulations, requires a body corporate to hold its annual general meeting within four months of the end of each financial year. The same four-month period governs the CSOS annual return, which is required under the Community Schemes Ombud Service Act 9 of 2011, section 59, read with the CSOS regulations.

In practice the two are done together: the AGM approves the annual financial statements, and the approved statements plus the AGM minutes are what the annual return needs.

The annual cycle for a sectional title scheme
Obligation	Timing	Source
Annual general meeting	Within 4 months of financial year end	Prescribed Management Rule 17 (STSMA Regulations)
CSOS annual return	Within 4 months of financial year end	CSOS Act 9 of 2011, section 59
CSOS levy	Monthly, per unit	CSOS Regulations: Levies and Fees (GG 40335)
PPRA FFC renewal (managing agents)	Window: 1 July – 31 October, for the following year	PPRA public notice, Property Practitioners Act 22 of 2019, section 47

How the CSOS levy works

The CSOS levy is a monthly amount per unit, calculated off the unit's own monthly levy. Nothing is payable on the first R500 of a unit's monthly levy; above that, the CSOS levy is 2% of the excess, capped at R40 per unit per month. Schemes collect it and pay it over to CSOS.

Because it is monthly and per unit, arrears build quietly. A scheme that has never paid over will usually be asked for the full history, not just the current year.

The levy formula sits in the CSOS Levies and Fees Regulations gazetted in 2016. Confirm the current figures on the CSOS levies material before budgeting — CSOS publishes updated guidance each year.

The reserve fund contribution is a deadline too

Regulation 2 of the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Regulations sets a minimum annual contribution to the reserve fund, worked out against the previous year's administrative fund contributions. Where the reserve fund is below 25% of the previous year's administrative fund contributions, the minimum contribution is 15% of the budgeted administrative fund contribution. Where the reserve fund is at 100% or more, no minimum contribution is payable. Between those two points, a tapered amount applies.

The reserve fund must be spent in line with the maintenance, repair and replacement plan under Prescribed Management Rule 24 — the budget you table at the AGM has to reflect that plan.

Fidelity Fund Certificates: a window, not a date

The Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority opens renewal for the following certificate year on 1 July and closes it on 31 October. For the 2027 certificate year, renewal ran from 1 July 2026 to 31 October 2026. The renewal notice is issued under the Property Practitioners Act 22 of 2019, section 47.

Trading without a valid Fidelity Fund Certificate is not a technical slip: commission on a transaction concluded without one is not recoverable.

Frequently asked

What happens if the AGM is late?

The body corporate is in breach of the prescribed management rules and any owner can take it to CSOS for relief. Trustees remain in office, but budget and levy resolutions taken outside a properly convened meeting are open to challenge.

Does a home owners' association also file a CSOS annual return?

Yes. The CSOS Act covers community schemes generally, not only sectional title, so HOAs registered as community schemes have the same return and levy obligations.

Can a scheme skip the reserve fund contribution if there is money in the bank?

Only where the reserve fund already stands at 100% or more of the previous year's administrative fund contributions. Below that, the minimum contribution in Regulation 2 applies.

Sources

TefCo Corporate Compliance (Pty) Ltd is a compliance management platform, not a legal, tax or advisory firm. This guide is general information, not advice. Fees, dates and thresholds change — confirm current figures with the regulator before you rely on them.