Trustee meeting, levy and CSOS dispute deadlines every community scheme executive should track

Trustees and HOA directors carry several separate clocks at once: a minimum notice period before any trustee meeting, a quarterly CSOS levy payment date, a 30-day window to register a new scheme, and a roughly 90-day turnaround once a CSOS dispute is lodged. None of these are the AGM deadline — they run continuously through the year.

Reviewed by TefCo Compliance Research — last verified 15 September 2026.

In short

A trustee meeting needs a minimum of 7 days' written notice, with the agenda attached, unless called as a matter of urgency (Prescribed Management Rule 11).
CSOS levies are invoiced and paid on a quarterly cycle: Q1 by 30 April, Q2 by 30 July, Q3 by 30 October, and a Q4 date each scheme should confirm with CSOS.
A new community scheme must register with CSOS within 30 days of incorporation, or within 30 days of the CSOS Regulations having come into effect for older schemes.
CSOS aims to resolve a dispute within about 90 days of a valid application, moving through conciliation before adjudication.

Trustee meetings: notice, not just quorum

Any one trustee may call a trustee meeting at any time, but must give all other trustees written notice of a minimum of 7 days, including the time, place and the agenda for the meeting, under Prescribed Management Rule 11 of Annexure 1 to the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Regulations. A shorter, reasonable notice period is only allowed where the meeting is genuinely urgent.

Trustees living outside South Africa do not need to be notified, unless a replacement trustee has been appointed for them, in which case the replacement must get notice instead. Trustees can also pre-agree a standing schedule of meeting dates and a standard agenda, which then stands in for individual notices.

Recurring clocks for trustees and scheme executives
Obligation	Timing	Source
Trustee meeting notice	Minimum 7 days, agenda attached	Prescribed Management Rule 11 (STSMA Regulations)
New scheme registration with CSOS	Within 30 days of incorporation	CSOS Act 9 of 2011, section 59
CSOS levy payment	Quarterly: 30 Apr / 30 Jul / 30 Oct / confirm Q4 date	CSOS Payment and Collection of Levies presentation (2025)
CSOS dispute turnaround	Target of around 90 days from a valid application	CSOS FAQs

The CSOS levy runs on a quarterly clock, not the scheme's financial year

CSOS's own guidance sets a quarterly payment schedule: Quarter 1 covers 1 April to 30 June and is payable by 30 April, Quarter 2 covers 1 July to 30 September and is payable by 30 July, and Quarter 3 covers 1 October to 31 December and is payable by 30 October. This is separate from the scheme's own financial year end, so a scheme whose year end falls mid-year still owes CSOS on this calendar-quarter rhythm.

Interest is charged on underpayments, and not having received an invoice does not remove the obligation to pay — the scheme must use the correct CSOS registration number as the payment reference or the payment can go unallocated.

Confirm the exact Quarter 4 due date with CSOS before relying on it — the published presentation sets out Q1 to Q3 clearly but readers should verify the Q4 date currently in force.

Registration is a 30-day clock, and it now has to happen on CSOS Connect

A new community scheme must register with CSOS within 30 days of its incorporation, and CSOS commits to processing a fully completed registration within 7 business days of receipt. Manual registration is no longer accepted for existing schemes — registration and amendments run through the CSOS Connect platform.

Once registered, the scheme must file its supporting governance documents — rules, constitution or memorandum of incorporation, and the levy schedule — within 30 days of receiving its registration certificate.

If a dispute is referred to CSOS

Before CSOS will accept a dispute application, the internal dispute resolution mechanisms of the scheme itself must have been exhausted. Once a valid application is lodged, CSOS first refers the matter to conciliation; if that fails, a Notice of Non-Resolution is issued and the matter moves to adjudication. CSOS's own FAQ page states a target turnaround of up to 90 days from the date of application, depending on the case's complexity.

Frequently asked

Can a trustee meeting go ahead with less than 7 days' notice?

Only where the meeting is genuinely urgent, in which case a shorter but still reasonable notice period is permitted under Prescribed Management Rule 11. This is a narrow exception, not a routine option.

What happens if a scheme misses a CSOS levy quarter?

CSOS charges interest on underpayments, and non-payment does not depend on having received an invoice. Persistent non-compliance can also affect the scheme's standing when its annual return is reviewed.

Is there a fee to register a scheme with CSOS?

CSOS's own governance and enforcement material states there is no fee to register a scheme. Readers should confirm this against the current CSOS Connect process before assuming it still 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.