It’s not just that. Under section 258 the owner must notify the Owners Corp of a change of tenant (see below).
And there is another more cost-effective way of tracing the owner. If there is a genuine debt against the lot (for non-payment of levies, for instance) you can employ a strata debt collection service with all reasonable charges involved in collecting the debt payable by the debtor. Debt collection agencies have all the means of tracing people at their disposal.
This is what I would be telling the tenants – your landlords are about to be charged thousands of dollars in debt collection fees and strata fines if they don’t contact the strata manager immediately.
258 Tenancy notice to be given to owners corporation of leases or subleases
(1) If a lot is leased, the lessor must give notice of the lease, in accordance with this section, to the owners corporation not later than 14 days after the commencement of the lease
Maximum penalty: 5 penalty units
(2) If a lot is subleased, the sub-lessor must give notice of the sublease, in accordance with this section, to the owners corporation not later than 14 days after the commencement of the sublease
Maximum penalty: 5 penalty units
(3) If a lease or sublease of a lot is assigned, the assignor must give notice of the assignment, in accordance with this section, to the owners corporation not later than 14 days after the execution of the assignment
Maximum penalty: 5 penalty units.
(4) The notice must be in writing and specify:
(a) the name of the tenant and an address for service of the tenant, and
b) the date of commencement or assignment of the lease or sublease, as the case requires, and
(c) the name of any agent acting for the owner in respect of the lease or sublease.
Note : An address for service of notices may be an Australian postal address or other electronic address, including an email address (see section 261).
(5) This section does not apply to the lease of a lot by the lessor of a strata leasehold scheme to a lessee who is the owner of a lot.
(6) A notice under this section is to be given to the original owner if it is given during the initial period of the owners corporation for a strata scheme.