Question: If common area carpet staining is traced to one apartment, are they liable for the cleaning cost? Does insurance cover the cleaning, and can the fee be added to that owner’s levies?
Who is liable for cleaning common area carpets if staining is attributed to one particular apartment? Could cleaning costs be covered by strata insurance?
Also, can cleaning or replacement be done without forwarding all quotes to the lot owner and then the fee just added to their levies?
Answer: The owners corporation can pursue the responsible resident for the cleaning cost, but insurance won’t normally cover it unless it’s vandalism.
The owners corporation would be advised to clean the carpets in the first instance. They need solid evidence of the identity of the resident responsible. Is it a tenant or an owner? If a rental, this would have to be referred to the letting agent or landlord.
Insurance would only cover damage relating to an insurable event. This would not normally come under an insurable event unless caused by vandalism. Also, the owners corporation would have an excess on claims, which would normally be more than the cost to clean.
The owners corporation could add the cost to an owner’s levy, but this would have to be agreed to by the unit owner.
This post appears in Strata News #807.
Jan Browne Bridge Strata E: jan@bridgestrata.com.au P: 02 6109 7700
