• Read more about An owner made substantial unapproved changes before putting their Class B townhouse up for sale — what do we do?
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A townhouse in our Class B strata scheme is up for auction. Through the selling process, neighbours have discovered that the owner has made unapproved changes to the property, e.g. replaced a square window with a rectangular window, replaced a sliding door with a standard door and removed a pergola. Vegetation had obscured these changes, which we observed during an open-house inspection. We've notified the executive committee, but it is slow to act, and the strata manager is not always reliable.

• Read more about + Guide to Unit Titles Legislation Amendment Act 2020
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Can you please provide any guidance on whether there are specific guidelines for the preparation of maintenance plans and the undertaking of safety audits by strata managers?

Furthermore, is it necessary to engage professionals to undertake the work and preparation of the assessments? This matter relates to a small unit complex of 28 units, all at ground level.

• Read more about COO meeting minutes omit dates and years — how can we determine the age and legitimacy of the recorded decisions?
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For several years, our council of owners conducted their meetings without a strata manager, and the chairperson took the minutes, which are very poorly written and difficult to understand, missing date details and the year the meeting took place. Owners have voiced concerns to the council of owners, particularly the chairperson. When we review the minutes, we cannot determine which year the meetings took place. The council of owners approved these minutes as a true record.

• Read more about Do survey strata schemes of 10 lots require a 10-year maintenance plan?
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• Read more about Can a body corporate deny permission to install a small solar panel on common property to power lighting inside a unit?
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I own a unit in Burleigh Heads in a body corporate scheme. I applied to install solar powered lights inside my unit, which requires a small solar panel attached to the roof. The body corporate denied my application because the roof is common property.

Is there any way to challenge this decision, given that the solar panel is small, would improve lighting inside my unit, and could also benefit other owners if they installed similar panels?

• Read more about Can the reserve fund only be used to fund common property repairs and maintenance?
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Our new strata manager said our reserve fund can only be used for common property, not the proposed painting of all six lots in our small complex. Our previous strata manager said this was allowed. Is this correct?

We have very little common property and would not have accumulated $9000 in our reserve fund if we knew it could only be used on common areas.

• Read more about Can a developer install an air conditioning unit on common property after residents have moved in?
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I am part of the owners corporation of an apartment building in Victoria. All residents moved in during August 2025. The developer has recently installed an air conditioning unit on the rooftop, which is common property, with a covered pipe running through it. The developer claims this installation was agreed to during construction and is only being completed now.

Can a developer install infrastructure like this on common property after residents have moved in? How should the owners corporation approach responsibility if the unit is damaged?

• Read more about We have a council member emailing the strata company to the point of harassment — what are our legal options?
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We have a strata council member who is constantly emailing the strata company. The strata company has asked the other council members to speak to her in relation to her conduct as they believe she is harassing them consistently.

The council’s concern is that if this doesn’t cease we will have to find a new strata company [even though the current one is very average], however we are all finding it extremely difficult to deal with this council member.

What are our legal options?

• Read more about Access denied: what can the body corporate do if entry is refused?
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A unit needs work carried out, but the tenant is not responding to entry notices. The lot owner lives overseas and appears not to be notifying the tenant about the need for access. How can the body corporate gain entry to carry out the required work?

• Read more about Who is responsible for repairing and maintaining the original timber floor in a heritage commercial strata building?
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In the ACT, who is responsible for repairing and maintaining the original timber floor constructed on original timber joists and bearers on the ground floor in a heritage commercial strata building?

I assume the timber floor is part of the original building structure. Is it the lot owner or the owners corporation’s responsibility?