Can strata stop unauthorised renovations without a by-law?

By admin,

Our complex does not have a by-law relating to renovations to lots. The addition of a new by-law is proving difficult because of the voting rules for a Special Resolution. Our main concerns are renovations which affect the structural integrity, plumbing and electrical installations, as well as the installation of hard flooring. Does current legislation offer any protection to complexes regarding unauthorised renovations if there is no by-law in place?

Do you need strata approval for floating hybrid flooring?

By admin,

We own a unit with a tiled floor. We are considering installing floating hybrid flooring with underlay on top of the existing tiled flooring. Would this require strata approval since it's not actually changing the common property tile floor beneath the floorboards?

Would there be some approval required if slight changes to the front door clearance were necessary as a result?

What to do if you receive a breach notice after approved renovations

By admin,

The Body Corporate committee gave me permission to remove old tiles on the back verandah of my ground-floor apartment and replace them with new tiles. The tilers had to remove the balustrade railing and a large metal screen situated right in the middle of my verandah. After the work was completed, the tilers refused to replace the railing and screen.

Tradesman have replaced the railing, but were unable to replace the old screen.

What happens if an owner installs an unapproved structure?

By admin,

An owner asked to put an outdoor covered area onto their exclusive use courtyard. It was agreed, as long as they used materials in keeping with the current building.

They erected a temporary tent structure attached to the fence and it has been up for 6 months. Owners have requested it be taken down and built to what was agreed but the owner of that lot refuses to take it down. The tent is located in the lot owner’s exclusive use courtyard.

Can a body corporate refuse caravan parking on your lot?

By admin,

We live in a body corporate estate and own our lot freehold. We want to park our caravan on our lot. The bylaws state caravans can be parked on the lot if they are suitably screened. We’ve requested approval and been told by the BCM that the committee says our lot is not suitable for screening.

There has been a caravan stored on a neighbouring lot for 3 years with no screen. Does this set precedence? We have asked why our lot is unsuitable, but have not received a response. What can we do?

Can a lot owner install a satellite dish on common property?

By admin,

In a QLD body corporate, what are the lot owner's rights and responsibilities if they want to install a satellite dish on common property, such as a roof?

We have an owner who wants to install a Starlink dish. The committee is supportive, but want to make sure we are compliant with all requirements.

Who pays for taller garage doors in a strata scheme?

By admin,

We have a unit on the Sunshine Coast in a 30 year old building. The body corporate is considering replacing garage doors. Some owners would like to pay the difference to increase the height of their garage doors.

The body corporate committee states that if lot owners increase the height of their doors, they will be responsible for all future maintenance or door replacements. How is this fair when the increase is only around 5% of the total door. The alteration is to improve accessibility into the owner’s garage?

Can a body corporate refuse a wood heater installation?

By admin,

I’ve applied to my body corporate for permission to install a wood heater in my townhouse. The heater will be compliant with Australian Standards and will be greater than 600mm from the nearest high peak within the complex. They have refused my application because of concerns about smoke pollution and nuisance to other properties. There is over 4 meters to my neighbouring property’s boundary. We back onto free-standing residential lots with wood heaters installed. Is this reasonable?

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