Question: Before approving our bathroom renovations, our current strata manager is demanding to see the records from 2009 renovations done by a previous lot owner. I’m not even sure who the strata manager was at that time. What can I do?
We are wanting to do some bathroom renovations to our unit. A previous owner renovated in 2009. The current Strata Manager and Owners Corporation are aware that approval was given by the previous Strata Manager but are demanding the records showing approval to renovate.
I can’t find out who the Strata Managing agent was for that time period, and I’m not sure how else I could find these records.
Answer: There is a risk that records from 2009 may have been archived or destroyed.
The main problem you may face is that strata records must be kept for 7 years, so there is a risk that records from 2009 may have been archived or destroyed by now. I assume that the owners corporation are asking for proof that the previous bathroom renovations were approved in 2009.
If they are aware that a previous strata manager advised approval was given, they must know who that Strata Manager was. You are entitled, as an owner, to get access to the owners corporation records for your building. Those records may include the advice from the previous manager, or may include the records from that manager, going back to the time of the 2009 renovations.
You should arrange a search of these records. If you are not confident about searching the records yourself, you can request a property inspection business, like ours, to carry out the search on your behalf. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss this issue further before taking any action. We are happy to assist, even if you don’t engage us to carry out a records inspection for you.
This post appears in the October 2021 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
Michael Ferrier EYEON Property Inspections E: michael.ferrier@eyeon.com.au P: 02 9260 5510