Should developers pay construction-phase water and cleaning costs?

QLD

Committee & Governance

This article discusses whether the developer is responsible for construction phase water costs and cleaning charges, and how the committee can seek repayment.

We have been charged over $4000 for water bills and pre-settlement cleaning during the construction phase of our new building.

Our strata committee was formed in October 2024 at the Annual General Meeting for our new building. Strata was set up in July 2024 by the developer when he held an extra ordinary general meeting. As treasurer, I noticed we've been charged over $3000 for water from June to September. This would have been during the construction phase. We have also been billed $1000 for Pre-settlement cleaning of common areas. Should these charges be the responsibility of the developer?

The committee should write to the developer and ask for a reimbursement.

The committee should write to the developer and ask for a reimbursement, or payment, of those costs incurred prior to the registration of the scheme. If that is not complied with, the committee could consider obtaining legal advice for a more formal demand to be prepared (and advice around any other rights or entitlements the body corporate may have in the early stages of the scheme's creation).

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Published: 7 Apr 2026

Last Updated: 24 Jul 2026

This post appears in The QLD Strata Magazine February 2025

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Answer by

Todd Garsden

Mahoneys

Todd is an experienced property lawyer who heads up Mahoneys body corporate team.

Todd specialises in body corporate law and predominantly acts for bodies corporate, body corporate managers and lot owners on all matters affecting bodies corporate.

Todd is an active member of the Strata Community Association (Qld). In 2019 he was appointed to the Strata Community Association (Qld) legislation committee and assists in making submissions on behalf of the Strata Community Association (Qld) on issues such as legislative reform in body corporate law.

As Todd is also a body corporate committee member, he understands the day to day requirements of administering a body corporate.

Todd has a focus on achieving practical and commercial results for his clients and understands the market in which bodies corporate operate within.

Todd also provides body corporate managers, and other industry stakeholders, with presentations and training on matters affecting the body corporate industry.