Question: Our building has a built-in MATV system, but no antenna feeding it. The committee says it’s each owner’s problem to fix. Who is responsible for installing and maintaining the common antenna?
Our unit complex of 6 units has built-in infrastructure for free-to-air TV signal distribution, with TV signal sockets in every unit. I believe this is called an MATV system. Currently, there is no antenna supplying a signal to these. When I raised this, the body corporate manager and committee advised that it is each lot owner’s responsibility and cost to install an antenna on the roof.
Since the signal distribution system is common property and requires only one common antenna, why is each owner required to install an antenna on their roof? I feel this creates unnecessary risk and complications, including:
- potential waterproofing issues;
- roof penetrations;
- inconsistent installation standards; and
- unnecessary visual clutter on the roof structure.
Can the body corporate manager and committee refuse to install a common aerial outright when the building was designed to have one? What actions can I take if the committee is acting unreasonably?
Answer: Where a MATV system exists as common property, the body corporate is generally responsible for maintaining it, including the common antenna that feeds the system.
Generally, an MATV (Master Antenna Television) system is designed to distribute a free-to-air signal from a single common antenna through shared cabling to each unit’s wall outlet. Where that infrastructure already exists in the walls and is common property, the body corporate would typically be responsible for maintaining it in working order, and a single common antenna is what the system is built to accept.
The committee’s suggested approach, requiring each owner to install their own antenna on the roof, is not how MATV is designed to work. I agree with the risks and complications you outline above. For a six-unit building, a single master antenna and head-end is usually a straightforward and relatively low-cost option.
If the antenna was previously working and is now not working, then that is definitely a maintenance burden that falls on the building as a whole, not anyone individually.
We cannot outline any specific further steps you may take. However, we suggest you engage in a detailed discussion about this and ask for any reasons why it’s not considered shared property maintenance. For antenna installation and MATV systems, we recommend engaging a qualified antenna installer with experience in multi-unit buildings.
This post appears in the July 2026 edition of The QLD Strata Magazine.
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