Question: Is an individual apartment dishwasher covered under the body corporate’s strata building insurance, or do items like this fall under the lot owner’s contents insurance?
Does an apartment’s dishwasher form part of the building insured value? And if so, is it insured under the strata building insurance? Does that mean when the dishwasher is retired, the body corporate’s sinking fund must replace it with the same model? Are there replacement model and value bylaws required?
Or, do individual apartment dishwashers fall under lot owner’s contents insurance?
Answer: Unless the dishwasher is permanently affixed, it usually falls under the owner’s contents or landlord insurance.
In most cases, a dishwasher is regarded as the lot owner’s contents rather than part of the building insured under the strata policy.
The exception is where the dishwasher is permanently affixed to the building. In those circumstances, it may be considered part of the building and therefore insured under the body corporate’s strata building insurance. My understanding, however, is that most dishwashers are not permanently affixed, largely because they are appliances with a finite service life and are designed to be replaced over time.
It is also important to distinguish between insurance responsibility and maintenance responsibility, as these are often confused. Even where an item is insured under the body corporate’s building policy, this does not automatically mean the body corporate is responsible for maintaining or replacing it outside of an insured event.
For example, many fixtures within a lot are insured under the strata building policy, but the lot owner remains responsible for their maintenance and replacement as part of their obligations under the legislation and the by-laws. The insurance simply responds if the item is damaged by an insured event, subject to the policy terms, conditions and exclusions.
Accordingly, even if a dishwasher were considered part of the building for insurance purposes, that would not mean the body corporate is required to replace it at the end of its useful life or fund its replacement from the sinking fund. Routine replacement due to age or wear and tear would generally remain the lot owner’s responsibility.
This information is of a general nature only and neither represents nor is intended to be personal advice on any particular matter. Shandit Pty Ltd T/as Strata Insurance Solutions strongly suggests that no person should act specifically on the basis of the information in this document, but should obtain appropriate professional advice based on their own personal circumstances and the specific coverage afforded under their policy wording. Shandit Pty Ltd T/As Strata Insurance Solutions is a Corporate Authorised Representative (No. 404246) of Insurance Advisernet Australia AFSL No 240549, ABN 15 003 886 687.
This post appears in the August 2026 edition of The QLD Strata Magazine.
Tyrone Shandiman Strata Insurance Solutions E: tshandiman@iaa.net.au P: 1300 554 165
