Question: Before moving into a townhouse, we have some maintenance and repairs to carry out within our unit. Do we need to get permission from our Body Corporate?
Before moving into a townhouse, we have some maintenance and repairs to carry out within our unit. Do we need to get permission from our Body Corporate? We are looking to:-
- Permanently close a window by putting a fibre sheet and plastering it. This window faces our courtyard and not the common area.
- Install a range hood, which will require a new exhaust vent to be created on a wall. This wall already has a couple of exhaust vents from two other units.
Answer: ‘It depends’ is the answer to both questions.
“It depends” is the answer to both questions. It depends on your plan of subdivision, applicable regulation module, whether your proposed changes encroach onto common property and what the by-laws saw.
If it’s a townhouse then it’s likely you’re what’s called a standard format plan. You should be able to tell the regulation module and by-laws from your purchase documents, assuming they include what’s called the Community Management Statement.
So with all of that in mind and noting that a definitive answer isn’t possible at the moment, I’d say that on (1), if it’s within the boundary of your lot, you may not need approval, depending on any by-laws regarding appearance and on (2), if installation is going to occur on common property – and it sounds like it is – then you may need approval.
This post appears in the July 2021 edition of The QLD Strata Magazine.
Chris Irons
Strata Solve
E: chris@stratasolve.com.au
P: 0419 805 898
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