Question: An owner wishes to replace a roller door with a tilt door in their garage. Safety concerns exist as the door opens onto common parking, turning and pedestrian areas. What should we consider?
Are there regulations governing tilt garage doors opening onto common parking, turning and pedestrian areas? An owner wishes to replace a roller door with a tilt door for more headroom. We are concerned that the opening arc of a tilt door might present a safety issue to another vehicle or resident if the garage door is operated remotely.
Answer: If an owner applies to change either their property or the common property, it is reasonable to ask them to demonstrate that the proposed change is safe.
The body corporate is responsible for site safety. When an owner applies to modify their property or common areas, it’s reasonable to request they demonstrate that the proposed change is safe. It’s also reasonable for the committee to reject the application if safety isn’t demonstrated.
In the case of tilt doors, I couldn’t find specific safety directions around these, but there are a lot of general concerns around the additional opening space they require. If, as you indicate, the door will open into an area where people and vehicles are regularly present, it seems only a matter of time until there is some incident or accident.
As such, it is worth discussing with the owner to see what could be done. The owner could engage a safety expert to demonstrate the installation would be safe or advise on any additional changes that could be made to make it safe. Otherwise, it may be easier to look at alternatives. As the owner wants extra headroom, perhaps a different installation like a flex-a-door might be suitable instead.
This post appears in the February 2024 edition of The QLD Strata Magazine.
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