Question: Can a committee member withhold common property access keys, leaving the owners corporation unable to access essential areas?
We have a committee member who refuses to hand over access keys for our block’s common property. We currently have no access to the stairwell, roof hatch, power board or smart meters. The issue stems from a dispute between the committee member and another owner.
The committee has largely been unresponsive. What are our rights, and what can we do to get access restored?
Answer: Access keys for common property should be held by the owners corporation manager or in a secure on-site key safe, not by individual committee members.
Access to restricted areas on common property, such as the roof and services cupboards, usually requires permission from the owners corporation manager to a service provider who requests and requires access for work. The owners corporation needs to ensure that the person accessing the common property holds the proper insurance and licences to carry out the work and to ensure their safety, as the owners corporation is classified as a workplace under Occupational Health and Safety legislation.
The keys should be held in a key safe that is kept in a secure location on common property, with the code held by the manager to provide to service providers and contractors upon receipt of the required information.
In some instances, the chairperson can hold a master key to allow access in the event of an emergency. However, the manager will likely also have a set of keys for the restricted access areas.
In the future, we suggest you contact the manager if access is required. Your service provider can collect the keys from their office or access the on-site key safe (if any). If your owners corporation engages an after-hours emergency hotline, the company will hold the building’s access details if a contractor is required in an emergency.
In relation to the stairwell, access from your floor into the stairwell should not be impeded, as this is a fire escape. The stairwell allows a safe path of egress to the ground floor or your main emergency exit in the event of a fire. Access is usually restricted internally at each level of the fire stairwell. This is a safety measure during a building fire to prevent people from re-entering levels, which could lead to loss of life if they get trapped.
Further, any works to the stairwell would be classified as common property works. Lot owners should not carry out any works to any part of the common property unless the owners corporation has voted to grant permission to do so.
This post appears in the May 2026 edition of The VIC Strata Magazine.
Sim Firns
Bluestone OCM Pty Ltd
Sim.firns@bluestoneocm.com.au
P: 03 8535 2770
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