WA: Gas hot water systems in strata: Is the lot owner or strata responsible?

This article discusses strata gas hot water responsibility and when repairs fall to the lot owner instead of the strata.

Question: Who is responsible for repairing and replacing the gas hot water systems in each unit? Each unit is individually metered with its own supply connection.

Who is responsible for repairing and replacing the gas hot water systems in each unit? Each unit is individually metered with its own supply connection. I’ve checked the Act and the Regulations, but cannot find the information.

Answer: If each lot has its own hot water system that only services its lot, it’s the lot owner’s responsibility to maintain and repair it.

The strata plan is the best document to check and the by-laws for your scheme. The Act and Regulations do not define this as each strata complex and its by-laws can vary. They only refer to hot water systems under section 3AB (small lot schemes).

Some buildings have large centralised common area tanks and piping. These are likely to be strata. If each lot has its own hot water system that only services its lot, it’s the lot owner’s responsibility to maintain and repair it. The hot water system is a lot owner’s fixture / improvement.

This post appears in Strata News #690.

Jamie Horner
Empire Estate Agents
E: JHorner@empireestateagents.com
P: (08) 9262 0400