Do you know who is responsible for repairs and maintenance of your Lot and the Common Property?
NSW Fair Trading provides a Common Property Memorandum which is a list of who is responsible.
Refer to the tables below for Owners Corporation Responsibilities and Lot Owners Responsibilities
Owners Corporation Responsibilities for Maintenance, Repair or Replacement
| 1. | Balcony and Courtyards | – columns and railings – doors, windows and walls (unless the plan was registered before 1 July 1974 – refer to the registered strata plan) – balcony ceilings (including painting) – security doors, other than those installed by an owner after registration of the strata plan – original tiles and associated waterproofing, affixed at the time of registration of the strata plan – common wall fencing, shown as a thick line on the strata plan – dividing fences on a boundary of the strata parcel that adjoin neighbouring land – awnings within common property outside the cubic space of a balcony or courtyard – walls of planter boxes shown by a thick line on the strata plan – that part of a tree which exists within common property |
| 2. | Ceiling/Roof | – false ceilings installed at the time of registration of the strata plan (other than painting, which is the lot owner’s responsibility) – plastered ceilings and vermiculite ceilings (other than painting, which shall be the lot owner’s responsibility) – guttering – membranes |
| 3. | Electrical | – air conditioning systems serving more than one lot – automatic garage door opener, other than those installed by an owner after the registration of the strata plan and not including any related remote controller – fuses and fuse board in meter room – intercom handset and wiring serving more than one lot – electrical wiring serving more than one lot – light fittings serving more than one lot – power point sockets serving more than one lot – smoke detectors whether connected to the fire board in the building or not (and other fire safety equipment subject to the regulations made under Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979) – telephone, television, internet and cable wiring within common property walls – television aerial, satellite dish, or cable or internet wiring serving more than one lot, regardless of whether or not it is contained within any lot or on common property – lifts and lift operating systems |
| 4. | Entrance Door | – original door lock or its subsequent replacement – entrance door to a lot including all door furniture and automatic closer – security doors, other than those installed by an owner after registration of the strata plan |
| 5. | Floor | – original floorboards or parquetry flooring affixed to common property floors – mezzanines and stairs within lots, if shown as a separate level in the strata plan – original floor tiles and associated waterproofing affixed to common property floors at the time of registration of the strata plan – sound proofing floor base (eg magnesite), but not including any sound proofing installed by an owner after the registration of the strata plan |
| 6. | General | – common property walls – the slab dividing two storeys of the same lot, or one storey from an open space roof area, eg a townhouse or villa (unless the plan was registered before 1 July 1974 – refer to the registered plan) – any door in a common property wall (including all original door furniture) – skirting boards, architraves and cornices on common property walls (other than painting which shall be the lot owner’s responsibility) – original tiles and associated waterproofing affixed to the common property walls at the time of registration of the strata plan – ducting cover or structure covering a service that serves more than one lot or the common property – ducting for the purposes of carrying pipes servicing more than one lot – exhaust fans outside the lot – hot water service located outside of the boundary of any lot or where that service serves more than one lot – letter boxes within the common property – swimming pool and associated equipment – gym equipment |
| 7. | Parking/Garage | – carports, other than those within the cubic space of a lot and referred to in the strata plan, or which have been installed by an owner after registration of the strata plan – electric garage door opener (motor and device) including automatic opening mechanism which serves more than one lot – garage doors, hinge mechanism and lock, if shown by a thick line on the strata plan or if outside the cubic space of the lot – mesh between parking spaces, if shown by a thick line on the strata plan |
| 8. | Plumbing | – floor drain or sewer in common property – pipes within common property wall, floor or ceiling – main stopcock to unit – storm water and on-site detention systems below ground |
| 9. | Windows | – windows in common property walls, including window furniture, sash cord and window seal – insect screens, other than those installed by an owner after registration of the strata plan – original lock or other lock if subsequent replacement by the owners corporation |
Lot Owners Responsibilities for Maintenance, Repair or Replacement
| 1. | Balcony and Courtyards | – awnings, decks, pergola, privacy screen, louvres, retaining walls, planter walls, steps or other structures within the cubic space of a balcony or courtyard and now shown as common property on the strata plan – that part of a tree within the cubic space of a lot |
| 2. | Ceiling/Roof | – false ceilings inside the lot installed by an owner after the registration of the strata plan |
| 3. | Electrical | – air conditioning systems, whether inside or outside of a lot, which serve only that lot – fuses and fuse boards within the lot and serving only that lot – in-sink food waste disposal systems and water filtration systems – electrical wiring in non-common property walls within a lot and serving only that lot – light fittings, light switches and power point sockets within the lot serving only that lot – telephone, television, internet and cable wiring within non-common property walls and serving only that lot – telephone, television, internet and cable service and connection sockets – intercom handsets serving one lot and associated wiring located within non-common walls |
| 4. | Entrance Door | – door locks additional to the original lock (or subsequent replacement of the original lock) – keys, security cards and access passes |
| 5. | Floor | – floor tiles and any associated waterproofing affixed by an owner after the registration of the strata plan – lacquer and staining on surface of floorboards or parquetry flooring – internal carpeting and floor coverings, unfixed floating floors – mezzanines and stairs within lots that are not shown or referred to in the strata plan |
| 6. | General | – internal (non-common) property walls – paintwork inside the lot (including ceiling and entrance door) – built-in wardrobes, cupboards, shelving – dishwasher – stove – washing machine and clothes dryer – hot water service exclusive to a single lot (whether inside or outside of the cubic space of that lot) – internal doors (including door furniture) – skirting boards and architraves on non-common property walls – tiles and associated waterproofing affixed to non-common property walls – letterbox within a lot – pavers installed within the lot’s boundaries – ducting cover or structure covering a service that serves a single lot |
| 7. | Parking/Garage | – garage door remote controller – garage doors, hinge mechanism and lock where the lot boundary is shown as a thin line on the strata plan and the door is inside the lot boundary – light fittings inside the lot where the light is used exclusively for the lot – mesh between parking spaces where shown as a thin line, dotted line or no line on the strata plan (this will be treated as a dividing fence to which the Dividing Fences Act 1991 applies) |
| 8. | Plumbing | – pipes, downstream of any stopcock, only serving that lot and not within any common property wall – pipes and ‘S’ bend beneath sink, laundry tub or hand basin – sink, laundry tub or hand basin – toilet bowl and cistern – bath – shower screen – bathroom cabinet and mirror – taps and associated hardware |
| 9. | Windows | – window cleaning – interior and exterior surfaces (other than those which cannot safely be accessed by the lot owner or occupier) – locks additional to the original (or any lock replaced by an owner) – window lock keys |