Repairs & Maintenance

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

Source: NSW Fair Trading