My property by-laws ban riding of bicycle on the common property, and I find them to be unreasonable. When are by-laws invalid, what are my options? – Robert, QLD

My daughter and her friends enjoy riding their bicycles, but we have a by-law that bans riding of bicycle on the …

Is there a list of body corporate rules or are they just made up? – Lorna, QLD

By-laws are a set of rules that a body corporate makes to control and manage:

the common property
body corporate assets services and …

Can I add an above-ground swimming pool to my strata titled backyard? – Donna, QLD

A lock has been put on the pool gate and the only person who has the remote is the on site …

Do I need body corporate permission to bring home a pet? – Chantelle, QLD

How do I submit a request to my body corporate to allow tenants to have a pet animal? I am finding …

Can owners use their apartments for Airbnb-type rentals? – Shirley, QLD

Yes, if you are the apartment owner, you can let it out for Airbnb. Queensland’s laws allow for Airbnb-type short-term rentals …

I own my villa which is under the strata scheme. My question is can I use my home for Airbnb while I’m living in it? – Trevor, NSW

Yes, you can use your villa for short-term letting purposes. However, since your villa is under a strata scheme, you need …

Whom do I need to notify if I want to commence short-term leases on my 2 bedroom apartment? – Janita, NSW

You are free to do so if you own the property, as long as you’re following your property by-laws and planning regulations …

Can the parking by-laws of common property not be amended without all owners voting? And does the majority vote take precedence? Would the motion be an ordinary resolution vote or a resolution without dissent? – Kelly, NSW

Some owners in our strata complex want to make changes to the common area by-laws in relation to visitors parking. The …

What are the regulations for noise control in strata properties and who should pay for a noise assessment report? – Vincent, NSW

The neighbour complained my bathroom fan is noisy in the strata building. What are the regulations for noise control in strata? …

I live in a community development. The community association want to install better pool security. This includes access fobs for which they want to charge a fee in addition to community levies. Those without a fob will not be able to access the facility. Can they do this? – Chris, NSW

Yes, the community association can install pool security, and every property would need to get a fob for access to the …

How can body corporates stop Airbnb or short term rentals in Queensland? Glen, QLD

In Queensland, body corporates cannot stop or restrict short-term rentals. While the body corporate oversees and maintains the common property and …

The occupants of the apartment immediately below mine sometimes smoke in their balcony and the smoke gets into my apartment. I like to keep my balcony door open for fresh air. How can I get them to stop? – Johannes, NSW

If they’re smoking on their own balcony or within the premises of their own property, there’s not much the strata committee …

Who is responsible for maintaining gutters in the front of my townhouse and fixing the leaking roof that is damaging the carpet inside? – Debbie. C, NSW

If the gutters are part of common property, your strata committee or owners corporation would be responsible for maintaining this. It …

I own an apartment in Sydney. Our neighbours smoke right next to our main bedroom and of course the smell wafts in. We can never leave the windows open because of that. Strata has sent 2 letters in regards to the smoke situation but there’s been no improvement. What can strata do at this point? Can I get strata to install non smoking signs in all the entrances of the building? – Michael, NSW

It depends on where your neighbours are standing while they smoke – are they doing this within the premises of their …

I live by myself in a strata townhouse and would like to own a dog as a companion. Do I need permission for this? – Melissa, NSW

When it comes to owning and managing pets in strata properties, the first thing to do is to check the by-laws …