Apartment Balconies in a Body Corporate: Use and Maintenance

Balconies: who is responsible for what and the best way to interpret the responsible party – helping Committee to navigate and come to a compromise on sharing costs is part of our role as Strata Manager being fair and just to all.

Balconies: Under a building format plan (BFP) the body corporate is usually responsible for:

• The maintenance of the outside of the building including exterior doors, windows and balcony railings (including balustrade on a private balcony) “bold lines on a plan.”
• Roofing structures, including roofing membranes that provide protection for lots or common property – below, could be an overhanging balcony of a lot below.
• Waterproofing membranes within the structure of the above lot/balcony/roof.
• Supporting beams and joists are essential to the structural framework of the lots.

Balconies: Under a building format plan (BFP) the Owner is usually responsible for:

• The maintenance of the inside of the lot including doors, and windows leading out to the balcony. “thin lines on a plan.”
• Balcony floors are within the lot and are therefore the lot owner’s responsibility to maintain.

Water Leaks from Balconies: When leaking occurs from a balcony to the lot below, it is the owners’ responsibility to first engage a contractor to ensure the leak was not caused by a conduit from an AC unit on the balcony, a pot plant or other possible cause related to the owner and not all owners (the body corporate)

When the source of the leak cannot be found and the Committee have to engage a professional to investigate, they may discover the waterproofing has failed. This could be due to the tiles loosing grout over the years and the balcony was not well maintained, or that the age of the complex means the waterproofing installed has gone past its due date and no longer functioning and needs to be replaced.

This is when communication and compromise need to be considered to act in a fair and just manner by both the Committee (representing the body corporate) and the owner of the said lot.

The Committee will need to request the contractor itemise the full scope of works, that the surface tiling will need to be removed, the waterproofing replaced, and tiles re-laid etc. If the contractor can itemise each item, then the committee and the owner can negotiate the best way forward.  This will then need to be actioned for any future balcony repairs to ensure a fair and just cause.

All of the workers must also go to a general meeting to ensure transparency of the body corporate acting for the good of all.