Are garage doors covered by strata
It depends on your strata plan. In NSW the owners corporation must maintain and repair common property, so if your garage door is common property, strata generally pays for repairs. If the door sits inside your lot, it's usually your responsibility. Your by-laws can change this, so check them before you book a repair.
How to tell from your strata plan
Your strata plan shows the boundary of each lot. NSW Fair Trading's common property memorandum uses those boundary lines to decide who looks after a garage door.
Thick line on the plan, or the door sits outside your lot: the owners corporation is responsible for the door, its hinge mechanism and its lock.
Thin line on the plan, with the door inside your lot boundary: the door is your responsibility.
Your strata manager can give you a copy of the plan, or you can order one from NSW Land Registry Services.
Who pays for the opener and the remotes?
Under the same memorandum, an automatic opener that was there when the strata plan was registered, or one that serves more than one lot (such as a shared basement door), is the owners corporation's responsibility. An opener you installed yourself after registration is yours to look after.
Remote controls are always the owner's responsibility. If you lose or break one, you replace it. We code new remotes to existing openers, and B&D TB6 remotes are available in our shop.
Has your scheme adopted the memorandum?
The memorandum is optional. A strata scheme adopts it by by-law, and other by-laws can override it, for example a by-law that makes each owner responsible for their own garage door. If your scheme hasn't adopted it, the general rule still applies: the owners corporation looks after common property, and whether your door is common property comes down to your strata plan. If in doubt, ask your strata manager before you book any work.
Replacing or upgrading a strata garage door
Swapping your door for a different style, or adding an opener where there wasn't one, is a change to the building rather than a repair. If the door is common property, you'll usually need the owners corporation's approval before work starts, so check with your strata manager first.
Garage door broken in a strata complex?
Whoever ends up paying, the first step is the same: find out what's wrong with the door. Southern Highlands Doors repairs garage and roller doors across Macarthur, Wollondilly and the Southern Highlands. Call Kade on 0477 232 977 or request a quote online.
This page is general information, not legal advice. For your own scheme, check your strata plan and by-laws or contact NSW Fair Trading.