Good renovation by-laws will protect all parties such as the owners corporation, the lot owner (and future owners) plus ensure any renovations to a lot, in particular structural, are safe for the building.

A good renovation by-law will outline items such as:

• A clear statement of the authorised work
• The time frame for completion
• Setting out any conditions that must be met
• All contractors details and their insurances
• Development consents
• Recording all works, including structural works
• Conditions that the lot owner and their contractor/s must adhere to
• How waste is to be dealt with
• Hours of work to minimise noise and disturbance to neighbours and the building
• Access and parking requirements to ensure minimal disturbance to other lot owners and common property areas
• Who is responsible for any ongoing maintenance
• Ensuring that all work complies with relevant standards and legislation such as the Building Code of Australia and the Design & Building Practitioners Act 2020
• Any nuances and more!

Why is it important to ensure that renovation by-laws are thorough?

Apart from wanting the renovation to run smoothly, the type of by-law to be used will depend on the renovation that is being undertaken. For example:

• Is the renovation a bathroom or kitchen renovation involving waterproofing or changes to floor coverings; and
• do you need a cosmetic, minor or major renovations by-law?

The tighter the renovation by-law the less likely there will be issues however in the event of an issue a well written by-law will more than likely get things back on track, minimising any disputes. A badly written renovation by-law may only exacerbate the situation and cause unwanted delays and disputes and may even end up in NCAT.

Are you in need of a renovation by-law?

Our legal team has significant expertise developing renovation by-laws for strata, company, and community living.

• We have been developing renovation by-laws for 40+ years.

• We know whether you will require a by-law for renovations for owners corporation approval.

• We guarantee within 7 days you will receive the right renovation by-law.

• We also understand that you ‘may’ need your renovation by-law urgently for an upcoming strata meeting – just let us know, we will make it happen.