Garden - Home Fixers

Does Strata Cover Water Damage? Many people have been wondering who takes responsibility for water damage within a strata complex. A discussion has gone to the extent of involving Claim Adjusters, Strata Councils, Lawyers and Courts, and Brokers. Yes, Should there be any damage by water within a strata complex or to any common property. It will be the responsibility of the strata council to make the repairs and replacements. Water damage has been an ongoing issue related to strata insurance claims. Strata Community Insurance has lost more than $50 million to water damages in the three previous years. If one or more of the strata complexes are damaged by water from a strata complex. And the loss of damaged property amounts to a price that exceeds the Strata's insurance deductible, claims can be made against the Strata Insurance policy. All this can be avoided by having a good strata management team/ council whose work is always to keep an eye on the property. Do regular maintenance on the property, do regular checks on the plumbing and wiring to avoid experiencing significant problems. The amount of money that Strata Councils have used to repair and replace property. Damaged by water from the strata complexes is more than what could have been used to inspect, maintain, and improve the plumbing system. Is Strata Responsible For Leaking The Shower? As much as showerheads are installed and sealed so tight to prevent leakage. They do wear out over time and deteriorate, and eventually, there will be a leak from the showerhead. These are internal plumbing issues, so they would probably be taken care of by the strata property owner and not the strata council. These are minor fixes that would not be of much impact to your wallet, and fixing them is pretty straightforward. Strata is not responsible for anything in the airspace of a bathroom or kitchen and not beneath the floors or behind walls. All these damages are covered by the individual owner of the strata property. The individual owner must cater to damages such as sinks, shower heads, baths, toilets, and dishwashers. However, some comprehensive insurance policies take care of damages and fixtures that might occur within the property. So, it would be great to cross-check with the insurance policies before taking action as much as the cost might not be hefty. Strata is not responsible for leaking showers unless their comprehensive insurance policies cover damages and fixtures within the property. Does Strata Pay For Waterproofing? Yes. Strata cover the cost of repairing original tiles for waterproofing. Original tiles are considered part of the common property. And if they are the ones to be replaced or repaired, then the entire cover cost goes to the strata council. Should the property owner replace the original tiles with new ones, then any form of waterproofing or repair cost will be directed to the owner. Another scenario is where the house is old enough. The originals tiles need to be replaced for waterproofing. An agreement can be reached between the owner corporation and the individual owner to share the damage repair or replacement cost. In areas like New South Wales, they have categorized waterproofing as a standard or significant renovation task. Wall and shred plumbing are also considered a part of the strata common property. As a major renovation task, waterproofing means that the owner's corporation has to take responsibility for the repairs and maintenance. In summary, waterproofing fixtures and repair costs done in an individual apartment regardless of the house are to be taken care of by the property owner. That is to say, in strata complexes and freehold properties. The cost of internal damages is always covered by the owners unless there is an agreement to share the charges with the owner's corporation. Are Bathroom Tiles Covered By Strata? Waterproofing and tiling have been categorized as major renovation under the new act in New South Wales. The owner's corporation is tasked with repairing and maintaining the original tiles . And any waterproofing issue connected to the common property walls when the registration plan for strata was being implemented. Painting the surfaces of tiles that do not blend in with the modern design of the house after the owner's corporation has repaired the original tiles is allowed,. And one does not need to get a permit from the OC for this. When it comes to tiling the bathroom wall, it will depend on the location of the tiled wall in the strata property. Their difference is that if the bathroom wall is part of the wall that cuts it off from the common property, the OC has to pay the bill. However, if the bathroom is entirely within the property, not close to the next property, it will be the owner's responsibility to cater to the costs. Is The Water Bill Included In Strata? Yes, the water bill is included in the strata. The total water usage bill for a building under the Strata fee Act is issued to the owner's corporation. Dividing it equally amongst the various individual homeowners. Since the multiple homes share a water meter. Meter readers read like twice a month to get the total amount of water used before making an invoice. This bill covers all the water used in the building, the toilets, all taps, including the common area taps, and many more. To come up with the money to cover his bill, the Strata gives a specific amount for each owner to share as part of the levies. What makes the water bills go high are; Leaking taps and toilets. These two play a significant role in the rise of water bills because a lot of water is wasted through leaks and the water used in the building daily. It's the responsibility of the individual owners to make repairs to the leaks. However, it's advisable always to inform the owner's corporation of any leaks to make repair arrangements early enough. Burst pipes. A hidden burst pipe in the walls or underground can cause a big waste of kiloliters of water, leading to high bills to the owner's corporation. To notice a burst pipe installed underground, you will see some dampness in the ground. At times it gets hard to detect a burst pipe and only starts to get suspicious when you receive an invoice that indicates an increase in the amount of water being used and the bill. It's the responsibility of the individual owners to report any suspicion of a burst pipe . So that the owner's corporation can get a plumber to come and inspect the plumbing system and make the repairs at the owner's cost. There is also the aspect of having an increase in the usage of water. How can this happen? If there were a single or two occupants in a house, the water usage is low compared to when a big family replaces the two occupants. In such situations, there is little to nothing that can be done to solve the issue. To reduce these high-water bills, property owners are advised to invest in tanks. Rainwater can be collected in massive external tanks from the roof. The collected rainwater is used to wash cars, in the garden for irrigation and other outdoor activities. Before installing an external water tank, you should consult with the owner's corporation to get permits from the local municipality. You need approval from the Owner's Corporation for you to install a tank in one's particular garden area or on common property. Does Strata Cover The Leaking Roof? For most strata complexes, it is the responsibility of the owner's corporation, and it might as well depend on the individual owner's strata title. Should something from common property damage the roof of private property, it will be the responsibility of the respective owner to tend to it. If there is a sign of roof leaking in the property, the individual owners should report the case to the strata committee. Who will make immediate moves on how the roof should be assessed and fixed immediately. If the roof needs changing, it will require 75% approval from several individual owners. This can be taken care of using the capital works fund. If there are not enough funds, a meeting can be organized by the strata committee with the owners to impose an approved levy to cover the expenses of replacing the roof. If the water leak causes damage to the property, and the water source is from a neighboring property, it will be their responsibility to repair the damages. But if the fault of the water leak occurs on the common property causing damage to one of the strata complexes. The strata committee might come in to cover the damages caused. The type of property with a leaking roof is also a factor in whether the strata committee will cover the expenses or not. The owner's corporation is responsible for the properties that are registered under the strata scheme. In contrast, for those properties registered under the community title scheme, it is the responsibility of the owner to run the maintenance charges. What Is Covered Under Strata? In New South Wales, common property, the building, and standard contents under the owner's corporation run by the strata scheme are all covered by the owner's corporation. Here is a number of the things covered by the strata insurance policy; Fixtures and fittings that fall under common areas like the balcony, sewage, and water pipes, in the strata complex. It covers common property like car parks, gardens, lifts, shared floors, and common areas.Insurance replacement or reinstatement for the strata complexes.Strata insurance would also cover those working on the strata complexes. Shared outdoor equipment such as the gym equipment and outdoor seats and tables are also covered under the strata insurance policy. It's advisable always to ensure you have a look at your strata insurance policies to know what it covers for they differ in different state's legislation. There are also contents insurance that is used to protect the owner's assets. As much as you are not obliged to have one, it's necessary to secure your items. With contents insurance, you get to cover anything not covered under the strata insurance policies. like valuable assets such as jewelry (anything that is not a part of the common property.) Content insurance can be taken by the homeowners or the renters to protect their personal property from unanticipated accidents. Strata insurance does not cover any personal property or anything that is part of the building. These are items like furniture, carpets, lights, jewelry, electrical appliances, and other individual items. Conclusion When looking forward to investing in a property, you should look at the total levy to be paid, and if they are high, you should be able to know why? Most strata complexes with high levies tend to be a good investment, and going for them would be a great idea. Strata insurance policies cover the building, common areas, and common contents that belong to the building initially. When making replacements or repairs to damages on the strata building and it is internal damage like a shower leak. It will not be the responsibility of the strata committee to pay for the repairs. All the personal assets of owners in strata complexes are not covered in the strata insurance policy. And if one wants to secure their personal belongings, they can apply for content insurance. Content insurance ensures the security of your belonging. Building maintenance is taken care of automatically if it is registered under the strata scheme. Another thing is that strata-titled properties tend to be cheaper than freehold houses, and there is an excellent possibility of their demand rising. Which will push their prices high. This will be an advantage to those who will have invested in strata-titled property.