Thanks for the advice and support. I contacted my Strata Manager today and he has told me that I can put in the plantation shutters without this having to be voted on but for the outside blind, I need to get a solicitor to draw up a by-law that will be put to a vote by the Owners. I have to get a 75% vote to have it approved. I am hoping the owners will be reasonable but if not, I am prepared to go to Fair Trading. Apparently a few years ago the previous owner of my apartment wanted to get air-conditioning and this was opposed, twice mainly because a few of the investors thought that their tenants would then request air conditioning. Not that they admitted that of course, they claimed the airconditioning would be a drain on the power in the building. When Fair Trading was mentioned and how unreasonable they would appear, especially to the older people living in the building, they caved and now apartments can have air conditioning. At least I have had a win with the Plantation shutters 