Has your friend checked her strata plan’s by-laws?
If her strata plan adopted the government’s model by-laws, it would say this:
2 Changes to common property
(1) An owner or person authorised by an owner may install, without the consent of the owners corporation:
(a) any locking or other safety device for protection of the owner’s lot against intruders or to improve safety within the owner’s lot, or
(b) any screen or other device to prevent entry of animals or insects on the lot, or
(c) any structure or device to prevent harm to children.
(2 ) Any such locking or safety device, screen, other device or structure must be installed in a competent and proper manner and must have an appearance, after it has been installed, in keeping with the appearance of the rest of the building.
(3) Clause (1) does not apply to the installation of any thing that is likely to affect the operation of fire safety devices in the lot or to reduce the level of safety in the lots or common property.
(4)The owner of the lot must:
(a) maintain and keep in a state of good and serviceable repair any installation or structure referred to in clause (1) that forms part of the common property and that services the lot, and
(b)repair any damage caused to any part of the common property by the installation or removal of any locking or safety device, screen, other device or structure referred to in clause (1) that forms part of the common property and that services the lot.