We have balcony decking in our complex. It has always been a concern that something that is not accessible or even visible to the ECOC and is only accessible to the owner but needs to be maintained could be considered the responsibility of others. Some people look after their decks. Some people of course believe it is do someone else to look after.
By having pot plants sitting on decking and not providing adequate air flow beneath can cause wood. Not maintaining a deck can lead to its early demise. But if the deck if not accessible, if you need an owners permission or for an owner to tell you it needs maintainance where does that leave an OC?
On the other hand, a balcony deck is part of the building structure, at least in our complex it is with supporting posts for the deck that also support part of the roof structure. So would it be better for the OC to be responsible to ensure safety in the complex? Then again, we have units that have decking that is not a balcony, but a deck off the back in the courtyard that is not structural but rather an attachment to the structure. Two types of decking. Two types of structure. Do we cover one and not the other? Do we cover both? Either way, we have decking in our complex that only the residents can access, that residents can do whatever they like to and do little or no maintenance to, and no doubt they will expect the OC to pay for the treatment they have subjected this area to. Unlike tiles, decking is not very forgiving.