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We live in a Strata Scheme in Sydney with over 100 apartments. Recently a resident collapsed onto the floor and could not move.
Luckily her balcony door was open and she was able to attract the attention of a neighbour. The building manager was called as well as ambulance, police and fire brigade. Eventually the front door of the apartment was broken down so that she could be examined and taken to hospital.
She had no reason to believe that she was in danger of collapsing and had made no provision such as leaving a key with a neighbour – she has now done this.
The Manager’s office is on site but does not hold residents’ keys and is only open between 7am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.
This event has alerted us to the problems of getting access to the building as well as individual units in an emergency and we would welcome suggestions and comments.
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we would welcome suggestions and comments.
While it might seem like a good idea, OC/BCs have very little ability to demand that lot owners supply them with a key (or another means) to access their lots. If a lot owner wants to voluntarily do that, that’s their decision.
In true emergencies, the services involved will the get the access regardless. Even if it has to be forced.
Most locksmiths will have a little electric lockpick that can have a simple Yale type lock open in seconds. If you have installed something more elaborate, you’d better make sure that someone, somewhere can get to a copy of the key if need be.
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I’m the only committee member that lives on-site in my building and I’ve had owners lock themselves out and then come and ask me if I have a master key to let them back in (it’s like I am on call for them 24/7). I could not think of anything worse than having access to a master key to any apartment! It would be the very last thing that I would want – I can already hear the accusations that I have accessed their property without permission or that I’ve stolen their things. I live with people who love to complain about everything but they won’t lift a finger themselves. They can call a locksmith to give them access into their unit or in the case of an emergency like the one listed, people can break the door down and we will sort out a repair. That seems much easier than all of the other possible drama that having a master key would involve!