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I have recently bought a 2 bedroom unit. I would like to turn the attached garage into a bedroom.
I would not be changing anything structurally or removing the garage door. Access would be via a internal courtyard door.
Would this be possible ?
Thanks!
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A garage is not a habitable space for the purposes of the Building Code of Australia. Different building standards regarding things such as waterproofing, light and ventilation apply to habitable and non-habitable spaces.
You would need to consult a professional regarding the changes you would need to make to the garage that would meet BCA requirements for a habitable space. This may or may not be possible, or the changes required may be considerable. You would then need to apply to the Council for consent to use it as habitable space.
The question is not one for the Owners Corporation, although if you put a DA in to convert the garage, you would need to seek their consent.
In addition to the DA requirements, the unit plan might be a problem. In our unit plan the garages, for those who have them, are on unit subsidiaries, not the unit area. That is, they are an extra bit of title linked to the main unit area. The terms of the lease (ACT is all leasehold) stipulate that each unit on the unit plan is for one dwelling and the subsidiaries are not be ‘dwelling places’. Perhaps that means they can’t be used to build another entire self-contained flat, or perhaps that means they can’t be another bedroom. I am not sure which.
Having said that, our set of town houses has one unit that has an approved extension that linked the unit to the garage and put a room that could be a bedroom into what had been the roof space of the garage. Another had a unique attached garage already and converted that to a bedroom and extra bathroom, also approved as far as I know.