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One of our residents, a tenant, is keen to install a bidet. She says she has approval from the letting agent. She contacted our strata manager to find out how to cut off the water for the installation period. At this point the strata manager contacted the management committee to ask for our opinion on what feels like a first for this building.
We are concerned to make sure that the installation is done by a professional plumber, to ensure there is good protection from backflows into the building’s water system. And of course if an electrical connection has to be installed we would hope that a licensed electrician would also be involved.
Does the management committee have a right to check on the plumber’s qualifications before the installation proceeds? If so, how best to do this? Should we be checking that the owner is in fact aware of the installation?
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I would think the application/request should come from the owner only.
I would think the application/request should come from the owner only.
Absolutely. This is a renovation, effectively, not just the installation of a new piece of furniture. The tenant needs to come to an arrangement with the owner first, which answers the question about informing them.
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Tenant asks owner to do this work (presumably via the letting agent). If owner is supportive, owner applies for permission from the OC. Strata manager can help the OC out by gathering all necessary documents from the owner. This may include plumber licenses, warranties and insurances. Owner may also need a by-law. When the OC has given approval (after reviewing these documents), the owner can arrange the work – the role of the letting agent may be to arrange and manage the installation if that’s what the owner wants.
Note that I’m in NSW so some terms and practices may be different.
It has just occurred to me that what may have been requested is one of those fancy electric Japanese toilet seats that has a “bidet” like facility. In that case, it probably isn’t interfering with common property but the Committee should still insist that a licensed plumber be used to install it. And if they don’t already have a by-law in place, they should pass one that says exactly that – all plumbing work must be carried out by a licensed and insured plumber. After all, they can do it with a simple majority vote.
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I believe that in all states of Australia there is a definition of restricted work
Thats work that MUST be carried out by a licenced tradesman.
Electrical and plumbing spring to mind.
So no need for a bylaw, as using anyone other than a licenced tradesman to do plumbing work is against the state laws. (which override strata laws)
one can’t help being nervous that some owner does something illegal, that no-one gets to hear about, until something goes wrong and the BC has to solve a problem.
It might be worth putting together a polite and friendly circular to all owners and tenants telling them what they need to do before they can start “renovating”.
This would include reminding renters that they must get permission from their landlords before any work can be done and that the strata committee will inform the owners that work is being done, to make sure permission has been granted.
There are so many people in strata who think that because they own the flat they can do whatever they want, regardless of the effect on common property, but would be happy to know what the rules are.
And it sounds like you need a new strata manager.
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We had a similar situation in our block, tenant went ahead and arranged for a bidet install without looping in the owner or the strata committee. Honestly, these things always end up messy if the right steps aren’t followed from the start.
In our case, we asked for proof that the plumber was licensed and insured before anything got approved. I’ve used Your Choice Plumbers in Melbourne before (not for strata, just at my place) and they were great, proper paperwork, knew what they were doing, especially with backflow prevention.