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Topic
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Some background. I am a landlord and currently have a tenant in our (my wife and I) two (2) bedroom Strata Unit which was built in 1972. The tenant had left a pot on the stove with the stove on when she went out at 9pm returning around 11pm. On her return she found smoke had been coming from the kitchen and the pot had burned. Fortunately, all the windows had been left open and there was no damage to the stove or inside the surrounding kitchen area. Neighbors from a nearby unit noticed the smoke and reported it resulting in the Fire Brigade attending. They forced their way to open the front door and ensured all was safe before leaving. I have attached some photos showing both the outside and inside of the door and surrounds.
The question I have is, as the door is common property who is liable to pick up the bill for the damage, which basically means a replacement door. As the door supposedly contains asbestos a quote for $4,400 has been received. As I am a member of the Strata Committee I am aware that a number of other doors were replaced in December 2024 due to various reasons mainly: “Door does not have a closer installed” and “Primary lock tongue missing”. There were nine (9) doors out of a total of 18 in the block replaced. The cost of each was $1,995, so the cost has more than doubled in seventeen months.
I would appreciate seeking a clear understanding of who is responsible for the cost of replacing the door: the landlord; the tenant or the Body Corporate or a combination?
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Strictly speaking, my guess is that the tenant is responsible as their actions caused the damage. If they fail to pay, then it’s down to you as the landlord, since you are responsible for their actions. Assuming you don’t have landlord insurance, strata insurance might pay if you refuse and the tenant can’t or won’t pay.
As for the increased cost, it may be due to the fact that this is a one-off, or because the company replacing the door thinks it will be an insurance job and therefore bump up the price. It’s certainly worth questioning.
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