With just about every new apartment block having some kind of gym, they are obviously a big attraction – especially, it seems, to personal trainers who even have to pay to use parks and beaches these days.
QUESTION: A personal trainer in our building has been using our gym equipment for her paying clients. Our strata manager says residents and their guests are allowed to use the gym and there is nothing in the by-laws about the exchange of money so it is not specifically prohibited. She adds that we might not want to ban it because residents may want to hire personal trainers to come into the gym.We have nothing against residents hiring trainers but do we have to have to pass a by-law to stop trainers running a business in our gym?
Frustrated, Milsons Point
ANSWER: We had this problem in our gym – twice. One resident was a trainer who brought her clients to our gym. Then there was a resident whose trainer brought their whole class to the building. In both cases they were told to stop and they did.
There’s a big difference between a resident using the equipment while being supervised by a trainer, and a trainer taking money from non-residents while using your gym.
Imagine if a hooker who lived in the building started using your communal spa bath for her clients. I bet that’s not specifically mentioned in your by-laws, either.
The gym is there for the use of residents and legitimate guests. If a commercial enterprise is using it, they are increasing the wear and tear on equipment and often preventing residents from using it.
So tell this trainer to stop and explain that the gym is not insured for personal injury of non-residents in a commercial enterprise. And it might be worth putting up notices to this effect to deter others in the future.
You could even threaten to charge them rent. Then get a by-law drafted for your next AGM that stipulates how the gym may be used and by whom.
And tell your Strata Manager that it’s OK for them to flex their muscles occasionally.