Unless a by-law specifically excludes bicycles, I recall reading previously they can be classified as “vehicles” when it came to them being “parked” on common property.
My block’s by-laws say that only “roadworthy motorised vehicles” are permitted. Wait till I sell my car and buy a couple of electric bikes which would be both motorised and roadworthy in some interpretations of the law and neither in others.
By-laws also usually permit an owner to install fixtures for security/safety without OC consent. Would this cage need securing to a floor or wall?
Which by-laws say that? The model by-laws say this:
2 Changes to common property
(1) An owner or person authorised by an owner may install, without the consent of the owners corporation:
(a) any locking or other safety device for protection of the owner’s lot against intruders or to improve safety within the owner’s lot, or
(b) any screen or other device to prevent entry of animals or insects on the lot, or
(c) any structure or device to prevent harm to children.
I don’t think that is intended to cover storage cages, regardless of what they’re storing. However, by-laws can be and often are different. Another relevant one might be that you can’t put anything in your lot or common property that doesn’t fit with the look of the building.
The answer to this one is to apply for permission and send details of what you plan, then deal with the response. If it’s negative and unreasonable, then you can challenge it.
The thing not to do here is just put the cage in place and hope no one notices or objects. In the past, cages have been ripped down and left in a heap on the floor when the owners failed to get permission and NCAT backed the owners corp.