@peaceandquiet said:
I’m a new member living in Victoria in a semi-detached place.
I was wondering if moving into a strata place with a strict body corp might protect us from noisy / malicious neighbours?
Strata laws and rules can go further than the epa legislation.
The Owners Corporation Act (VIC) Model Rules state:
- An owner or occupier of a lot, or a guest of an owner or occupier, must not unreasonably create any noise likely to interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of any other person entitled to use the common property.
- An owner or occupier of a lot must take all reasonable steps to ensure that guests of the owner or occupier do not behave in a manner likely to unreasonably interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of any other person entitled to use the common property.
Although a “strict” OC might be active in enforcing the OC Act and OC rules, any resident can independently start a three step process to resolve noise issues that can eventually see the matter taken to VCAT:
Three-step process for complaints
In my experience as an OC chair, noise matters have not gone past the internal dispute resolution step which includes a grievance meeting. First we have issued breach notices. But when they have been ignored, formally bringing the parties together in a grievance meeting has been reasonably successful.