#25986
Jimmy-T
Keymaster

    The greatest dangers in going ahead without permission are that your flooring will not be compliant with the noise insulation requirements and that you will be ordered to tear it up and start again.  There is also a possibility that the owners corp could make it difficult for your installers to do their work.

    The tribunal is unlikely to order you to restore the carpet just because you didn’t follow procedure (but they might if your timber floor creates a noise problem for your neighbours).

    However, if you are sure of the bona fides of your medical certificates and you are utterly certain that floor will be compliant and not be a nuisance, write to the Owners Corp secretary and ask if you can apply for retrospective approval at the next AGM, promising to remedy any problem with the floor that becomes apparent in the meantime.

    Just a word of caution, though.  Claims of asthma and other allergies is the most common loophole used by owners who just want to put down a timber floor and have a friendly doctor prepared to help them out.  So don’t be surprised if the strata committee views your approach with a level of skepticism.

    The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.