› Flat Chat Strata Forum › Living in strata › Owner has locked common property › Current Page
You’re right./ This owner has effectively damaged common property by putting locks on doors where she wasn’t entitled to.
You should raise the issue with the strata manager and/or executive committee with two purposes in mind.
1. to allow access when needed for all residents.
2. to find out how serious and valid her security concerns are.
You don’t want lots of keys floating around as the space will inevitably become a “store” (read dump) of other owners unwanted goods.
But how likely are you to need access in an emergency? If the answer is “not very” then the space should be locked with the key available to be “signed out” by your strata manager.
Otherwise, you could install a small key safe with a combination lock (the combination only being available to long-term residents).
If this owner resists, she should be told that she couldĀ be charged for the full cost of removal of the lock under strata laws relating to damage of common property.