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I live in a block of dual key units that has a foyer, which is my property. The front door leading into the foyer is a fire door. I understand that I need to obey the fire door regulations, but do I have a right to change locks, as long as I meet these regulations? I believe that the front fire door is my property and not common property.
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What do you mean by dual key?
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.
Jimmy, ‘dual key’ is used to describe a single apartment where two parts can be locked separately. The ones I’ve seen are effectively a one bedroom apartment plus a studio. So you can live in it as a two bedder, or close a hall door to create the one plus studio. Have a look at developments like Central Park and City Quarter in Sydney.
Believer: Unless otherwise noted on your strata plan or by-laws, entry doors and their locks are common property. Be wary of changing the lock, as fire regulations only permit certain locks. You can, of course, have the lock re-keyed, which is a straightforward job for a locksmith.
Thanks for that – it’s what I thought, but I wanted to check as we all tend to bandy around term that turn out to have a different meaning for different people.
Regarding the lock, I spoke to a senior firey some years ago and he said in a case of a genuine emergency they used the “big red key” … meaning an axe.
Whatever you do to change the locks is probably a by-law breach, but nevertheless, leave a spare key with a responsible adult who lives or works in the building.
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.
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