Garage gate grind

This is a version, edited for publication, of a question that appears in full elsewhere  in this Forum.

QUESTION: I rent a unit directly over the block’s electric garage door. In the last year the noise from it has become so loud it sounds like a train driving through my unit. I can’t sleep and nights and weekends have become unbearable.

I can’t afford to move so I approached the owners corporation, who advised me to contact my real estate agent.  They advised me to contact the strata managers.

After getting nowhere, I approached Fair Trading and I have since had garbage dumped on my front door and threats from a very aggressive representative of the executive committee. As a woman living alone, I’m so stressed and miserable. What can I do? – Angelique, via Forum

ANSWER:  The owner’s corporation are legally obliged to fix this and your letting agent and strata manager should be pressuring them to do it.

Get things moving by asking for a rent rebate from the time you first complained to when it is fixed.  Contact tenants NSW at Tenants.org.au and they’ll tell you how to do this.

Then get your letting agent or owner to speak to the bullying EC member and tell them to back off. You are as entitled to peace and quiet as anyone.