Owners Corp Members and EC in denial

Banging from roof is driving us bonkers!

Can anyone suggest a solution to an ongoing problem? We purchased our apartment seven years ago and have been plagued by an intermittent loud banging/cracking sounds emanating from the concrete slab roof. Our apartment is located on the top floor of a three story building. This disturbing noise is ongoing, during the afternoon and again at night, at times loud enough to wake us from our sleep.

I have continually raised this issue with body corporate members at AGMs and the executive committee without any sign of a resolution. At first I was told by the EC it was the foundations settling (but the building is 40+ years old). And then told “buyer beware” and “this is your problem living on the top floor”. I asked the strata management company if this issue had been previously reported and was told they don’t retain records longer than five years and portfolio manager is changed every year (no corporate memory). Terrific!

My wife and I are at the end of our tether. I am a light sleeper and woken most nights (usually 3am by this alarming loud banging/ricocheting cracking sound bouncing across the ceiling. The adjoining apartment which is rented has seen two sets of tenants move out because of their concerns about the cracking noise. The owner then reduced the rent for new tenants to compensate for this disturbance. But still the owner’s corporation and EC members collude in their denial of this ongoing problem.

What can we do?