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  • #76582
    Errol
    Flatchatter

      Hi, we’re about to have new carpet laid in our 3 storey walk up block

      Am keen to know if we’re obliged in NSW to place treads on this new carpet (the old carpet hasn’t had treads)

      Thanks for your assistance!

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    • #76604
      Quirky
      Flatchatter

        Under strata law, if you are repairing the carpet, then you need to replace like with like. So as your old carpet lacked safety treads, then so should your new carpet. If you are upgrading and improving common property, which adding stair treads to the regular carpeted stairs, would most likely be considered to be, then that requires approval at a general meeting as a special resolution. If the repair was approved at a general meeting, as an ordinary resolution, and was described as a “repair” then you would not have justification for spending additional money on improving the stairs. Repairs are paid from the Administration fund, while improvements usually are paid from the Capital Works fund, too.
        Nevertheless, if your building should arrange for a Work Health and Safety Report, and in that report the stairs are faulted because they lack treads, then you would be obliged to quickly install the treads, and improve the building’s common property. I doubt that a WH&S inspection would fault stairs without treads, as this is the commonest situation, unless there are some special circumstances involved. If some owners are keen to add treads, then they could arrange for a WH&S inspection and report (which strata buildings should be doing regularly), and make a case to the inspector that the stair are unsafe in their current condition. The inspection may or may not be convinced…

        #76614
        Jimmy-T
        Keymaster

          So that would be a “no”, then.

          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.
          #76622
          Errol
          Flatchatter
          Chat-starter

            Thanks for the responses!

            We’re just replacing some very tired and crappy looking carpet so I’d say it’s very much in the realm of a repair. Am happy to avoid treads, I just wondered if they are now considered mandatory but hadn’t been able to track down any definite info.

            #76623
            Boronia
            Flatchatter

              I would suggest that replacing the entire carpet in the building would be a capital improvement/replacement, paid for from the Capital Works/Sinking fund, not a “repair”. Fitting of safety treads would be part of a decision on what type/colour of carpet, etc,  to be used.

              #76645
              pommie
              Flatchatter

                Treads are not just a safety issues. When we replaced our carpet under similar circumstances a few years ago, we added bull-nose treads to save wear on the carpet edges when residents hauled step trolleys up and down the stairs.

                #76686
                Boronia
                Flatchatter

                  Our block had a similar problem a few years ago, but we decided it would be more effective to replace the carpets on the stairs and common landings with tiles, just keeping the original carpets for the corridors leading to individual units. It is a 3 level building with no lifts, so gets a fair bit of foot traffic.

                  #76774
                  billyboy
                  Flatchatter

                    If you wanted to be proactive on safety as well as wear – and this is after conducting audits of the buildings here. BCA D2.13(a)(v) is worth a look – and it applies to both carpet and tiles. If a new carpet is going down, we were referred to Specification 7 of the NCC….again, if you want to engage in good practice.

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