Due to the unique design of strata Complexes, maintenance issues are, unfortunately inevitable. With more people comes more wear and tear, a greater potential for long-term damage and additional maintenance costs. With that in mind, here are some important identifiers of common maintenance issues in strata, how to solve them efficiently, and most importantly, how to prevent them.
Three common strata building maintenance issues
Whether you’re a property owner or developer, here are some of the most common strata related maintenance issues:
1. Leaking roofs: Roof leaks commonly occur especially in times of heavy rain, however, in a new development, they could be an indication of a building defect.
2. Lift Maintenance: With multi-storey apartment buildings, lifts require ongoing maintenance to ensure the equipment continues to operate well. The causes of lift breakdowns can vary from power outage to faulty door operation. Apart from inconveniencing residents, a broken or problematic lift can also be a safety hazard.
3. Pool maintenance: Pools are considered part of common property and are a great shared facility adding value and desirability to a complex. In contrast, there are a few maintenance issues to consider including, certification cleaning as well as the potential of broken pool tiles or damaged pool gates. NSW Fair trading have strict pool compliance laws in place to ensure safety at all times, and a pool is required to be certified every 3 years.
Proven ways to solve your maintenance problems in a strata complex
The good news is that strata building maintenance issues can be solved, and they don’t have to be a perpetual problem. Get in touch with your building manager or strata manager at the first sight of any maintenance issue. It is the responsibility of your strata manager to organise contractors for repairs and maintenance.
In any situation, prevention is the best choice
We’re always told that prevention is better than cure, so how do you prevent maintenance issues from escalating in a strata complex?
- Keep communication open
- Stay up to date with your capital works report
- Attend AGMs to voice repair concerns
- Notify your strata manager of problems immediately
- Hire a strata manager to manage your ongoing maintenance schedule
- Ask your strata manager about the best insurance options
At Westside, we are more than happy to assist with any and all strata maintenance issues. for more information about how we can help- Get in touch today.