Regular Maintenance: Strata buildings that do not undertake regular maintenance measures can put their buildings at risk of higher premiums. It is a statutory requirement that all strata titled buildings must maintain and repair common property, hence the importance of regular maintenance activities. Failure to manage regular maintenance can lead to recurring issues within the building.
If a body corporate can demonstrate regular maintenance and upkeep of the common property to insurers, they are more likely to attract market competitive premiums – whereas those properties with poorer building maintenance practices may see less competitive premiums.
Repair and remediation of long-term issues: Water damage is perhaps the most common issue affecting strata buildings from a claims perspective, and in many cases can be avoided or minimised through implementing cost-effective and common-sense measures. For example, flexi hoses have a finite lifespan, and water damage arising from a burst or leaking flexi hose can have a devastating effect on an apartment, particularly if not identified and remediated quickly. Simple measures such as installation of stop flow valves can assist, by stopping the flow of water due to a sudden event when a pipe or flexi hose bursts.
Maintaining roofs and gutters can save a body corporate in the long run. Typical signs of deterioration to roofs and gutters can include:
- Discolouration on the walls: Discolouration can indicate that there’s a leak somewhere or a blockage that has caused an overflow. Water can find its way into the building, resulting in expensive repairs.
- Gutters out of alignment: If the gutters look out of alignment – this can happen over time, with gutters starting to come away from the walls and allowing water entry to the building during rain events.
- Metal roofing panels that look out of place with other roofing: Metal roofing should be straight with no raised or distorted panels, misaligned panels can cause leaks to the apartments below.
- Debris and dirt in the guttering: A build-up of sediment in your gutters is usually caused by broken down material from trees, as well as flying dust. Clean out the gutters and make sure there are no possible drain-blocking materials near your downpipes.
Appoint a licensed builder and/or specialist trade to provide ongoing maintenance to your strata building, and advice on how best to ensure your building is well maintained in accordance with your statutory requirements.