NSW Strata Renovation Approval Kit

This kit is for owners in a NSW strata scheme who want to renovate. It has a quick-start guide, letters you can copy into Word or Google Docs, a document checklist and a deadline tracker. Every template has a Copy button. Fill in the parts in [square brackets] and delete anything that doesn't apply.

We checked it against the NSW Government's strata guidance and the 2024 amending bill on 29 October 2026. Where we couldn't confirm a point from an official source, we say so.

Part 1: Quick-start guide

The three categories

NSW strata law sorts renovations into three groups. The group decides who has to approve the work and how.

Cosmetic work doesn't change the structure or the outside of your lot. The NSW Government lists:

• installing or replacing hooks, nails, screws, handrails, blinds, curtains or built-in wardrobes
• painting the inside of your lot
• filling minor holes and cracks in internal walls
• laying carpet.

Your scheme can add more types of work to this list in its by-laws. Even cosmetic work has to follow the by-laws on noise, working hours and the use of lifts and common property.

Minor renovations need approval but can't change the outside or structure of the building, and can't require waterproofing. Examples from the NSW Government:

• kitchen renovations, such as installing or removing cupboards
• changes to internal (non-structural) walls
• changes to recessed light fittings
• wood, tile or other hard flooring
• wiring, cabling, power points or access points
• a rainwater tank, a clothesline, a reverse cycle air conditioner, double or triple glazed windows, a heat pump or ceiling insulation. These extra items come from the Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2016.

Major renovations are anything that changes the structure or the outside of the building, needs waterproofing, changes the ceiling, or needs approval under another law such as council approval. Examples:

• bathroom renovations (because of the waterproofing)
• moving a structural internal wall
• installing a false ceiling
• installing an access ramp
• enclosing a balcony, or changing windows or external walls.

Since 1 July 2025, changes to common property for accessibility only need a majority vote, not a special resolution.

What to submit

For a minor renovation, the NSW Government says your request must show:

• plans of the work, including the dates and times you'll do it
• the qualifications and details of the tradespeople
• for flooring, an acoustic certificate showing the sound insulation.

For a major renovation, you'll need all of that plus whatever the meeting needs to vote on a special resolution, usually a draft by-law. The special resolution must say who is responsible for maintaining the changed common property. This became law on 1 July 2025. For structural changes you must also give the owners corporation 14 days' written notice before work starts, describing how the work will change the structure.

Part 4 has a full checklist.

Who decides

Send your request to the owners corporation through the strata managing agent, or the strata committee secretary if there's no agent.

• Minor: it goes to a general meeting unless a by-law lets the strata committee decide. Ask your strata manager whether your scheme has that by-law. It changes your timeline (see below).
• Major: it always goes to a general meeting. You can ask for a motion to go on the agenda of the next meeting (Part 7).
• Two-lot schemes: both owners must agree for a special resolution to pass.

Timelines and the 3-month rule

Under the reforms that started on 1 July 2025, where a by-law lets the strata committee decide minor renovation requests:

1. If the committee refuses, it must give you written reasons within 3 months of receiving your request.
2. If it doesn't refuse in writing with reasons within 3 months, your request is taken to be approved by the committee.

The explanatory note to the Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 (Schedule 1[37]) and the NSW Government's guide to the changes both describe the rule this way.

What the rule does not do:

• It only applies when a by-law delegates minor renovation decisions to the strata committee. If your scheme has no such by-law, your request goes to a general meeting and there is no 3-month deemed approval.
• It only covers minor renovations, not major ones.
• It counts from when the committee receives a proper request. A vague email won't start the clock. Send the full pack from Part 4.

The owners corporation must keep a record of approved minor renovations for 10 years.

General meetings need at least 7 days' notice, and an AGM at least 14 days' notice. Every scheme must hold at least one general meeting a year, so if your work must go to a meeting, plan around the meeting calendar.

What changed on 1 October 2026

Nothing in the 1 October 2026 stage changes renovation approvals. According to the NSW Government's list of changes to strata laws, from 1 October 2026:

• strata committee members must complete free online training each year, within 3 months of being appointed
• two-lot schemes, such as duplexes, no longer need to complete strata annual reporting.

A further stage started on 23 October 2026, covering new and higher penalties, managing agent disclosures and levy payment plans. It doesn't change the renovation rules either. Changes planned for 2027 include a right for owners to install EV charging on their lot. Check the NSW Government page for when that starts.

If the owners corporation says no

1. Ask for the reasons in writing if you don't already have them. The committee must give them for a minor renovation it refuses under a by-law.
2. Fix what you can and resubmit. Most refusals are about missing documents: no acoustic report, no insurance certificate, or unclear waterproofing.
3. Put it to a general meeting. The NSW Government suggests asking for a motion on the agenda (Part 7). Owners holding at least 25% of the unit entitlements can call a general meeting, which must then be held within 14 days.
4. Apply for mediation. NSW Fair Trading mediation is free and is compulsory for most strata disputes before you can go to the Tribunal. Apply for strata mediation.
5. Apply to NCAT. If mediation doesn't resolve it, you can apply to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. There is a fee, and decisions usually take at least six weeks after the evidence is in.

Don't start work without approval. If you do, you may have to pay to put the property back the way it was.

Building rules that apply as well

• A contractor licence is needed for residential building work worth more than $5,000 including GST. Check a licence.
• Work over $5,000 needs a written contract, and the trade must give you the Consumer Building Guide first.
• Work over $20,000 needs home building compensation cover, and the trade must show you evidence before you pay anything.
• The NSW Government says strata building work must meet building standards, a registered design practitioner must prepare regulated designs, and a registered building practitioner must oversee the work. Check with your builder whether this applies to your job.

What we couldn't confirm

The official legislation sites wouldn't let us read the current text of the Act while we wrote this. These points come from the NSW Government's guidance, not the Act's exact wording. Read section 110 and the rest of Part 6 of the Act if you're relying on them:

• the exact subsection numbers for the 3-month rule and the 10-year record
• whether section 110 says the owners corporation must not unreasonably refuse a minor renovation and can attach reasonable conditions (commentary says it does, but we couldn't confirm it)
• what section 111 says. Read it on the NSW legislation site.

Part 2: Minor renovation application letter

Minor renovation application

Copy

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Email] · [Phone]

[Date]

The Owners – Strata Plan [SP number]
C/- [Strata managing agent name, or Strata committee secretary]
[Address or email]

Application to carry out minor renovations – Lot [lot number], [unit number and street address]

Dear Secretary / Strata Manager,

I am the owner of Lot [lot number]. I am applying for approval to carry out minor renovations under section 110 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015.

1. The work
[Describe each item, e.g. "Replace the kitchen cupboards and benchtop. No change to plumbing locations or walls." / "Replace carpet in the living room and two bedrooms with engineered timber flooring on acoustic underlay."]

2. Why this is a minor renovation
The work does not change the structure or external appearance of the building and does not require waterproofing.

3. Dates and working hours
Start: [date]. Finish: [date].
Hours: [e.g. 8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday], in line with the by-laws.

4. Tradespeople
[Business name], licence number [number], [phone]. Public liability insurance with [insurer], certificate attached, expiry [date].

5. Noise, dust and waste
[e.g. Noisy work between 9 am and 3 pm only. Dust sheets and floor protection in the lift and hallway. Rubbish removed daily by the contractor, not placed in building bins.]

6. Common property
[e.g. The lift will be used for deliveries with protective blankets, booked through building management. No other common property will be affected.]

7. Attachments
☐ Plans or marked-up photos
☐ Contractor licence and insurance certificate
☐ Acoustic report or underlay specification (flooring only)
☐ Product specifications
☐ [Other]

I understand that the strata committee, if a by-law lets it decide minor renovations, must give written reasons within 3 months if it refuses. I am happy to answer questions or arrange a time to show you the plans.

Please confirm you have received this application.

Yours sincerely,

[Signature]
[Your name]

Part 3: Major renovation request (special resolution and by-law)

Request for a special resolution and by-law

Copy

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Email] · [Phone]

[Date]

The Owners – Strata Plan [SP number]
C/- [Strata managing agent name, or Strata committee secretary]
[Address or email]

Request for approval of major renovations – Lot [lot number]

Dear Secretary / Strata Manager,

I am the owner of Lot [lot number]. I would like to carry out the renovation described below. Because it [affects common property / involves waterproofing / changes the structure or external appearance], I understand it needs a special resolution at a general meeting.

1. The work
[Describe the work, e.g. "Full bathroom renovation, including removing the existing tiles and membrane, installing a new waterproofing membrane, retiling, and replacing the vanity, toilet and shower screen. Plumbing fixtures stay in the same locations."]

2. Common property affected
[e.g. The floor slab, the waterproofing membrane, the internal face of the boundary walls and the pipes serving only this lot.]

3. Proposed motions
Please include these motions on the agenda of the next general meeting:

Motion 1: Special resolution approving the work. That the owners corporation, by special resolution, authorises the owner of Lot [lot number] to carry out the works described in the attached scope on common property, and that the owner of Lot [lot number] is responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the common property affected by the works.

Motion 2: Common property rights by-law. That the owners corporation, by special resolution and with the written consent of the owner of Lot [lot number], makes the attached common property rights by-law and lodges it for registration.

4. What the draft by-law covers
The attached draft by-law sets out:

• the works permitted and the plans they must follow
• licensed contractors and insurance (public liability, and home building compensation cover where required)
• working hours and protection of common property during the work
• waterproofing to the relevant Australian Standard, with a certificate given to the owners corporation
• who maintains and repairs the changed common property afterwards (me and future owners of the lot)
• that I pay the owners corporation's reasonable costs of preparing and registering the by-law
• that I repair any damage caused by the work.

[Optional: I am happy to pay for the strata manager or the owners corporation's lawyer to prepare or review the by-law.]

5. Notice of structural work
If approved, I will give the owners corporation at least 14 days' written notice before any structural work starts.

6. Attachments
☐ Plans and scope of works
☐ Contractor licence and insurance certificates
☐ Waterproofing details and installer licence
☐ Engineer's report (structural work only)
☐ Draft by-law
☐ [Other]

Yours sincerely,

[Signature]
[Your name]

Part 4: Document checklist

Renovation document checklist

Copy

Lot [lot number], SP [number]. Work: [short description]

Plans and scope
☐ Written scope of works, room by room
☐ Plans, drawings or marked-up photos
☐ Product specifications (flooring, appliances, fixtures)
☐ Start date, finish date and stages

Contractors
☐ Contractor licence numbers, checked on the NSW licence check
☐ Public liability insurance certificate (with expiry date)
☐ Home building compensation certificate if the work is over $20,000
☐ Written contract if the work is over $5,000

Working hours, noise, dust and waste
☐ Working hours matching the by-laws
☐ Noisy work times (demolition, drilling, tile cutting)
☐ Dust control (sheets, sealing doors, no dust into common areas)
☐ Waste plan: who removes rubbish, when, and how (never building bins)
☐ Lift booking and lift protection

Flooring
☐ Acoustic report or certificate for the new floor and underlay
☐ Underlay product and rating
☐ Any acoustic standard in your by-laws (check the by-laws)

Wet areas (major renovation)
☐ Waterproofing scope and method
☐ Licensed waterproofer details
☐ Promise to give a waterproofing certificate when finished

Common property
☐ What common property is touched (walls, slab, pipes, external walls, balcony)
☐ Access needed to common property (car park, loading dock, roof, service cupboards)
☐ How it will be protected and restored
☐ Draft by-law (major renovation)

Other approvals
☐ Council or certifier approval, if needed
☐ Engineer's report for structural work
☐ 14 days' written notice for structural work

Part 5: 3-month deadline tracker

Use this if a by-law lets your strata committee decide minor renovations. Paste the table into Excel or Google Sheets starting at cell A1, then format columns C and E as dates.

Count from the date the owners corporation or committee received your request. Keep proof of the date, such as an email receipt, a registered post receipt or a written acknowledgement.

Deadline tracker (paste into a spreadsheet)

Copy

Request	Date received by OC	Response due	Days left	Date of reply	Reply	Status
[Kitchen renovation, Lot 12]	15/11/2026	=IF(B2="","",EDATE(B2,3))	=IF(OR(C2="",E2<>""),"",C2-TODAY())			=IF(B2="","",IF(E2<>"","Answered: see reply",IF(TODAY()>C2,"3 months passed: check deemed approval",IF(C2-TODAY()<=21,"Due soon: send reminder","Waiting"))))

What each formula does

• Response due (column C): =EDATE(B2,3) adds 3 calendar months to the date received.
• Days left (column D): days until the response is due. It goes blank once a reply is logged.
• Status (column G): shows Waiting, then Due soon 21 days out, then 3 months passed if no reply is logged.

Copy row 2 down for each new request.

A note on month-ends: EDATE turns 30 November into 28 February. The law's way of counting months may differ slightly. Don't treat the due date as a cut-off you can rely on to the day. Wait a few extra days, and get the approval confirmed in writing before you start.

Part 6: Follow-up letters

Polite follow-up (send around week 6)

Copy

[Date]

Dear [Secretary / Strata Manager],

Minor renovation application – Lot [lot number], SP [number]

I sent my application for minor renovations on [date sent], and I believe it was received on [date received]. I'm writing to check on its progress.

Is there anything else you need from me? I'm happy to provide more information or meet to go through the plans.

I'd appreciate an update on when the strata committee expects to decide.

Kind regards,

[Your name]
[Phone]

Firmer reminder (send around week 10)

Copy

[Date]

Dear [Secretary / Strata Manager],

Minor renovation application – Lot [lot number], SP [number]: decision due [response due date]

I applied for approval of minor renovations on [date sent], and the application was received on [date received]. I followed up on [date of first follow-up] and have not yet received a decision.

Under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, as amended from 1 July 2025, where a by-law lets the strata committee decide minor renovations, the committee must give written reasons if it refuses, within 3 months of receiving the request. If it does not, the application is taken to be approved. The 3 months end on [response due date].

Please let me have the committee's decision in writing by that date. If I don't hear by then, I will treat the application as approved under the Act, and I will write to confirm that before any work starts.

Yours sincerely,

[Your name]
[Phone]

Part 7: Request to put a motion on the agenda

Send this to the strata committee secretary before the notice of the next meeting goes out. A motion sent after that can be refused. The NSW Government says a motion needs a summary, your name and a supporting explanation of up to 300 words. The rules for meetings are in Schedule 1 of the Act.

Request to put a motion on the agenda

Copy

[Date]

To the Secretary
The Owners – Strata Plan [SP number]
C/- [Strata managing agent]

Request to include a motion on the agenda of the next general meeting – Lot [lot number]

Dear Secretary,

I am the owner of Lot [lot number]. Please include the following motion on the agenda of the next general meeting [or: the annual general meeting due in [month]].

Motion
Type of resolution: [ordinary / special]. That the owners corporation approves the [minor / major] renovations to Lot [lot number] described in the attached application dated [date], subject to the conditions in that application. [For major work, add: and that the owner of Lot [lot number] is responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the common property affected.]

Explanatory note (up to 300 words)
[Explain the work in plain terms, why it's needed, how you'll manage noise, dust and waste, and what protections you're offering. Mention that licence, insurance and any acoustic or waterproofing documents are attached.]

Attachments
[List them.]

[Optional, if owners holding at least 25% of the unit entitlements are signing: We, the owners listed below, together holding at least 25% of the unit entitlements, ask that a general meeting be called to consider this motion.]

Yours sincerely,

[Signature]
[Your name], owner of Lot [lot number]

Part 8: Notice to neighbours and 10 tips

Notice to neighbours

Copy

Renovation notice: Unit [number]

Hello neighbours,

We're renovating our [kitchen / bathroom / floors] at Unit [number] and wanted to let you know before work starts.

When: [start date] to [finish date]
Working hours: [e.g. 8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday]
Noisiest days: [dates, e.g. demolition on 3 and 4 March]
Lift: booked for deliveries on [dates], with protective blankets

The work has been approved by the owners corporation [or: is cosmetic work that doesn't need approval]. Our contractor is [business name], licence [number].

We'll keep noise and dust to a minimum and clean up common areas every day. If anything bothers you, please contact us directly and we'll sort it out quickly.

[Your name] · Unit [number] · [phone] · [email]

Thanks for your patience!

10 tips for getting a yes

1. Read your by-laws first. Check for a renovation by-law, a flooring standard and whether the strata committee can approve minor renovations.
2. Get the category right. Asking for a bathroom renovation as a "minor" one wastes months. If waterproofing or structure is involved, it's major.
3. Send the full pack once. Incomplete applications get deferred. Use the Part 4 checklist.
4. Lead with the protections. Licence, insurance, acoustic underlay and waterproofing certificates answer the committee's worries before they ask.
5. Talk to the strata manager early. Ask what the committee usually wants and when the next meeting is.
6. Speak to the neighbours below and beside you. Flooring and bathroom work affects them most. A neighbour who knows the plan rarely objects.
7. Offer sensible conditions yourself. Quiet hours, lift protection and a promise to repair any damage cost little and make a yes easy.
8. Offer to pay the by-law costs for a major renovation. The other owners shouldn't have to pay for your work.
9. Keep everything in writing, with dates. You'll need them if the 3-month rule or a dispute comes up.
10. Don't start early. Starting before approval turns a likely yes into a dispute, and you may have to undo the work.

Sources

• NSW Government: strata renovations
• NSW Government: guide to strata law changes for strata committees and owners
• NSW Fair Trading: changes to strata laws
• NSW Government: strata meetings
• NSW Government: strata disputes
• Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment Bill 2024, explanatory note
• Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW)
• Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2016 (NSW)