South Australian Strata and Community Title Renovation Approval Kit

This kit is for owners in a South Australian strata scheme or community 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 response 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 Strata Titles Act 1988, the Community Titles Act 1996, the Legal Services Commission's guides to strata titles and community titles, the Law Handbook, and PlanSA and Land Services SA guidance on 29 October 2026. We couldn't open the current Acts directly, so section numbers come from those official guides. Where we couldn't confirm a point, we say so.

Part 1: Quick-start guide

What needs approval

Three things decide whether you need approval:

1. Your scheme type. A strata scheme is run by a strata corporation under the Strata Titles Act. These were created before 1 June 2009. A community strata scheme (most newer apartment buildings) and a community scheme (lots defined by land, such as many townhouses and houses) are run by a community corporation under the Community Titles Act. Your certificate of title or plan says which you have.
2. What the work touches: only the inside of your unit or lot, the structure or outside of the building, or common property.
3. Your articles or by-laws. Strata corporations use the model articles in Schedule 3 of the Strata Titles Act unless they have adopted their own. Community schemes have their own by-laws. Check them for rules on flooring, noise, appearance and working hours.

Two exceptions apply to s 29 and s 102. You don't need a resolution for work required by a housing improvement order. In a scheme with only two units or lots, you don't need one for work that is approved development under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016.

Unit, lot or common property?

In a strata scheme, the boundary of your unit is usually the inside surface of the walls, floors and ceilings (s 5). In plans deposited before 1 September 1988, it's usually the midpoint of the walls, floors and ceilings. The roof, gutters, external walls and foundations are usually common property. Internal walls are yours. A pipe, cable or drain that serves only your unit is part of your unit. One that serves more than one unit is common property.

In a community strata scheme, the boundary is usually the inner surface of a wall, the upper surface of the floor and the under surface of the ceiling, unless the plan says otherwise.

In a community scheme, you own the land and the buildings on your lot, and you usually maintain and insure them.

Real examples

• New carpet, paint or kitchen cupboards in the same spot: inside your unit. Usually no approval, but follow the articles or by-laws on noise and working hours.
• New timber or tile floors: the model articles have no flooring rule, but they ban undue noise (article 2). Some schemes have their own flooring articles or by-laws. Expect to be asked for acoustic details.
• Bathroom renovation: the inside of your unit and pipes that serve only your unit are yours. If the work touches the slab, structural walls or shared pipes, it's structural work or common property and needs a special resolution.
• Split-system air conditioner or external awnings: these change the external appearance. In a strata or community strata scheme, you need a special resolution.
• Removing a structural wall: you need a special resolution and development approval.
• A pergola on a townhouse lot in a community scheme: the Act doesn't require corporation approval, but check the scheme description and by-laws. You may also need council approval.
• Using a courtyard that is common property: in a strata scheme you need a unanimous resolution for a set period. In a community scheme you need a by-law.

What to submit

There is no form set by law. A clear written request with the documents in Part 4 gives the corporation enough to decide. If the work needs a special resolution, include the wording of the motion and your reasons, because the notice of meeting must contain both.

Who decides

• A general meeting, by special resolution, decides structural work, building or altering structures, and external appearance in a strata scheme or a residential community strata scheme. The management committee can't decide these, because it has no power to do anything that needs a special or unanimous resolution (strata s 35, community s 92).
• A special resolution needs at least 14 days' written notice to all owners, with the text of the motion and the reasons for it. It passes if the votes against are no more than 25% of the votes that could be cast if every owner attended (strata s 3, community s 3). With three units or lots, no more than one vote can be against. In a two-unit strata scheme, both owners must agree. In a two-lot community scheme, the motion fails if the other owner votes against it.
• A unanimous resolution is a special resolution with no votes against. Owners who don't attend or don't vote aren't counted as against.
• The management committee can deal with other business, including consents the articles or by-laws ask for, unless the corporation has limited its powers.
• An ordinary resolution (a simple majority of those present and voting) decides anything the Act or the articles or by-laws don't say otherwise about.

No "not unreasonably withheld" rule. We found no rule that the corporation can't unreasonably refuse a renovation request. But an owner can ask the Magistrates Court to review a decision that is unreasonable, oppressive or unjust (see below).

Timelines

• No deadline in law. Neither Act sets a time for the corporation to answer a renovation request, and there is no deemed approval. Ask for a reply by a reasonable date and follow up (Part 6).
• Notice: a general meeting needs at least 14 days' written notice, and so does a special or unanimous resolution (strata s 33, community s 81).
• The AGM of a strata corporation must be held every calendar year, within 15 months of the last one.
• Calling a meeting yourself: in a strata scheme, owners of at least one fifth of the units can call a general meeting. In a community scheme, owners holding at least 20% of the lots or 20% of the lot entitlements can.

Recent changes

• From 10 November 2025, building indemnity insurance and the formal domestic building contract rules apply from $20,000, up from $12,000. The maximum cover rose to $250,000.
• On 1 September 2026, the Community Titles Regulations 2026 replaced the 2011 regulations, and the Strata Titles Regulations 2018 were amended to match. The change we could confirm is to the surveyor's certificate on new plans.
• On 1 September 2026, the Building Work Contractors Regulations 2026 replaced the 2011 regulations. The Law Handbook says a builder's deposit is capped at $1,000 for work up to $20,000, and 5% above that.
• The Statutes Amendment (Community and Strata Titles) Bill 2024 would amend both Acts. It passed the House of Assembly and was before the Legislative Council in November 2025. We couldn't confirm whether it has become law.
• We found nothing starting in October 2026 that changes renovation approvals.

If the corporation says no

1. Ask for the reasons in writing, then fix what you can and resubmit.
2. Put it to a general meeting as a motion (Part 7). If the secretary won't call one, owners with enough units or lots can call it themselves.
3. Get free advice. The Legal Services Commission's Legal Helpline is on 1300 366 424.
4. Apply to the Magistrates Court as a minor civil action. An owner can apply if a decision of the corporation or the management committee is unreasonable, oppressive or unjust. The court can vary or reverse the decision (strata s 41A, community s 142).
5. If a resolution fell just short, a person who voted for it can ask a court to declare it enough. In a strata scheme this applies where a unanimous resolution got special resolution support (s 46). In a community scheme it also applies where a special resolution got only ordinary resolution support (s 149).

Strata and community title disputes go to the Magistrates Court, not SACAT. SACAT's role is limited to tenancy matters, such as ending a tenancy where a tenant causes a nuisance.

Don't start work without approval. The corporation can require you to remedy the work or restore the unit or lot, send in workers to do it, and recover the cost from you.

Building rules that apply as well

• Building work generally needs development approval. Some internal alterations that don't affect the structure, and some air conditioner installations, don't. Check your address in the Planning and Design Code or ask your council. You may still need corporation approval when you don't need development approval.
• Anyone carrying on business as a building work contractor needs a building work contractor's licence from Consumer and Business Services. Check the licence on the CBS public register. Plumbing, gas and electrical work need licensed tradespeople.
• Building indemnity insurance is required for domestic building work of $20,000 or more that needs development approval. Work can't start until it's in place. Owner-builders can't get it.
• Domestic building work contracts of $20,000 or more must be in writing and signed, and you have 5 clear business days to cool off (Law Handbook).

What we couldn't confirm

• The current text of both Acts. The SA legislation website and AustLII blocked us, so we relied on the Legal Services Commission's guides and the Law Handbook.
• Whether the Statutes Amendment (Community and Strata Titles) Bill 2024 has passed, and what it changes. Check before you rely on the meeting and dispute rules here.
• Any other changes made by the Community Titles Regulations 2026 or the Strata Titles amendments on 1 September 2026.
• The Magistrates Court fee for a strata or community title application.
• Whether building work below a certain value can be done without a builder's licence.
• The exact development approval exemptions for internal work and air conditioners.
• Whether any buildings, such as tall apartment blocks, are exempt from building indemnity insurance.
• Whether the $20,000 thresholds start at $20,000 or above it. Official sources word it both ways.
• Any right for one owner to put a motion on a general meeting agenda.

Part 2: Application letter for works needing approval

Application for approval of renovations

Copy

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

[Date]

[Strata Corporation [number] Incorporated / Community Corporation [number] Incorporated]
C/- [Strata or body corporate manager, or Secretary]
[Address or email]

Request for approval of renovation works – [Unit / Lot] [number], [street address]

Dear Secretary,

I am the owner of [Unit / Lot] [number]. I am asking for the corporation's approval for the works described below, under [section 29 of the Strata Titles Act 1988 / section 102 of the Community Titles Act 1996 / article or by-law [number]].

1. The work
[Describe each item, e.g. "Install a split-system air conditioner. The outdoor unit will sit on the balcony floor against the rear wall, below the balustrade line, in a colour matching the wall."]

2. Structure, external appearance or common property affected
[e.g. One 65 mm hole through the external wall for pipework, sealed and painted to match. No other common property is affected.]

3. Resolution needed
[I understand this work needs a special resolution at a general meeting. Please put the attached motion on the agenda of the next general meeting, or call a general meeting to consider it. / I understand this needs the corporation's consent under article or by-law [number].]

4. Dates and working hours
Start: [date]. Finish: [date].
Hours: [e.g. 7.30 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday], in line with the articles or by-laws.

5. Builder or tradespeople
[Business name], building work contractor's licence [number], [phone]. Public liability insurance with [insurer], certificate attached, expiry [date].

6. Noise, dust and waste
[e.g. Drilling between 9 am and 3 pm only. Dust sheets in common areas. All rubbish removed by the contractor.]

7. Conditions I'm offering
☐ Work done by licensed builders and tradespeople
☐ Colours and materials to match the building
☐ I will repair any damage to common property at my cost
☐ I will maintain the work and any affected common property
☐ I will pay the reasonable costs of a general meeting called for this request
☐ [Other]

8. Attachments
☐ Plans, photos or product specifications
☐ Builder licence and insurance certificates
☐ Development approval (if needed)
☐ Proposed motion and reasons
☐ [Other]

I would be grateful for a reply by [date, e.g. 28 days from today]. I'm happy to answer questions or meet to go through the plans.

Yours sincerely,

[Signature]
[Your name]

Part 3: Request for a special resolution (and unanimous resolution)

Use this when the work needs a special resolution: structural work, building or altering a structure, or changing the external appearance in a strata scheme or residential community strata scheme. The notice of meeting must include the text of the motion and the reasons for it, so send both. If you also want exclusive use of common property in a strata scheme, you'll need a unanimous resolution for a set period. In a community scheme, exclusive use needs a by-law. Get the manager or a lawyer to draft it.

Request for a special resolution

Copy

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

[Date]

The Secretary
[Strata Corporation [number] Incorporated / Community Corporation [number] Incorporated]
C/- [Strata or body corporate manager]

Motions for the next general meeting – [Unit / Lot] [number]

Dear Secretary,

I am the owner of [Unit / Lot] [number]. Please include the following motions, with the reasons below, in the notice of the next general meeting. I understand the notice must be given at least 14 days before the meeting.

Motion 1 (special resolution)
That the corporation authorises the owner of [Unit / Lot] [number] to carry out the work described in the attached scope, under [section 29 of the Strata Titles Act 1988 / section 102 of the Community Titles Act 1996], on condition that:
(a) the work is done by licensed builders and tradespeople at the owner's cost;
(b) the owner of [Unit / Lot] [number] maintains the work and repairs any damage it causes to common property;
(c) the owner obtains any development approval needed before work starts;
(d) [other conditions].

Motion 2 (unanimous resolution), if exclusive use is needed in a strata scheme
That the corporation grants the owner of Unit [number] exclusive use of the area of common property shown on the attached plan for [number] years from [date], under section 26 of the Strata Titles Act 1988, on the terms attached. I will pay the costs of preparing the terms.

Reasons for the motions
[Explain the work, why it's needed, how it will look, and how you'll manage noise, dust and waste.]

Attachments
☐ Scope of works, plans and specifications
☐ Builder licence and insurance certificates
☐ Development approval (if needed)
☐ Plan of the common property area (Motion 2 only)

Yours sincerely,

[Signature]
[Your name]

Part 4: Document checklist

Renovation document checklist

Copy

[Unit / Lot] [number], [Strata Corporation / Community Corporation] [number]. Work: [short description]

Scheme, articles and by-laws first
☐ Scheme type: strata scheme, community strata scheme or community scheme
☐ A copy of the articles (strata) or by-laws (community)
☐ The scheme description, for a community scheme
☐ Any article or by-law on renovations, flooring, noise, working hours or appearance
☐ The plan, showing your unit or lot boundaries and any unit or lot subsidiary

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

Builder and trades
☐ Building work contractor's licence number, checked on the CBS register
☐ Licence numbers for plumbers, gas fitters and electricians
☐ Public liability insurance certificate (with expiry date)
☐ Written contract if the work is $20,000 or more
☐ Building indemnity insurance certificate if the work is $20,000 or more and needs development approval

Working hours, noise, dust and waste
☐ Working hours matching the articles or by-laws
☐ Noisy work times
☐ Dust control
☐ Waste plan: who removes rubbish, when and how
☐ Lift booking and protection

Flooring
☐ Acoustic report or underlay specification (if your articles, by-laws or the committee ask)

Wet areas
☐ Waterproofing scope and the installer's details
☐ Which pipes serve only your unit and which are shared

Common property and structure
☐ What structure or common property is touched (slab, structural walls, shared pipes, facade, balcony)
☐ Access needed to common property (car park, roof, service cupboards)
☐ How it will be protected and restored
☐ Who will maintain it afterwards

Approvals
☐ Development approval, or confirmation it isn't needed
☐ Proposed motion and reasons, if a special resolution is needed

Part 5: Response tracker

South Australia sets no deadline for a reply, so this tracker uses the date you asked for in your letter. It flags when to send each follow-up. Paste the table into Excel or Google Sheets starting at cell A1, then format columns B, C and E as dates. Change the 28 in column C to whatever reply period you asked for.

Response tracker (paste into a spreadsheet)

Copy

Request	Date received by corporation	Reply requested by	Days left	Date of reply	Reply	Status
[Air conditioner, Unit 7]	15/11/2026	=IF(B2="","",B2+28)	=IF(OR(C2="",E2<>""),"",C2-TODAY())			=IF(B2="","",IF(E2<>"","Answered: see reply",IF(TODAY()>C2+28,"Send firmer reminder",IF(TODAY()>C2,"Send polite follow-up","Waiting"))))

What each formula does

• Reply requested by (column C): the date received plus 28 days.
• Days left (column D): days until that date. It goes blank once a reply is logged.
• Status (column G): Waiting, then Send polite follow-up once the date passes, then Send firmer reminder 28 days after that.

Copy row 2 down for each new request. If the reply is that your motion will go to a general meeting, log the meeting date in column F. The notice must go out at least 14 days before it.

Part 6: Follow-up letters

Polite follow-up

Copy

[Date]

Dear Secretary,

Renovation approval request – [Unit / Lot] [number], [Strata Corporation / Community Corporation] [number]

I sent my request for approval of renovation works 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 corporation expects to decide, or when my motion will go to a general meeting.

Kind regards,

[Your name]
[Phone]

Firmer reminder

Copy

[Date]

Dear Secretary,

Renovation approval request – [Unit / Lot] [number], [Strata Corporation / Community Corporation] [number]: second reminder

I asked for approval of renovation works on [date sent]. The request was received on [date received], and I followed up on [date of first follow-up]. I have not yet received a decision, or a date for a general meeting to consider my motion.

A special resolution needs at least 14 days' written notice to all owners, with the text of the motion and the reasons for it. I provided both on [date].

Please let me know by [date, e.g. 14 days from today] when the motion will be put to a general meeting. If I don't hear by then, I will ask other owners to join me in calling a general meeting, and I will get advice about an application to the Magistrates Court. I would rather resolve this directly, so please let me know if anything is missing from my request.

Yours sincerely,

[Your name]
[Phone]

Part 7: Request to put a motion on the agenda

We found no rule giving one owner the right to add a motion to a general meeting agenda. The person calling the meeting prepares the agenda, and it must include the text of any special or unanimous resolution (strata s 33, community s 81). Most secretaries will include a reasonable motion if you ask early. In a strata scheme, owners of at least one fifth of the units can call a general meeting themselves. In a community scheme, owners holding at least 20% of the lots or 20% of the lot entitlements can. Any meeting needs at least 14 days' written notice. An owner can also ask the Magistrates Court to order a meeting.

Request to put a motion on the agenda

Copy

[Date]

The Secretary
[Strata Corporation [number] Incorporated / Community Corporation [number] Incorporated]
C/- [Strata or body corporate manager]

Motion for the next general meeting – [Unit / Lot] [number]

Dear Secretary,

I am the owner of [Unit / Lot] [number]. Please include the following motion on the agenda of the next general meeting [or: the annual general meeting due in [month]], and give the notice at least 14 days before the meeting.

Motion
Type of resolution: [ordinary / special / unanimous]. That the corporation approves the renovation works to [Unit / Lot] [number] described in the attached request dated [date], subject to the conditions in that request.

Reasons
[Explain the work in plain terms, why it's needed, how you'll manage noise, dust and waste, and the conditions you're offering. Mention the attached documents.]

Attachments
[List them.]

[Optional, if enough owners are signing: We, the owners listed below, own at least one fifth of the units (strata scheme), or hold at least 20% of the lots or lot entitlements (community scheme). If this motion is not put to a general meeting by [date], we intend to call a general meeting ourselves to consider it.]

Yours sincerely,

[Signature]
[Your name], owner of [Unit / 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. 7.30 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 corporation approved the work at the general meeting on [date]. / The work is inside our unit and doesn't need approval.] Our builder is [business name], building work contractor's 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. Find out your scheme type first. Strata, community strata or community decides which Act applies and whether you need a resolution at all.
2. Get the articles or by-laws. Ask the manager or secretary for a copy, and check for flooring, noise and appearance rules.
3. Send the full pack once. Use the Part 4 checklist, and include the motion and reasons so the notice can go out straight away.
4. Ask when the next general meeting is. A special resolution needs 14 days' notice, so time your request to make the agenda.
5. Count the votes. A special resolution fails if more than 25% of all possible votes are against. Owners who don't vote don't count against you.
6. Speak to the neighbours below and beside you. Flooring, air conditioners and bathrooms affect them most.
7. Match the building. Colours, materials and positions that match make external changes easier to approve.
8. Offer sensible conditions yourself. Quiet hours, repair of any damage and maintenance at your cost.
9. Keep everything in writing, with dates. You'll need it if you go to the Magistrates Court.
10. Don't start early. The corporation can make you remedy unapproved work or restore your unit, at your cost.

Sources

• Strata Titles Act 1988 (SA)
• Community Titles Act 1996 (SA)
• Legal Services Commission: Strata Titles, A Legal Guide
• Legal Services Commission: Community Titles, A Legal Guide
• Law Handbook: Strata and community titles
• Law Handbook: Building work contracts
• Law Handbook: Licensing of builders
• Land Services SA: commencement of the Community Titles Regulations 2026
• SAFA: building indemnity insurance changes
• PlanSA: find out if you need approval
• SA Government: building work contractor's licence