How to make changes in your apartment (owners)

Changes to your apartment can affect everyone in the building because of shared structural walls, insurance and agreed OC rules.

Even ‘simple’ changes — bookshelves, balcony decks etc — may require permits or professional consultants.

Before you start any building works in your apartment:

• Refer to helpful information about warranties, surfaces and fixtures in the Building User Guide and the Wurru wurru biik portal.
• Read through the relevant parts of your Owners Corporation Rules. These include rules about external appearance, floor coverings, building works and alterations.
• Ensure that your proposed changes comply with the Owners Corporation Rules.
• Make certain your proposed changes do not involve drilling into concrete in your apartment or on your balcony. See specifics here and below ‘Fixing into concrete surfaces’.
• Contact all the relevant authorities to ensure your proposed modifications are consistent with all laws and building codes.
• Assemble all the permits and approvals needed.
• Complete a lot alteration form and submit it to The Knight — even for small changes. The more detail you include, the quicker the approval from the OC Committee that you are compliant with OC Rules.
• If your work is approved, you must give all residents 7 days notice before works begin. You can do this by letting The Knight know the dates of the works.

During building works:

• Ensure all neighbours are aware of the works with at least 7 days notice.
• Protect and keep common property areas clear and clean.
• Consider others:
  • Keep noise within business hours
  • Leave the lifts available to other residents
  • Keep dust to a minimum
  • Remove building rubbish (or get your builders to do so). Only household rubbish in the bin room.

Fixing into concrete surfaces

Our apartments have a number of beautiful exposed concrete walls and ceilings.

Although the concrete may appear safe to drill into, the building contains post-tensioning cables within the concrete slabs. Some precast panels also include reinforcement, electrical conduits, and fire service connections.