This article discusses whether owners can install privacy panels around a common property pool privacy area in a strata complex.
Question: Can an owner install privacy panels around the common property pool?
In our complex, one owner wants to install privacy panels on or around the common property pool fence permanently for personal comfort. Are owners allowed to add privacy screens to common property, or would that be considered taking privacy too far?
Answer: People cannot just annex or take over a section of common property at their choosing. There’s a process to go through.
If an owner is installing a ‘privacy panel’ on a common property pool, then without knowing all the details, we’d think that is someone making an improvement to common property – and they will likely need permission from either the committee or a general meeting to do that. People cannot just annex or take over a section of common property at their choosing. There’s a process to go through.
We stress, we know nothing of these ‘panels’ or ‘fences’, so we couldn’t tell if this is, for example, a fixture or if it is something transportable. Both of those things may make a difference. Certainly your comment about ‘permanently’ suggests something is being affixed, which in turn makes us think permission would be needed for that first.
If a resident at the scheme is concerned about their privacy, or is concerned for their safety, enough to want to install something to prevent someone else from getting close to them, that’s a different issue and should be treated seriously. Police may need to be contacted.
Chris Irons
Strata Solve
E: chris@stratasolve.com.au
P: 0419 805 898
This post appears in the December 2025 edition of The QLD Strata Magazine.
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Read next:
- QLD: Q&A Responsibility for maintenance of common property
- QLD: Q&A Boundary and Common Property Issues
- QLD: Q&A Vacant Possession for Repairs to Common Property
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