{"id":53590,"date":"2026-07-19T07:26:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T07:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/53590\/"},"modified":"2026-07-19T07:26:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T07:26:18","slug":"aussie-renter-trying-to-save-money-honestly-shocked-by-apartment-block-rule-excessive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/53590\/","title":{"rendered":"Aussie renter trying to save money ‘honestly shocked’ by apartment block rule: ‘Excessive’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Yahoo’s weekly column where lawyers Alison and Jillian Barrett from Maurice Blackburn<\/a> tackle problems everyday Aussies face \u2014 whether it be consumer<\/a>, property<\/a>, money matters<\/a>, relationships<\/a> or work<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Question<\/p>\n

I live in a Queensland rental apartment and recently received a warning from the body corporate telling me to stop drying clothes on my balcony because it supposedly looks “untidy”. I was honestly shocked. Like many Australians, I’m trying to keep electricity bills down and thought hanging washing outside was completely normal. It feels ridiculous that something as everyday as drying clothes could suddenly become an issue, especially during a cost-of-living crisis. I understand apartment living comes with rules, but this feels more about appearance than practicality. Can body corporate or strata committees legally stop residents from drying clothes on their balconies? And are there limits on the kinds of by-laws they can enforce?<\/p>\n

Answer<\/p>\n

It’s a surprisingly common apartment frustration. You’re trying to do something completely normal and cost-effective, and suddenly it’s treated like a rule breach.<\/p>\n

The short answer is this: a Queensland body corporate can regulate how you dry clothes on your balcony, but it can’t go so far that the rule becomes unreasonable or effectively stops ordinary living.<\/p>\n

In Queensland, apartment by-laws are governed by the Body Corporate and Community Management Act<\/a> 1997.<\/p>\n

That Act allows schemes to make by-laws about how lots and common property are used, including things like the appearance of balconies.<\/p>\n

Many schemes rely on the standard by-laws in the Act, which already deal with issues like drying washing.<\/p>\n

The standard by-laws are set out in schedule 4 of the Act. Section 8 of that schedule provides that the ‘occupier of a lot must not, without the body corporate’s written approval \u2013 hang washing, bedding, or another cloth article if the article is visible from another lot or the common property or from outside the scheme land\u2026’<\/p>\n

This standard by-law does not apply to lots under a standard format plan (broadly speaking, townhouses), it applies to apartment buildings under a building format plan, so ensure you check which applies to your scheme.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do you have a matter you’d like us to weigh in on? Contact newsroomau@yahoonews.com and we might feature it next.<\/p>\n

\"Jillian<\/p>\n

Jillian and Alison Barrett from Maurice Blackburn lawyers.<\/p>\n

(Maurice Blackburn (William Gordon Photography))<\/p>\n

But there is a key limitation in section 180 of the Act: a by-law must not be oppressive or unreasonable.<\/p>\n

Case law has interpreted this section to ensure it does not go beyond regulating use and does not effectively dictate how you live in your home.<\/p>\n

Body corporates are generally on safe ground if they are regulating how washing is dried with these sorts of guidelines:<\/p>\n

banning items hanging over balcony railings<\/p>\n

requiring clothes to be kept below balustrade height<\/p>\n

preventing washing that is clearly visible from outside<\/p>\n

Those kinds of rules are usually justified as maintaining the building’s appearance.<\/p>\n

Where things get shaky is when a rule does more than regulate and starts to effectively ban the activity altogether. For example:<\/p>\n

a blanket prohibition on drying anything outdoors<\/p>\n

restrictions so strict that drying clothes becomes impractical<\/p>\n

no alternative drying facilities in the building<\/p>\n

In those situations, the question becomes whether the rule has crossed into being unreasonable.<\/p>\n

Where a by-law that eliminates any realistic ability to dry clothes naturally is much more likely to be successfully challenged.<\/p>\n

Across many strata disputes, adjudicators regularly apply the same principle:<\/p>\n

body corporates can manage appearance<\/p>\n

residents are entitled to reasonable use of their lot<\/p>\n

rules that operate like blanket bans on everyday activities are at risk of being struck down<\/p>\n

Whether your balcony is part of your lot or is common property will likely also impact your prospects of successfully disputing the by-law.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rules about common property are often more restrictive and seen to be reasonable.<\/p>\n

It’s worth checking your scheme plan and by-laws to see how your balcony is classified.<\/p>\n

Before you push back, take a closer look at:<\/p>\n

the exact by-law they say you’ve breached<\/p>\n

whether it bans drying entirely or just visible drying<\/p>\n

whether the notice is formal or informal<\/p>\n

A body corporate usually needs to issue a formal contravention notice before taking enforcement action.<\/p>\n

An informal warning is more of a starting point for discussion rather than an immediate legal problem.<\/p>\n

What can you actually do?<\/p>\n

If the rule feels excessive, you have a few options.<\/p>\n

Try a practical workaround first<\/p>\n

Using a low drying rack or keeping items out of sight can sometimes resolve the issue quickly, even if it’s not ideal.<\/p>\n

Raise it with the committee<\/p>\n

Ask for clarification and, if needed, request a review of the by-law. Cost-of-living pressures are a legitimate point to raise, and some committees will reconsider strict enforcement.<\/p>\n

Challenge it formally<\/p>\n

If the rule genuinely prevents you from drying clothes at all, you can apply for dispute resolution through the Commissioner’s Office<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The process starts with conciliation; if unresolved, it proceeds to adjudication, which can determine whether the by-law itself is invalid or whether it’s being applied unreasonably.<\/p>\n

The Office of the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management also has a free information line that may assist: 1800 060 119.<\/p>\n

If you are still unsure of your situation, it’s worth getting some advice before escalating.<\/p>\n

A quick conversation with a community legal centre can save a lot of back-and-forth with your body corporate.<\/p>\n

This information is general in nature and should not be regarded as specific legal advice. For legal advice on a specific situation, consult a qualified solicitor.<\/p>\n

The contents of this column reflect or are inspired by real-life experiences. Some details may be adapted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome to Yahoo’s weekly column where lawyers Alison and Jillian Barrett from Maurice Blackburn tackle problems everyday Aussies…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":53591,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[22,21,44955,44958,44954,44956,44957,44953,20675,9992],"class_list":["post-53590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-austrlia","tag-body-corporate","tag-body-corporates","tag-common-property","tag-community-management","tag-dry-clothes","tag-drying-clothes","tag-jillian-barrett","tag-maurice-blackburn"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}