Do you need strata approval to install a water tank? In most cases, yes. In NSW, a rainwater tank is listed as a minor renovation, which needs more than 50% of votes at a strata meeting. Your strata committee can approve it instead if a by-law allows. In Queensland, a body corporate committee can usually approve a tank on common property if it costs under $3,000 and doesn’t detract from the lot’s appearance. Above that, it goes to a general meeting.
The good news is the rules themselves are straightforward. This checklist covers who approves what, and what to send so your committee has everything it needs the first time.
Do You Need Strata Approval for a Water Tank?
If you own a unit, townhouse or villa in a strata scheme, assume you need strata approval before installing a tank. Most of what’s outside your front door is common property: walls, gardens, side passages and often the roof that would feed the tank. Running pipes from a shared roof, or fixing a tank to an outside wall, touches that common property.
Two quick checks tell you where you stand:
- Look at your strata plan. It shows which areas belong to your lot and which are common property. Your strata manager or body corporate manager can give you a copy.
- Read your by-laws. Some schemes have by-laws that cover rainwater tanks, external fixtures or the look of the building. These sit on top of the state rules.
Duplexes are often different. A duplex is usually two separate titles, so each owner can often decide independently. Our water tanks for units and duplexes guide explains how to tell which situation you’re in.
Strata Approval in NSW: Owners Corporation Rules for Rainwater Tanks
NSW groups strata renovations into three types: cosmetic, minor and major. The NSW Government’s strata renovation guide lists a rainwater tank by name as a minor renovation.
For a minor renovation, the rules are:
- Who approves. The owners corporation, by more than 50% of votes cast at a strata meeting. If a by-law allows it, the strata committee can approve it instead.
- Timing. If the application isn’t refused in writing, with reasons, within three months, it is taken as approved. The owners corporation keeps a record of approved minor renovations for 10 years.
Common property adds a layer. If your tank or its plumbing changes common property, your scheme may need to change its by-laws, and affected owners must agree in writing. This is the point where an early chat with your strata manager saves the most time.
Strata Approval in Queensland: Body Corporate Rules by Scheme Module
Queensland sets the approval path by your scheme’s “module”, the set of rules your body corporate runs under. The Queensland Government’s guide to improving common property sets out each one. Most residential schemes use the Standard, Accommodation or Small Schemes module.
Under those modules, your body corporate committee can approve an improvement to common property if two conditions are met:
- 1. The total cost is under $3,000.
- 2. The work doesn’t detract from the lot’s appearance.
If either condition isn’t met, the request needs an ordinary resolution at a general meeting. Either way, you must give the body corporate details of the work and its value. If you’re not sure which module applies, Titles Queensland can confirm it.
Here’s how the main paths compare across both states:
| State and scheme | Who approves | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| NSW (rainwater tank as a minor renovation) | Owners corporation, or the strata committee if a by-law allows | More than 50% of votes cast at a strata meeting. If the committee doesn’t refuse in writing, with reasons, within three months, the application is taken as approved |
| NSW (work that changes common property) | Owners corporation | A by-law change may be needed, and affected owners must agree in writing |
| Queensland: Standard, Accommodation and Small Schemes modules | Committee, or a general meeting | Committee can approve if the total cost is under $3,000 and the work doesn’t detract from the lot’s appearance. Otherwise an ordinary resolution at a general meeting |
| Queensland: Specified Two-lot Schemes module | The other lot owner | A lot owner agreement, with no cost limit |
| Queensland: Commercial module | Committee | Committee can approve regardless of cost |
Victoria and the ACT use their own rules and terms, so check with your owners corporation or the relevant state agency if you’re outside NSW and Queensland.
Your Strata Approval Checklist: What to Put in the Application
None of the items below is a legal requirement. They are the details a committee or meeting will ask about. Sending them up front avoids a “please provide more information” round trip.
- Tank specifications. Model, capacity, dimensions and colour. A spec sheet or product page link does the job.
- Location plan. A simple sketch or marked-up photo showing where the tank sits, its distance from boundaries, and which roof area feeds it.
- Plumbing details. Where the downpipe connects, where the overflow goes, and whether the tank supplies the garden only or also toilets or laundry.
- Installer details. Who is doing the work, and their licence details if a plumber is involved.
- Appearance. How the tank will look from common areas and the street. A colour that matches the building helps here.
- Cost. The total value of the work, including installation. In Queensland, this decides whether the committee can approve it.
- Maintenance. Who will look after the tank, gutters and connections after installation. Spell out that you will, if that’s the plan.
- Timing and access. When the work will happen and how installers will get to the site, especially if they need to use shared driveways or gardens.
Send it in writing to your strata manager, body corporate manager or committee secretary. Keep a copy and note the date. In NSW, that date starts the three-month clock.
Maintenance and By-Laws After Strata Approval
Approval usually comes with responsibilities. In Queensland, the owner must comply with any conditions of approval and maintain the improvement. The Queensland Government also notes the body corporate’s insurance premium may rise, and the owner may have to pay the extra.
In NSW, the rules for major renovations require the resolution to state who maintains the common property. For a minor renovation like a rainwater tank, agree who maintains it in writing as part of your application. That covers cleaning gutters on a shared roof, checking the overflow, and repairing anything the tank or its pipes damage.
Choosing a Tank That Makes Strata Approval Easier
The easiest tank to approve is one that’s hard to notice. Three options suit strata properties:
- Slimline tanks sit flat against a wall in a side passage and take up little ground space. See our slimline tank pricing guide for sizes.
- Underdeck tanks fit under a raised deck or balcony, out of sight. See our underdeck tank pricing guide.
- Underground tanks leave nothing visible above ground except the access lid. See our underground tank pricing guide.
Colour helps too. A tank matched to the building’s walls or roof reads as part of the property rather than an add-on, which answers the “does it detract from appearance” question before anyone asks it. Our water tank colour guide covers how to match a tank to its surroundings.
For a starting point on size for a unit or townhouse, see the sizing section of our units and duplexes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions: Strata Approval for Water Tanks
Do I need strata approval for a rainwater tank in NSW?
Usually, yes. The NSW Government lists a rainwater tank as a minor renovation. That needs more than 50% of votes at a strata meeting, or strata committee approval if a by-law allows it.
How long does strata approval take in NSW?
It depends on when your strata meeting or committee meets. If a minor renovation application isn’t refused in writing, with reasons, within three months, it is taken as approved.
Can my Queensland body corporate committee approve a water tank?
Yes, under the Standard, Accommodation and Small Schemes modules, if the improvement costs under $3,000 and doesn’t detract from the lot’s appearance. Otherwise it needs an ordinary resolution at a general meeting.
Who maintains a water tank after strata approval?
In Queensland, the owner who made the improvement maintains it and must follow any approval conditions. In NSW, agree maintenance in writing as part of your application, and check any conditions or by-law that comes with the approval.
Do I need strata approval for a water tank on a duplex?
Often not. A duplex is usually two separate titles, so each owner can decide on their own side. If the duplex shares common property, such as a driveway or roof, check with the other owner first.
Planning a tank for your unit or townhouse? Browse the slimline tank range or call 1300 826 532 to talk through sizes and specs for your strata application.