If you are moving into a Brisbane apartment or townhouse, there is a layer of approval between you and your new front door that does not exist when you move into a house.
The good news is that Queensland’s system is well documented and genuinely reasonable. The less good news is that every scheme is slightly different, so the only way to know your rules is to ask for them.
Who actually makes the rules
Worth understanding the structure, because it tells you who to ask.
That last word matters. Your removalist is your invitee, which means the by-laws apply to them too, and any breach generally comes back to you rather than to the removal company.
By-laws control and manage the use of common property and regulate how owners and occupiers use their lot and the shared areas. Lifts, lobbies, driveways, loading bays and car parks are almost always common property, and a move uses all of them.
What you will typically need to arrange
The specifics differ by scheme, but the list is fairly consistent across Brisbane buildings.
| What | Why the body corporate cares | Typical lead time |
|---|---|---|
| Notice of the move | So the committee or manager can plan access | One to four weeks |
| Lift booking and protective padding | Lift interiors damage easily and repairs are shared costs | One to three weeks |
| Permitted days and hours | Noise and disruption to other residents | Check before booking the truck |
| Loading bay or driveway access | Height limits and blocking other residents | At booking |
| Removalist public liability details | Damage to common property | At booking |
| A refundable bond in some schemes | Covers damage to common areas | Before the day |
Note the third row especially. Plenty of schemes restrict moves to weekdays or to set hours, and that single rule can determine your entire moving date.
What needs approval, and what only needs notice
A distinction that saves a lot of confusion.
Moving in
Using common property to move your belongings is normally a notice and booking exercise rather than a formal resolution. You tell the manager, you book the lift, you follow the hours.
Changing anything
Altering common property is a different matter entirely. Queensland rules provide that an owner’s improvement to common property generally requires body corporate authorisation, with the type of approval depending on the value of the improvement.
This catches people out after the move rather than during it. Installing an air conditioner, adding a security door, putting up an awning or running cabling across a shared wall can all involve common property, and doing it first and asking later is how disputes start.
“Most body corporate friction on moving day comes from timing rather than permission. Schemes rarely refuse a move, but they do enforce their hours and their lift bookings, so confirm both before you lock in a date.”
If you are buying rather than renting
Do this homework before you sign, because the financial picture matters more than the moving rules.
Buyers can seek access to body corporate records, including minutes and financial information, and Queensland has introduced a seller disclosure scheme requiring sellers to give buyers prescribed information before a contract is signed.
What experienced buyers actually look for in those records is a pattern. Recurring repairs that never quite get fixed, a committee in conflict with itself, or a maintenance plan with no money behind it.
That last point is the important one. Queensland schemes maintain a sinking fund for future capital expenditure, separate from the administrative fund that covers day to day costs. A healthy looking levy with an empty sinking fund often means a special levy is coming.
One practical warning from Brisbane buyers. Townhouses are increasingly sold at auction, and an auction purchase is unconditional, so any body corporate due diligence has to be completed before you raise your hand rather than after.
If something goes wrong
Useful to know this exists before you need it.
The Office of the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management provides a free information service for people living in, working with or investing in Queensland body corporate schemes, along with dispute resolution services.
Most moving day disagreements are resolved with a phone call. But if you are told something that does not sound right, there is an independent place to check it rather than taking the committee’s word or your own.
In short
- Queensland community titles schemes are regulated under the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997.
- Each scheme has its own by-laws, binding on owners, occupiers and their invitees.
- Your removalist is an invitee, so the by-laws apply to them.
- Lifts, lobbies, driveways and loading bays are almost always common property.
- Expect to give notice, book the lift and follow permitted hours.
- Many schemes restrict moves to weekdays or set hours.
- Some schemes require a refundable bond for damage to common areas.
- Buildings commonly ask for your removalist’s public liability details.
- Moving in usually needs notice rather than a formal resolution.
- Altering common property generally requires body corporate authorisation.
- Air conditioners, security doors and cabling often involve common property.
- Buyers can access body corporate records including minutes and financials.
- Queensland’s seller disclosure scheme requires prescribed information before contract.
- Check the sinking fund, not just the levy, for signs of a coming special levy.
- Auction purchases are unconditional, so do the due diligence beforehand.
- The Office of the Commissioner offers a free information and dispute service.
The whole thing comes down to one email asking for the by-laws and the moving procedure. Send it the day your contract or lease is signed and almost every surprise disappears.
Our Brisbane removalists page covers how we work with building managers and access restrictions, our guide to local moves explains the day itself, and the questions to ask a removalist are worth running through before you book.
