Maintenance: Lighting
In this chapter we look at body corporate lighting as well as common problems faced by unit groups. We also look at saving energy.
Legislation – Strata Titles Act
Click on Legislation above, to view strata title legislation and hints.
Legislation – Community Titles Act
Click on Legislation above, to view community title legislation and hints.
The picture below is a view of lighting at the entrance to a group of units.
The picture below is a meter box at a unit group. It contains the meters for each unit, along with a common supply meter, lighting timer and circuit breaker.
Some group’s have no meter and the public lighting is attached to a unit. The common practice is to pay the owner (who pays tenant if rented) an annual fee to adequately cover the estimated use.
Hint
Adjust the timer to ensure the common lighting comes on at dusk. A resident who is willing to adjust the clock will help save on electrician’s fees.
Some groups have a ‘sunset’ switch installed. This turns the common lighting on at dusk and off at dawn.
Hint
To test the common lighting during the day place a small cardboard box over the sunset switch. After a few minutes the common lights should come on. If all remain off we suggest an electrician be called.
Common Problems
- Lights in gardens are obscured by the adjacent shrubs & bushes
- Lights above common stairways and balconies fail and are not replaced, which puts residents and visitors at risk of injury.
- Vandalised or broken light fittings, which puts residents and visitors at risk of injury.
- Vandalism may be claimable from the group’s insurance policy.
Best Practice
Consider replacing vulnerable lights with ‘Vandalite’ (or similar) lamps – see Tools at the bottom of this page.
Check all common lighting once a month. If lighting failure can be shown to have contributed to an assault, theft or vandalism the affected person may have grounds to sue the Corporation.
Emergency lighting may require a compulsory check by an electrician.
Low energy option
Many unit groups are replacing the incandescent lights with energy saving compact fluorescent lamps.
The following is an extract from the South Australian Government’s online publication easy ways to save energy:
- The most significant opportunity for reducing lighting energy use is the replacement of incandescent globes with compact fluorescent globes and fluorescent tubes. The initial higher capital costs are recouped through substantial energy savings, approx 75%, and the longer life of compact fluoro globes and tubes 8 – 10, 000 hours compared with 1000 hours of incandescent light.
- For general lighting use fluorescent lighting in the kitchen, lounge, family room and other areas where lights are on for more than 4 hours a day.
- Regularly clean light fittings and lampshades.
- Compact fluorescent globes are available from most supermarkets.
Hint
Packs of inexpensive compact fluros are generally available from supermarkets.
Tools
The following tools may assist in the maintenance of your group’s lighting.
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Vandalite Brochure |
Choosing the right globe |
Strata Titles Act (plan number less than 20,000)
Lighting that is not for the exclusive use of a unit owner is common property under the Section 5 of the Strata Titles Act. Section 25 explains the Corporations responsibility to maintain the hot water service.
Section 5 (6) The common property comprises:
(b) any pipe, cable, wire, duct or drain that is not for the exclusive use of a unit;
(c) any structure that is not for the exclusive use of a unit installed before the deposit of the strata plan;
(d) any structure installed by a strata corporation as part of the common property;
(e) any other structure on the site committed to the care of a strata corporation as part of the common property.
Section 25. The functions of the strata corporation are as follows:
(a) to administer and maintain the common property for the benefit of the unit holders and, to such extent as may be appropriate, other members of the strata community; and
(b) to administer all other property of the corporation
What does this mean?
Lighting that is not for the exclusive use of a unit owner is common property under the Section 5 of the Strata Titles Act – see Boundaries
Community Titles Act
Lighting that is not for the exclusive use of a unit owner is common property under the Section 28 of the Community Titles Act. Section 75 explains the Corporations responsibility to maintain the common property.
Section 28—Common property
(1) The common property created by a community plan comprises:
(a) those parts of the community parcel that do not comprise or form part of a lot; and
(b) the service infrastructure (except for any part of the service infrastructure that is vested in a Minister of the Crown or other authority or person and the parts of the service infrastructure that provide a service to only one lot); and
(c) in the case of a strata plan—those parts of the building that are not part of a lot; and
Section 75—Functions and powers of corporations
(1) The functions of a corporation are
(a) to administer, manage and control the common property for the benefit of the owners of the community lots; and
(b) to maintain the common property and the property of the corporation in good order and condition
What does this mean?
Lighting that is not for the exclusive use of a unit owner is common property and the Community Corporation’s to maintain – see Boundaries
