Clovelly 2031 · Randwick City Council
Home & Unit Renovations in Clovelly: Strata Approvals
Renovating a unit means getting the building on side first.
Clovelly has plenty of older walk-up apartment blocks near the beach alongside its Federation cottages. Renovating a unit here is rewarding. A dated 1960s flat can come out looking like new. But you share walls, floors and a roof, so the owners corporation has a say before any work starts.
Short answer
Do I need strata approval to renovate a Clovelly unit?
It depends on the category. Cosmetic work such as painting or new carpet needs none. Minor renovations, like a new kitchen or hard floors, need a general resolution of the owners corporation. Major work, anything structural, changing the exterior or involving waterproofing, which covers most bathrooms, needs a special resolution under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015.
Written and reviewed by Oliver Alameri
Licensed builder, NSW Contractor Licence 487805C · Founder, Buildana
Fact-checked
Cosmetic, minor or major: which is yours?
NSW strata law sorts renovations into three levels. Cosmetic work first: painting, hooks, handrails, new carpet. That generally needs no owners corporation approval at all.
Minor renovations need approval by a general resolution at a general meeting. That includes things like renovating a kitchen, changing recessed light fittings, installing timber or hard floors, or wiring changes.
Major renovations need a special resolution. Anything involving structural changes, waterproofing, changes to the building's external appearance, or work requiring council approval usually falls here. Most bathroom renovations do, because they involve waterproofing.
- Cosmetic: paint, carpet, minor fixings, no approval
- Minor: kitchens, hard flooring, wiring, general resolution
- Major: bathrooms, structure, waterproofing, external changes, special resolution
- Always check your building's by-laws for extra rules
In a unit, the bathroom is almost always a major renovation. Plan the strata approval accordingly.
Hard floors and your downstairs neighbour
Replacing carpet with timber or tiles is one of the most common requests. It's also behind a huge share of strata disputes. Why? Hard floors carry every footstep, every dropped spoon and every chair scrape straight into the ceiling of the unit below.
Many buildings have a by-law requiring acoustic underlay to a specified standard. Even where they don't, we recommend it. A properly rated underlay under the new floor keeps the peace and protects the value of every unit.
Renovating an apartment in Clovelly?
Tell me the building and the changes you have in mind. You'll get a list of the approvals needed, the documents for the owners corporation, and a fixed price.
0476 300 300Waterproofing and who owns what
In most strata buildings, the membrane under a bathroom floor, the slab and the pipes in the walls may be common property, not yours. A renovation that disturbs them needs care, approval and proper documentation.
Our membranes go down to the current Australian Standard and get inspected and certified before a single tile is laid. The owners corporation usually wants that certificate for its records. If a leak ever reaches the unit below, that paperwork matters. A lot.
Plumbing changes are bigger. Move a toilet or shower and you may be cutting into the slab and common property pipes, which needs its own specific approval and a plumber who's done it in strata before.
Working in a Clovelly apartment block
Older walk-ups often have no lift. Narrow stairs. Nowhere to park. So deliveries get planned, common stairwells and hallways get protected, and waste leaves every day. Working hours follow the building's by-laws and council's rules.
Buildings near the beach also bring salt air. Fixings and fittings on balconies should be chosen for coastal exposure. Houses in Clovelly face heritage controls and coastal hazard mapping, but inside a unit, strata rules usually matter most.
Randwick is a pricier part of Sydney to build in, with a 1.32 adjustment to Rawlinsons Sydney figures. For a unit, the biggest cost drivers are the bathroom, kitchen and flooring, and we price each separately.
Before renovating your Clovelly unit
Six steps that keep the strata committee and your neighbours on side.
- 01
Read the building's by-laws, especially on flooring and working hours
- 02
Classify the work: cosmetic, minor or major
- 03
Prepare plans and specifications for the owners corporation
- 04
Confirm which parts are common property
- 05
Arrange waterproofing inspection and certification
- 06
Plan access, lift or stair protection, and daily waste removal
Unit renovations in Clovelly
Do I need strata approval to renovate my bathroom?
Almost always. Bathroom renovations usually involve waterproofing and sometimes common property, which makes them major renovations needing a special resolution.
Can I install timber floors in my apartment?
Usually with owners corporation approval as a minor renovation, and often with acoustic underlay required by the by-laws. Check your building's rules first.
What counts as cosmetic work in a strata unit?
Things like painting, carpet, installing hooks and some handrails. These generally don't need owners corporation approval.
Does council get involved in unit renovations?
Internal work that doesn't affect structure or the outside of the building often doesn't. Some work may need approval, and strata approval is a separate requirement.
Sources and references
Costs are from the Rawlinsons handbook with the local cost index applied; rules and timeframes are checked against the sources below.
A new unit inside an old building.
A Clovelly apartment renovation with the strata approvals, waterproofing and neighbours sorted from the start.