Bankstown Locksmith Service

Around Bankstown station, along the town centre and through the walk-up blocks of Greenacre and Punchbowl, a large share of homes are in strata buildings. Living in strata changes the way locks work. Some doors are yours to manage, some belong to everyone, and the rules about who can change what are not always obvious.

This guide explains, in plain language, how locks and doors are usually handled in NSW strata buildings. It covers your own unit door, common doors, garages, gates and key control. It is written from a locksmith's point of view and is not legal advice. Every building is different, so always check your strata plan, your by-laws and the current rules from NSW Fair Trading.

How strata works, in brief

In a strata building, the property is divided into lots and common property.

Your lot is your unit, along with anything the strata plan includes in it, such as a car space or storage cage.
Common property is everything else: the building entry, foyer, stairs, corridors, roof, gardens, shared garage doors, gates and often the main structure of the building.

Common property is owned and managed by the owners corporation, which is made up of all the lot owners. Day-to-day decisions are usually made by the strata committee, often with help from a strata managing agent.

In NSW, strata schemes are governed by the Strata Schemes Management Act and the Strata Schemes Development Act, along with each building's own by-laws.

Your unit door: who is responsible?

The answer depends on your strata plan and by-laws. In many NSW buildings, the boundary of a lot is the inside face of the walls, floors and ceilings. That can mean the entry door itself is common property, even though it only serves your unit.

Even where the door is common property, the lock fitted to it is often treated as the lot owner's responsibility, either through the by-laws or by common practice. Some buildings have specific by-laws about the type or appearance of entry door hardware, especially on fire-rated doors.

Before replacing or adding a lock to your unit door, check:

whether your by-laws say anything about entry door locks;
whether the door is a fire door, which has strict rules about the hardware that can be fitted;
whether the building uses a master key system that your lock is part of.

If you only want to rekey the existing lock so that old keys stop working, that is usually straightforward, as long as the lock is not part of a master key system. Our lock rekeying page explains how it works.

Fire doors: be careful

Many unit entry doors in NSW apartment buildings are fire-rated doors. They are designed to hold back fire and smoke for a set time, and they are part of the building's fire safety system.

Fire doors have strict requirements:

hardware must be compatible with the door's fire rating;
holes must not be added that compromise the door;
the door must still close and latch by itself;
the door must still open from inside without a key, for safe escape.

Adding a surface-mounted deadbolt, drilling extra holes or fitting the wrong lock can compromise a fire door. If your entry door has a fire rating label, usually on the hinge edge, talk to your strata manager before changing the hardware. A locksmith can advise on compatible hardware, but the owners corporation may need to approve it.

Common doors: owners corporation approval

Locks on common property doors, such as:

the main building entry;
foyer and lift lobby doors;
shared garage doors and roller doors;
pedestrian gates and bin room doors;
fire stairs and plant rooms,

are usually the owners corporation's responsibility. An individual owner or tenant generally cannot change, rekey or remove these locks without approval.

If a common door lock is broken, report it to the strata manager or committee. They can arrange repairs through their preferred trades. If a locksmith is asked to work on a common door, a good locksmith will ask who is authorising the job and may need confirmation from the strata manager.

Master key systems

Some strata buildings use a master key system. Each owner's key opens their own unit and the common doors they are entitled to use, while a master key held by the building manager opens a wider set of doors.

If your building has a master key system:

rekeying your unit lock may need to be done through the system's supplier;
adding a key outside the system may stop the building manager accessing your unit in an emergency;
extra keys may need authorisation from the owners corporation.

If you are not sure whether your building uses a master key system, look at your keys. Restricted keys are often stamped with a number or a "do not copy" mark, and they usually cannot be copied at a key-cutting counter.

Lockouts in strata buildings

Lockouts in unit blocks are common, because many unit doors lock automatically. When you call a locksmith, tell them whether you are locked out of:

your unit only, with the building door open;
the building only, with your unit keys inside;
both.

A locksmith can usually help with your own unit door straight away, once you show proof of entitlement. For the building entry, the quickest fix may be a neighbour or the building manager letting you in. Our guide to emergency lockouts in Bankstown explains more.

Renters in strata

If you rent a unit, there are two layers of rules: the tenancy rules between you and your landlord, and the strata rules for the building.

As a tenant, you generally need your landlord's consent before changing locks on your unit, and you cannot change common property locks at all without owners corporation approval. Our article on landlord and tenant lock change rules in NSW covers the tenancy side.

Keys, fobs and access cards

Many newer buildings use electronic fobs or access cards for the main entry and garage. These are usually managed by the strata manager or building manager, not a locksmith. If you lose a fob, report it so it can be cancelled.

Mechanical keys to common doors should also be controlled. If a key to a common door goes missing, the owners corporation may decide to rekey that lock. Owners can help by:

keeping a record of how many common door keys they hold;
returning keys when they sell or move out;
telling the strata manager promptly if a key is lost.

Security improvements in strata

Owners and committees often ask what they can do to improve security in a strata building. Common improvements include:

servicing self-closing doors so they shut and latch reliably;
adjusting strike plates on common doors so the latch engages fully;
upgrading worn common door locks;
moving to a restricted key system so common door keys cannot be copied freely;
checking that gates and garage doors close properly.

A door that does not close by itself is one of the most common security weaknesses in unit blocks. Very often, the fix is a simple closer adjustment rather than a new lock. Our security locksmith and commercial locksmith pages explain how we approach these jobs.

Townhouse and villa schemes

Not all strata schemes are apartment buildings. Many townhouse and villa developments in Condell Park, Revesby and Yagoona are also strata schemes. In these, the boundaries of each lot may be different, and owners may have more control over their own doors and locks.

The same principle applies, though: check the strata plan and by-laws, and ask the strata manager if you are unsure who is responsible for a particular door or gate.

A checklist for unit owners

Check your strata plan and by-laws for anything about doors and locks.
Find out if your entry door is fire-rated.
Find out if your building uses a master key system.
Rekey your unit lock when you move in, if it is not part of a master system.
Report broken common door locks to the strata manager.
Keep track of common door keys and fobs.

For strata committees

Committees can make common door problems far less frequent with a simple routine:

keep a register of common door keys and fobs, and who holds them;
check door closers and latches at least once a year;
act quickly on reports of doors that do not close;
consider restricted keys for common doors so copies cannot be cut freely;
record every locksmith visit, including what was done and which keys were issued.

A small amount of planning saves repeated callouts and helps every resident feel safer.

Quick answers for residents

Can I add a chain or bolt to my unit door? Check your by-laws and whether the door is fire-rated first.

Who pays to fix the building entry lock? Usually the owners corporation.

Can I get extra keys to the common door? Ask the strata manager, especially if the keys are restricted.

How we handle strata jobs

When we are asked to work in a strata building, we ask which door is involved. For your own unit door, we check whether it is fire-rated or part of a master key system before recommending anything. For common doors, we need confirmation from the strata manager or committee before starting. We will not fit hardware that compromises a fire door or stops it opening from inside.

The bottom line

In a NSW strata building, your own unit lock is usually yours to manage, within the limits of your by-laws, fire safety rules and any master key system. Common doors, gates and garage doors belong to the owners corporation, and changes need their approval. When in doubt, check your by-laws and ask your strata manager.

If you need a unit lock rekeyed or repaired, or your owners corporation needs work on common doors in Bankstown or nearby suburbs, call us on 02 5657 6414, 7 days from 7:00am to midnight, or request a quote through our contact page.