Cleaning garage floors

Do you mean that some people are using their garages for storage.  If so, is that strictly allowed? My block only allows approved storage boxes and “roadworthy vehicles”.

Ziggy wrote:

Yes Jimmy, people are using their garages for storage. But who knows if it’s been approved.

Have a look at your by-laws and see if there’s anything there.

I thought all floors were common property and therefore should be cleaned for owners not by owners.

It depends on the strata scheme.  My block has all the spaces attached to lots but the driveways and turning areas are common property.  However, I know of some schemes where all the parking spaces are common property, with their use allocated to specific units. Check the plan that came with your Title contract when you bought.

Either way, the owners corp should be able to arrange floor cleans for those who want it (possibly at a reasonable fee) and warn people who have stuff stored that they need to protect it while cleaning is going on.

When you think about it, there’s little point in cleaning the driveways if parked cars are just going to trail filth all over them again.

It’s a question of logisitics and fair warnings, it’s not rocket surgery.

Boronia wrote:

Why shouldn’t owners be responsible for cleaning their car space floors if they are part of the lot?

It’s not so much a matter of why as how.  The owners corp can hire special cleaning equipment and it makes sense to charge owners a small amount to get the scrubbers over their car spots.

nugalbags wrote:

Hi, If they are individual caged off garages, then they form part of the Lot and the Floor Cleaning would be the Lot Owners Responsibility.

Not necessarily.  Some common property car spaces have cages, some lot property car spaces don’t.  Some cages exist where they aren’t supposed to, but no one has asked for them to be removed. Some people store stuff in open parking spots.  There is no hard and fast rule.

Can you honestly imagine the difficulty in getting every Lot to move their car on the required date, let alone move all the stored contents? Never going to happen.

My strata building manager tells owners when the carpark common area is being cleaned and invites owners to arrange for a free clean of their LOT spaces, including temporary use of vistor parking while it’s being done.

The problem here seems to be concern over damage to goods in spaces adjacent to spaces that are being cleaned.  In many modern buildings, parking spaces are designated for the parking of cars only, either in the DA or strata plan.  In those cases, give residents fair warning but let them know if there is damage, it’s down to them for having stuff stored where it shouldn’t be in the first place.