WATERPROOFING AND MAINTENANCE IN BODIES CORPORATE: WHY EARLY ACTION MATTERS
Waterproofing failures remain one of the most common and costly issues affecting strata properties. While often overlooked in the early years of a building’s life, inadequate or deteriorating waterproofing can quickly escalate into significant structural and financial challenges if not addressed proactively.
For bodies corporate, the question is not if maintenance will be required — but whether you are prepared when the time comes.
The Hidden Risk of Waterproofing Failure
Water ingress is not always immediately visible. In many cases, issues develop gradually — behind walls, beneath tiles, or within structural elements — before becoming apparent through damage such as staining, mould, or material deterioration.
By the time these signs appear, the underlying problem may already be extensive.
Common areas affected include:
- Balconies and podium decks
- Rooftops and planter boxes
- Bathrooms and wet areas
- Basement and car park structures
Without proper maintenance and monitoring, these areas can become entry points for water, leading to costly rectification works.
Maintenance vs Reactive Repairs
A key challenge for many bodies corporate is the tendency to address waterproofing issues only once failures occur. This reactive approach often results in:
- Higher repair costs
- Disruption to residents
- Potential disputes between owners and the body corporate
- Accelerated deterioration of surrounding building elements
In contrast, a proactive maintenance strategy allows for:
- Early identification of risks
- Planned and budgeted works
- Reduced long-term costs
- Improved building performance and longevity
Being prepared means shifting from short-term fixes to long-term planning.
Integrating Waterproofing into Major Maintenance Planning
Waterproofing should not be treated as an isolated issue. Instead, it forms a critical component of a building’s overall maintenance strategy and should be incorporated into:
- Sinking Fund Forecasts
- Capital works planning
- Routine inspections and condition reporting
Understanding the expected lifespan of waterproofing systems — and planning for their renewal — helps bodies corporate avoid unexpected financial strain and ensures works can be carried out in a controlled and cost-effective manner.
The Importance of Expert Advice
Engaging qualified professionals to assess, diagnose, and recommend solutions is essential. Waterproofing failures can be complex, and incorrect repairs may only provide short-term relief while allowing underlying issues to persist.
Expert input can assist with:
- Identifying root causes rather than symptoms
- Recommending appropriate remediation strategies
- Providing guidance on staging and prioritising works
- Supporting long-term asset management planning
Are You Prepared for What’s Ahead?
Effective waterproofing maintenance is ultimately about preparedness. Taking a proactive, well-informed approach can significantly reduce risk, protect asset value, and support better decision-making for the future.
As part of Smart Strata and Archers the Strata Professionals upcoming seminar series, we’ll be exploring how bodies corporate can better plan for major maintenance projects — including identifying risks early, budgeting effectively, and avoiding common pitfalls.
If you are responsible for managing or making decisions about a strata property, this is an opportunity to gain practical insights and ensure you are well prepared for what lies ahead.
Article Contribute by Todd Garsden, Mahoneys Lawyers and Advisors.
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Judith I totally agree with you. Our apartment block has just spent hundreds of thousand of dollars redesigning and rebuilding an area due to water ingress. On pulling apart the affected area it was found to be lacking in drains, what drains were in place lead nowhere, water had nowhere to go. Garden beds had no adequate waterproofing and the builders had filled the garden beds with tyres, old carpets and any other rubbish they had at hand. I also believe that certifiers have a responsibility to future owners. As residents we keep asking, ‘how can this happen?’ People buy in good faith and then find further into the life of the building, major building issues arise. I do believer 25yrs is a fair time to expect some major issues, however, not 7yrs.
Often Developers advertise low Body Corporate fees on a new building. This causes concern amongst owners when they see their Body Corporate fees increasing dramatically to cover costs that were not built into the fee structure at the beginning of the purchase.
All around it is a mine field and too many builders and developers are able to walk away from issues that could have been prevented had the work been done correctly the first time.
If the building regulations were stricter and enforced we would have less areas for dispute among owners. When will governments realise how much angst is caused to unit/apartment owners by waterproofing issues especially where each unit/apartment is different with it’s own issues. Surely the responsibility for these problems lies at the design and construction stage and shouldn’t fall on subsequent owners.
Yes agree .. particularly balconies if we have plants that need wateringl. Thanks for making us aware of the issues that may arise….. I think our managers are well aware of what needs maintenance
Todd…I agree with Bruce. Great article.
After I read it, I went back to previous contributions by you (MAHONEYS), Mario Esera (HWLE), Brenton Schoch (GRACE) and Wayne Hewitt (ARCHERS) regarding the threshold Q… Who is responsible for the maintenance, the BC or an owner? And this reinforced for me again why they say our complexes are complex. So many twists, turns and exceptions to exceptions.
Before we get the right answers, we have to ask the right Qs…and even this is rarely straightforward for laymen like me. What chance then of getting the right answers?
No wonder there is so much misunderstanding and disputation, which I guess is inherent in any self-management model involving volunteer Cmttee members whose self-confidence may exceed their ability.
There is a clear message for me here… Do not be afraid to get expert advice up front, step by step by step.
Similar issue here. Top floor apartment, Balcony membrane break down and leaking into apartment below. It was at my (owners) cost. Or should the body Corporate pay for it?
We have a unit in Bowen, Qld. It is one of the least affected units in a group of 10 and yet we are expected to pay somewhere in the vicinity of $32k to $39k to cover the shortfall in the sinking fund even though for the past 17 years we have been paying somewhere around $4,000 per year to Archers the Body Corporate company! We are furious. My husband is a tiler and deals with waterproofing all the time. Why is it going to cost this much to redo a balcony?? Everyone is expected to pay the same amount but from what I have been told by the agent who manages the property on our behalf, only one unit is really in need of repair!!!
We have a unit if Bowen. It is one of the least affected units in a group of 10 and yet we are expected to pay somewhere in the vicinity of $32k to $39k to cover the shortfall in the sinking fund even though for the past 17 years we have been paying somewhere around $4,000 per year to Archers the Body Corporate company! We are furious. My husband is a tiler and deals with waterproofing all the time. Why is it going to cost this much to redo a balcony??
In older building if the shower needs re waterproofing is it the owner or strata issue?
Have a rooftop area that is used for living space that was leaking into the downstairs unit. The complex is about 25 years old. The body Corporate fixed the grout lines and it appears to have fixed the leaks at this stage. It probably eventually needs a re tile as well. The body Corporate said the tile replacement would be at my cost. Is that correct? There is no roof over the tiles so in effect it is the tiles are the roof of the complex.
Great article Todd. I am the Treasurer of a Body Corporate Committee and I am preparing a motion for our AGM in October to include a 3-5yr budgeting forecast for membrane renewal. An engineer was engaged in April last year after cyclone Alfred to address water ingress issues in particular to our basement and hydraulic lift motor room. This was their recommendation as the building is now 26yrs old and I fully support this. Cheers, Bruce Carsburg