Do you need strata approval for solar panels?

Often, in NSW, when panels go on common property such as the roof. Fair Trading lists the roof and gutters as the owners corporation's responsibility in most cases, and its renovations page does not list solar panels as cosmetic or minor work, so the manager can say which approval applies. By-laws cannot ban them for appearance, except in heritage areas. In a Queensland standard format plan the owner is generally responsible for the roof, but check the by-laws.

Can strata refuse solar panels?

Not on appearance alone. NSW, Victoria and Queensland all restrict by-laws that block solar for how it looks, though each state frames it differently. The official pages do not list other grounds, so check your by-laws and the approval process for your state.

Can I change my flooring without strata approval?

In NSW, installing or replacing hard flooring, including removing carpet, is minor work, so you need approval and an acoustic certificate. Laying carpet is cosmetic. Your by-laws may add rules, and in Victoria rules can restrict flooring changes to reduce noise.

What happens if I renovate without approval?

Fair Trading says you may need to pay to restore the property to how it was before you renovated it. The by-laws and the manager show which approval applies to the work.

Do you need strata approval for renovations and solar panels?

In NSW, cosmetic work such as painting or laying carpet needs no strata approval, minor renovations need the owners corporation's consent, and major renovations need a special resolution. Solar panels are not listed as cosmetic or minor work on the Fair Trading renovations page, and since 1 July 2025 by-laws cannot block sustainability infrastructure just because of how it looks, except on heritage-listed property or in a heritage conservation area. Rules below are as at October 2026, with Victoria and Queensland covered briefly at the end.

Checked October 2026. Rules, rates and prices change, so confirm anything that matters with the source linked below.

The three kinds of renovation in NSW

NSW Fair Trading sorts renovations into three types. Your scheme's by-laws can add to the lists of cosmetic and minor work, so check them first.

Type	Examples	Approval needed
Cosmetic	Hooks, nails, screws, handrails, blinds, curtains, built-in wardrobes, interior painting, filling minor cracks, laying carpet	None, provided the work does not affect the structure or outside, or need waterproofing
Minor	Kitchen work such as installing or removing cupboards, changes to internal walls or recessed lights, hard flooring, wiring and cabling, a rainwater tank, a clothesline, a reverse cycle air conditioner, double or triple glazing, a heat pump, ceiling insulation	Consent from the owners corporation, with more than 50 per cent of votes cast in favour at a meeting, or committee approval if a by-law allows it
Major	Changes to the outside or structure, waterproofing work, ceiling changes, work needing other approvals such as council consent, for example moving a structural wall, a bathroom renovation, an access ramp or a false ceiling	Special resolution of the owners corporation, meaning no more than 25 per cent of the value of votes cast are against

Fair Trading warns that renovating without the right approval can mean paying to put the property back as it was.

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What to prepare for each type

Minor work. Fair Trading says to show the owners corporation, committee or manager the plans, including dates and times of the work, the qualifications and details of the tradespeople, and, for flooring, an acoustic certificate showing sound insulation. If a by-law lets the strata committee decide, a refusal must come with written reasons within three months. If it does not refuse in that time, the application is taken to be approved. The owners corporation must keep a record of approved minor renovations for 10 years.

Major work. The special resolution must state who maintains the common property affected, the owners corporation or the lot owner. If the work changes the structure, such as removing a wall, you must also give the owners corporation 14 days' written notice before starting, describing the change.

Costly work. For renovations over $5,000, Fair Trading says a registered design practitioner must prepare regulated designs and a registered building practitioner must oversee the work. For major work it says to check that the contractor holds a valid licence.

Two-lot schemes. Both lot owners must agree for a special resolution to pass in a two-lot scheme.

Solar panels and other sustainability upgrades

By-laws cannot ban them for appearance. Fair Trading says by-laws cannot prevent sustainability infrastructure being installed because of its effect on the external appearance of a lot or common property, unless the property is heritage listed or in a heritage conservation area. The NSW Government says reforms from 1 July 2025 banned by-laws of this kind.

What counts. The NSW Government gives electricity meters, solar panels and sustainable building materials as examples of sustainability infrastructure. It also says owners corporations must consider sustainability costs when preparing the yearly capital works fund estimates, and that each annual general meeting must cover environmental sustainability.

Why approval is usually still needed. Fair Trading lists the roof and gutters as the owners corporation's repair responsibility in most cases. An owner wanting panels on a roof will usually need the owners corporation involved, so check your plan and by-laws for what is common property.

The process.

Write the proposal and a short explanation, and send them to the secretary. Fair Trading says the committee can reject a motion that arrives after the meeting notice has gone out. The supporting explanation is capped at 300 words.
Owners vote. Fair Trading lists a sustainability infrastructure resolution, voted by unit entitlement, which passes if those against make up less than 50 per cent of the votes. Its pages do not say which works use that resolution, so ask the manager or Fair Trading whether solar on your roof is treated as minor work, major work or a sustainability infrastructure resolution.
If the change gives one owner exclusive use of common property, a common property by-law may also be needed.

If it affects common property. A new, changed or removed by-law about common property, such as exclusive use of part of it, needs a special resolution and the written agreement of each owner who gets the rights. See what strata by-laws cover.

Air conditioners and other grey areas

Fair Trading lists a reverse cycle air conditioner as minor work, but minor work cannot change the outside or structure of the property or need waterproofing. If an outdoor unit or pipework would alter the outside of the building or use common property, it may need a by-law or fall into major work. Ask the manager before you buy. Changes to the outside or structure of the building, such as external windows, doors or a shared wall, can fall into major work. See party walls and shared walls for how shared walls work in townhouses.

Tenants and accessibility upgrades

Tenants should ask the landlord in writing. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse cosmetic or minor requests, and if they agree they must follow the strata approval process for the tenant. For accessibility upgrades to common property, such as a ramp, NSW now uses a separate accessibility infrastructure resolution: since 1 July 2025 a majority vote is enough instead of a special resolution. Fair Trading's meetings page says those against must make up less than 50 per cent of the votes, while its renovations page says at least 50 per cent in favour, and in a two-lot scheme one owner's agreement is enough.

Victoria and Queensland

Victoria. Consumer Affairs Victoria says owners can renovate the interior of their lot, and must notify the owners corporation if the work needs a building or planning permit. Rules can require prior written approval for alterations to the building structure, exterior, balconies, doors, windows and fences, and can restrict flooring changes to limit noise. However, rules must not unreasonably prohibit exterior sustainability items such as solar hot water systems and solar panels. An owner must not alter common property unless the owners corporation expressly authorises it. The Victorian pages were last updated in 2021.

Queensland. An owner who wants to improve common property needs approval. Under the Standard, Accommodation and Small Schemes Modules, the committee can approve it if the total cost is less than $3,000, it does not detract from the appearance of a lot, and the body corporate is satisfied its use is unlikely to breach the owner's duties as an occupier. Otherwise it needs an ordinary resolution at a general meeting. The owner must keep the improvement maintained, tell the body corporate the type of work and its value, and may pay any extra insurance premium. By-laws cannot stop an owner installing solar hot water or solar power on their lot because of how the building looks. In a standard format plan the owner is generally responsible for the roof, and the Queensland Government says hard floors are behind many body corporate disputes, so the by-laws are worth reading before changing flooring.

Common questions

Do you need strata approval for solar panels?: Often, in NSW, when panels go on common property such as the roof. Fair Trading lists the roof and gutters as the owners corporation's responsibility in most cases, and its renovations page does not list solar panels as cosmetic or minor work, so the manager can say which approval applies. By-laws cannot ban them for appearance, except in heritage areas. In a Queensland standard format plan the owner is generally responsible for the roof, but check the by-laws.
Can strata refuse solar panels?: Not on appearance alone. NSW, Victoria and Queensland all restrict by-laws that block solar for how it looks, though each state frames it differently. The official pages do not list other grounds, so check your by-laws and the approval process for your state.
Can I change my flooring without strata approval?: In NSW, installing or replacing hard flooring, including removing carpet, is minor work, so you need approval and an acoustic certificate. Laying carpet is cosmetic. Your by-laws may add rules, and in Victoria rules can restrict flooring changes to reduce noise.
What happens if I renovate without approval?: Fair Trading says you may need to pay to restore the property to how it was before you renovated it. The by-laws and the manager show which approval applies to the work.

Keep reading

Sources

This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Get advice that suits your situation before you buy.