Pest Control & Termites — Who's Responsible?

Termites are the single biggest pest risk for NSW townhouses — far more so than for apartment buildings. Most townhouses have timber framing, ground-level construction, and gardens close to the building. That's exactly what termites are looking for. The simple rule: protecting and treating common structural elements is the owners corporation's job. Pests inside your lot (cockroaches, ants, rodents) are yours.

What we're talking about

Pest issues in a townhouse scheme generally fall into two groups:

• Structural pests — termites and timber borers, which attack the building itself
• Nuisance pests — cockroaches, ants, spiders, rodents, possums, bees

Termites get the most attention because they cause the most damage and the most disputes. A townhouse with active termites can run up tens of thousands of dollars in repairs if it isn't caught early.

Typical position

Grey areas and common disputes

Annual termite inspections

Regular termite inspections are the cheapest protection a townhouse scheme has. We recommend an inspection every year. For a townhouse strata scheme:

• The owners corporation should commission annual inspections of the common structural elements — that's the building frame, common walls, roof spaces, and exterior.
• The cost is usually modest (a few hundred dollars per building) and is budgeted each year as a regular maintenance cost from the administrative fund.
• Skipping inspections doesn't save money — it just delays discovery of damage that's already happening.

For committees: if there's no current termite inspection report on file, get one. It's one of the cheapest pieces of due diligence available.

Termite damage — common property or lot?

This is the most common dispute. Termites don't read the strata plan. They eat what's there. When damage is found:

• If the damaged timber is part of the building structure (load-bearing frame, common walls, roof rafters) — common property, OC's responsibility.
• If the damaged timber is part of the lot's internal fittings (skirtings, internal door frames, built-in furniture) — lot owner's responsibility.
• If both are involved — both pay, but the OC usually arranges the treatment because you can't treat half a building.

The strata plan tells you the boundary. A building consultant or pest inspector can identify what's lot and what's common in a particular case.

Treatment that needs access to multiple lots

Modern termite treatment often involves trenching around the building, installing bait stations, or applying chemical barriers. This can mean accessing several lots — including courtyards, gardens, and sometimes inside lots for inspection. The owners corporation has a statutory right to enter a lot to carry out its repair duties; we will give you notice and agree a time.

Lot owner activities that attract termites

If a lot owner has done something that materially increased the termite risk (timber retained against the building, stored firewood next to a wall, garden beds raised above the slab) and damage results, talk to us — whether any cost can be recovered from that owner depends on the facts. It's worth raising practically with owners when they're creating obvious risks.

Nuisance pests — cockroaches, ants, rodents inside the lot

If you see pests inside your townhouse, they're your problem. The owners corporation doesn't pay for fortnightly cockroach sprays inside lots, ant baits in your kitchen, or rodent traps under your sink. The OC pays for pest control of common areas and structural elements only.

Possums and birds in roof spaces

Possums in the roof of a townhouse usually mean access through a common roof space — common property. The OC arranges removal (humanely, using a specialist) and seals the access points. Inside your lot's roof space that's only yours, you arrange it yourself. Confirm with the strata plan if you're unsure.