What to Know About Using Your Garage for Storage

While apartment-living offers many great advantages, storage space can be an issue. The garage provides an obvious and easy solution to storing that camping tent, snorkel gear or fold-up bed you only use every year or so. But what are the regulations around strata car park storage, and what do you need to consider?

Check Your By-Laws

The first step to understanding what you can and cannot do in your garage is to check the by-laws for the scheme. If any restrictions apply to strata car park storage, there will usually be a by-law outlining what is and is not permitted. Some schemes may have enacted a by-law that limits garages to use by motor vehicles only, particularly where it forms part of a communal garage.

Generally speaking, the garage space is part of your lot, which means you own the space within the garage in the same way as your kitchen, living room and bathroom. If there are no by-law restrictions in place, decisions around car park storage are typically left to the owner. That may include storing a car, an inflatable jumping castle or a second-hand couch.

Car Park Storage Considerations

Installing Fixtures to Strata Garages

An additional complexity may arise if you would like to construct storage shelves. If the shelves are completely free-standing, there shouldn’t be any issues with strata car park storage. However, if you would like to fix shelves to the wall, you may need approval from the strata committee or the owners corporation.

Insuring Your Stored Items

If you are storing goods in your garage, it’s important to understand how insurance applies. Strata insurance generally covers building components and common property only. This includes structural elements such as walls, floors and ceilings, but does not extend to personal belongings stored inside a garage or car space.

Any items you store, including tools, furniture or other personal goods, are typically only covered under your own home and contents insurance. It is worth checking that your policy includes items stored in garages or car spaces, particularly in the event of theft, fire or water damage. This helps avoid confusion later and ensures you have appropriate cover in place for your belongings.

Following Other Strata By-Laws

Needless to say, an owner who decides to use their garage exclusively for storage but then parks their car in a visitor parking spot would be breaking another by-law. Similarly, if a garage that’s crammed full of personal items is left open, then the owner may be exposing themselves to by-laws that affect the appearance of the lot, in the same way as if your balcony were overflowing and others could see it.

Renting Your Space

You may consider renting out your garage. Unless your strata scheme has a by-law restricting the ability to rent a garage to a third-party, then there’s nothing to prevent you from doing so. If the person renting the space uses your garage for storage, then you’ll need to work through the same considerations as if you’re using it for storage. You may consider formalising the arrangement with a Parking Space Lease. In the lease, you could add a clause that restricts the use of the garage to only motor vehicles.

If you have any questions about the use of a garage, please contact your Strata Manager at Netstrata.

FAQs

Can I store goods from my business in my strata garage?

This question should be directed to the Strata Committee. Some strata schemes have limits on commercial use, and storing business goods may conflict with the development approval or existing by-laws.

It’s also important to understand insurance. Strata insurance does not cover business stock or personal items stored in garages. If anything is damaged by fire, water or weather, those items would usually need to be covered under a separate insurance policy.

Is the garage common property in strata buildings?

This depends on how your strata scheme is set up and what the by-laws state. In some buildings, garages that are fully enclosed and attached to individual units may form part of the lot and be owned by the lot owner.

In other schemes, especially those with open parking areas marked only by lines, the garage area is usually common property. In those cases, residents are given the right to use a specific space rather than owning it outright. Since these arrangements differ from scheme to scheme, it’s crucial to check your by-laws before using a garage for anything other than parking a vehicle.

Can I use my strata garage as an extra room?

No, you can’t use your strata garage as an extra room. Garages are not classified as habitable spaces and cannot be used as bedrooms or living areas. There are safety concerns around ventilation and fire risk, and council rules may also apply.

Storing a couch or other furniture in a garage does not mean the space can be used for sleeping or living in. Any use beyond parking or approved storage should be checked against the scheme’s by-laws first.