What condo owners should know before renovating

About this guide: The current legal framework is explained here in general. Small factual differences, documents and timing can change the answer in a real case.

Why this matters

A condo owner may think that work inside the unit is a private matter. Malaysian strata law treats it differently because one parcel shares structural supports, pipes, wiring, corridors, lifts and the building exterior with everyone else. A hacked wall, shifted floor trap or badly placed air-conditioning condenser can affect another parcel or common property. That is why a renovation application is more than paperwork at the guardhouse.

The starting point is by-law 27 in the Third Schedule to the Strata Management (Maintenance and Management) Regulations 2015. It says a proprietor must not carry out renovation works without first obtaining prior written approval from the management corporation and, where necessary, from the appropriate authority. During the developer or joint-management phase, the statutory by-laws are administered by the management body then responsible for the development, so owners should apply through the actual management office rather than arguing over the label JMB or MC.

The practical question is not simply, ‘Is renovation allowed?’ It is: what exactly is being changed, whose approval is required, what documents must be lodged, and what conditions attach to that approval? Painting and loose furniture are very different from hacking, wet works, moving plumbing, altering electrical systems or changing anything visible from outside.

What the law says

Written management approval and local-authority approval are separate layers. A management letter does not legalise work that requires building, planning or engineering approval, while an authority's approval does not remove the need to comply with strata by-laws. Paragraph 27 makes the owner responsible for determining whether authority approval is needed and requires copies of necessary authority approvals to be submitted with the management application. Management may require a renovation deposit to secure compliance with the prescribed and additional by-laws and may impose a completion deadline; the legislation sets no universal deposit amount or refund period.

Paragraphs 27 to 29 of the Third Schedule place important limits on the work itself. Renovation must remain within the parcel and must not be carried out on common property. An owner must not weaken structural members, damage common property, interfere with building safety features, or carry out specified work such as relocating external doors or windows, shifting plumbing or sewerage, or upgrading the whole electrical system without the required written approvals. Fittings or alterations that affect the façade or encroach on common property also require management's prior written approval.

Drilling and hacking also carry a specific safety rule. Paragraph 29(1) strictly prohibits hacking, drilling, nails and screws within 300 mm of concealed or embedded pipes and electrical conduits, and requires contractors to use a metal detector and check the as-built plans kept by management. If the owner or contractor damages another parcel, concealed services or common property, the owner can be required to make good the damage and may face recovery action for the management's costs.

A building may adopt additional by-laws on working hours, contractor registration, lift protection, access routes, debris removal and refundable deposits. By-law 7 also allows a management corporation, through a general-meeting resolution, to impose a fine for breach of the statutory or additional by-laws. The exact deposit, permitted hours and administrative process are therefore building-specific; a rule quoted from another condominium is not automatically your rule.

What this means for you

Before signing a renovation contract, ask management for the current renovation form, statutory and additional by-laws, permitted working hours, deposit schedule and list of documents. Describe the proposed works accurately. Calling structural hacking ‘minor carpentry’ may get contractors through the gate for a day, but it can leave the owner exposed when neighbours complain or damage appears.

For wet works, wall removal, relocated plumbing, new openings, façade changes or substantial electrical work, ask whether drawings must be prepared or endorsed by a registered architect, engineer or other competent person, and whether the local authority must approve them. Put responsibility for permits, protection, debris, working hours and rectification into the contractor agreement. Management approval does not transfer the contractor's mistakes away from the owner.

Record the condition of corridors, lifts, doors and neighbouring walls before work begins. Photograph the route used for materials and keep the approval letter, payment receipts, drawings and contractor details. When the project ends, request a joint inspection and written confirmation of any deduction before the renovation deposit is returned. Evidence is much easier to collect before surfaces are patched and workers leave.

Key lessons

The common mistake is treating ownership as unlimited control. A strata title gives ownership of the parcel, but that parcel remains physically and legally tied to a shared building. The approval system is intended to manage that overlap. It does not mean management can invent any condition without reference to the Act, regulations and valid additional by-laws; it does mean an owner should challenge a questionable condition through documents and the proper dispute route, not by secretly starting work.

Another mistake is relying on verbal approval from a building manager, committee member or guard. By-law 27 calls for prior written approval. If a dispute later arises, a WhatsApp message saying ‘should be okay’ may not identify the approved drawings, conditions or timeframe. A clear written approval protects both the owner and management by fixing the scope of what was allowed.

If management unreasonably refuses an application or imposes a condition that appears inconsistent with the strata legislation or valid by-laws, ask for written reasons and the legal basis. Depending on the issue, owners may use internal meetings, the Commissioner of Buildings or the Strata Management Tribunal. The correct route depends on the order sought and the documents, so obtain tailored advice before major works or urgent proceedings.

Bottom line

Get the paper trail before the power tools arrive. Submit an honest scope, obtain management approval in writing, secure authority approval where needed, and make the contractor follow the building's rules. Do not hack structural elements, interfere with shared services, encroach on common property or alter the façade simply because the work is accessible from inside your unit.

For a modest renovation, this process may be a form, contractor list and deposit. For structural, wet, electrical or exterior work, it may require professional drawings and public-authority approval. The safe answer is not that condo renovation is forbidden; it is that permission is conditional, documented and limited by the rights and safety of the whole building.

What to actually do

• Get the current renovation form, house rules, additional by-laws, working hours and deposit terms from management.
• Submit an accurate scope, drawings, contractor details and authority approvals before work starts.
• Ask in writing whether hacking, wet works, plumbing, electrical, window, balcony or façade work needs professional endorsement.
• Photograph lifts, corridors and access routes before materials are moved, and protect all common areas.
• Keep the written approval, receipts, drawings and inspection records until the deposit is refunded and defects are resolved.
• If approval is refused, request written reasons and use the proper strata dispute channel instead of proceeding secretly.