Landlord who turned their one-bedroom apartment into a FIVE-bedroom share house is taken to court as Australia’s rental crisis reaches ludacris heights
- Si Ren turned her one bedroom apartment into a five-bedroom share house
- She completed the work, including building of walls, without strata approval
- Each bedroom was rented out for between $150 to $165 per week since 2021
- The original singular unit was rented out for $450 prior to works being done
- Judge ruled that Ms Ren’s works required approval from the strata corporation
A landlord has been hauled before the courts for turning her one-bedroom apartment into a five-bedroom share house, leasing each room separately.
The South Australian District Court found Si Ren broke the law by erecting new walls inside her 82-square-metre apartment in Adelaide‘s CBD.
The work was all completed without approval from the building’s strata corporation.
Ms Ren claimed council approved the development and therefore no additional approval was needed from the strata corporation.
She rented out each bedroom for between $150 to $165 per week, dating back to March 2021.
The original singular unit was rented out for $450, according to data available online.
It comes at a time when average rents across Australia have soared 10.3 per cent in since the start of 2022 with a low supply of housing, soaring interest rates and the reopening of borders post-Covid contributing to the squeeze.
Landlord Si Ren has been hauled before the courts for turning their one-bedroom apartment into a five-bedroom share house, leasing each room separately
The South Australian District Court found Si Ren broke the law by erecting new walls inside her 82-square-metre apartment in Adelaide’s CBD
She rented out each bedroom for between $150 to $165 per week, dating back to March 2021. The original singular unit (pictured) was rented out for $450, according to data available online
Ms Ren bought the CBD apartment in September 2018, and at the time told the strata manager of her intention to erect multiple walls to create five bedrooms in the unit.
After being informed by the strata corporation’s management committee they were ‘strongly against’ the idea, Ms Ren sought out development approval with Adelaide City Council, reported news.com.au
Work on the unit began in April 2019 without approval of any kind, as council didn’t give their approval until October 2019.
In May 2019, the strata manager told the owner strata approval was necessary for renovations to be done, and demanded Ms Ren ‘cease work immediately and restore the unit to its original state’.
In November 2019, the strata corporation noted: ‘The owner did not obtain approval from the Strata Corporation … prior to the works being carried out’ and commenced legal action in September 2022.’
District Court Judge Michael Durrant ruled the development was a prescribed work and thus required approval from the strata corporation under the Strata Titles Act
The strata corporation told the court work needed to be approved, which it wasn’t, and leasing of part of the unit also required strata approval, something that again wasn’t given.
Ms Ren said the development approval from council meant no additional strata approval was required to lease rooms in the apartment separately.
District Court Judge Michael Durrant ruled the development was a prescribed work and thus required approval from the strata corporation under the Strata Titles Act.
‘I find that the putting up of internal walls is the alteration of a building and the erection of a structure,’ he said.
‘The respondent could not carry out prescribed work in relation to [the unit] unless authorised to do so by special resolution of the strata corporation.’
A decision is yet to be made on whether or not Ms Ren must return the apartment to its previous condition and whether or not she can lease parts separately.
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