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Maintenance

Clotheslines in Strata and Community Groups

Acacia Collective28 April 20262 min read

Who owns the clothesline?

A clothesline located on common property and used by all owners is common property, so the corporation maintains it. A clothesline within a unit's exclusive-use area (a private courtyard or balcony) is the owner's.

Strata Title — Section 5 of the Strata Titles Act

Under Section 5 of the Strata Titles Act 1988 (SA), anything outside unit boundaries on common ground is common property. A shared clothesline in a courtyard or laundry area falls within that, and Section 25 makes the corporation responsible for keeping it serviceable.

Community Title — Sections 28 and 75

Under the Community Titles Act 1996 (SA), a shared clothesline on common property is the corporation's under Section 28, with Section 75 requiring maintenance.

The practical side

  • Shared rotary lines rust at the centre post and the line attachments. Replacement of the whole unit is usually cheaper than chasing parts for a 30-year-old model.

  • Folding wall-mounted lines are common in courtyards. Hinges seize, lines perish. Replacement units cost a few hundred dollars and can be installed in under an hour.

"Right to Dry" in South Australia

Some Australian jurisdictions have considered legislation protecting an owner's right to use a clothesline, but South Australian strata and community title law does not currently include a specific "right to dry" provision. The corporation can, in principle, restrict outdoor clothes drying through a by-law. Though such restrictions are uncommon in residential strata groups and can attract dispute applications under Section 41 of the Strata Titles Act if seen as unreasonable.

The practical position: most groups allow individual clotheslines in exclusive-use areas but may restrict drying clothes on balconies visible from the street. If you're drafting or reviewing by-laws on this, see By-laws Explained for what a by-law can and cannot do.

End-of-life decisions

When an old shared line is past serviceable, the committee has three reasonable choices:

  1. Like-for-like replacement: install a new shared rotary or folding line. This is the cheapest option and works if the existing line is well-used.

  2. Remove and let owners sort it out: this is an appropriate action if the shared line has become an eyesore that nobody uses (most owners now have their own balcony or courtyard line, or use a dryer).

  3. Convert the area to other use: bike storage, planted garden or additional seating for eg. This requires general meeting approval if the change is more than incidental.

Get in touch

If your group is unsure what to do with an aging shared line, we're happy to help you scope the options. Acacia Collective manages strata and community title groups across South Australia.

Call us on 1300 792 255 or email hello@acaciacollective.com.au.

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