Who is responsible for removing pests from our roof cavity?
In this month’s Strata Q&A, we received a question from Ji Soo P from the ACT, asking whether it is her responsibility to deal with pests in the roof cavity of her townhouse or if it is something that the owners corporation should arrange.
Q. Who is responsible for removing pests from our roof cavity? Is it my responsibility, or is it the owners corporation’s responsibility?
I’m renting a townhouse in a strata scheme, and every night I can hear loud noises in the roof that sound like a possum having a full dance party up there.
My property manager keeps telling me it’s my responsibility to deal with it, the same way I would handle cockroaches inside the unit. Is that actually right, or is this something strata should be fixing?
A. The roof cavity of a townhouse or unit is usually considered common property, which means the owners corporation is responsible for dealing with pests that enter or live in the space.
Whether your property manager or the strata scheme is responsible depends on where the possum is located. In most Australian states, the roof cavity of a townhouse or unit is usually considered common property, which means the owners corporation is responsible for pests that enter or live in shared structures such as roof spaces, eaves, or wall cavities.
If the noise is coming from inside the roof, then strata is normally required to organise removal, as well as arrange for a licensed professional to legally relocate the possum and seal the entry points. Possums are a protected species, so they must be handled safely and lawfully, and the owners corporation has a duty to keep the building safe, habitable, and free from structural pest issues.
On the other hand, internal household pests, such as cockroaches or ants inside your kitchen or bathroom, are the tenant’s responsibility because they relate to cleanliness and internal living conditions rather than the structure of the building.
To break it down more clearly:
Possums in the roof cavity, eaves, wall voids, or shared building structures: generally strata’s responsibility.
Cockroaches or other pests inside the lot’s internal rooms: usually the tenant or lot owner’s responsibility.
Entry points to the roof or building exterior: typically strata must repair them.
Legal relocation of possums: must be carried out by a licensed professional engaged by strata.
You have already reported the issue to your property manager, which is the correct first step. If they refuse to take action, you can ask them to pass the matter to the strata manager or the owners corporation directly. If nothing is done, you may also raise the issue through tenancy dispute channels, since landlords are required to provide a safe and functional property.
In short, strata is generally responsible for possums and large pests in shared or structural areas, while tenants handle routine pest control inside their unit.
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