Do I need strata approval for balcony solar in WA?

Strata is where a lot of WA’s would-be balcony solar users live, and it is also where the plug-in rules say the least. The draft standard deals with the product. Your strata company still decides what goes on the building, under the Strata Titles Act 1985 and your scheme’s by-laws. Plug-in solar is not legal in WA yet, so none of this is a green light to buy.

Which by-laws apply to my scheme?

It depends on when your scheme was registered and whether it has its own by-laws. Landgate describes three cases:

Your scheme	Your by-laws
Registered on or after 1 May 2020, no by-laws lodged	The default governance by-laws (Schedule 1) and conduct by-laws (Schedule 2) of the Act
Registered before 1 May 2020, never registered its own	The older default by-laws as amended by Schedule 5 clause 4 of the Act
Has registered its own by-laws with Landgate	Its own set, which can differ from the defaults but cannot be inconsistent with the Act

Landgate says the best place to start is your strata company or strata manager. You can also order a copy from Landgate online using the by-law document number endorsed on the last page of your strata plan. Landgate adds that all residents, including tenants, must follow the scheme’s by-laws.

Which default by-laws would catch a balcony kit?

The “appearance of lot” by-law is the one most likely to apply. Schedule 2, by-law 14 says:

A set of panels on a balcony railing is visible from outside almost by definition. My reading is that most kits in most buildings would need written consent under this by-law or the scheme’s own version of it.

Other default conduct by-laws may also come into play:

• By-law 2 says owners and occupiers must “not obstruct lawful use of common property by any person”, which matters if a cable or mount crosses a shared area.
• By-law 13 says an owner must not alter the structure of the lot without giving the strata company written notice at least 14 days before the work starts.
• By-law 15 says you need written consent to affix things to the inner surface of the lot’s boundary if that will unreasonably damage the common property.

Is my balcony my lot or common property?

It depends on your strata plan. The government’s FAQ says a balcony or courtyard “may be common property or subject to by-laws”. Your strata plan shows the lot boundaries, and your strata manager can tell you where yours sit.

This matters because the Act says a strata company must “control and manage the common property for the benefit of all the owners of lots” (section 91). If the railing, wall or roof a kit would clamp to is common property, my reading is that you need the strata company’s permission to fix anything to it, whatever the appearance by-law says.

Is a balcony kit a “structural alteration”?

Probably not, but nobody has ruled on it. Under section 86, a structural alteration of a lot means erecting a structure within the lot, or an alteration “of a structural kind” to a structure within it. In schemes with more than two lots, section 87 then needs either a resolution without dissent of the strata company or the written approval of every other owner.

The draft plug-in standard requires mounting to be “reversible and non-permanent” and not to compromise the building’s structure, fire performance or weatherproofing. On that basis my reading is that a clamp-on kit is closer to a fixture than a structure. The Act also lets regulations classify things as structures, and I have not checked the regulations for this, so treat it as unsettled.

How do I ask the strata company?

Once certified kits exist, a clear written request will help. These steps are my suggestion:

1. Get your scheme’s current by-laws and check your strata plan for the balcony boundary.
2. Write to the strata manager or the strata council secretary, naming the by-law you are asking consent under.
3. Attach the kit’s spec sheet and certification, a photo or sketch of where it will sit, the colour of the panels and frame, and how it fixes on and comes off.
4. Say where the cable runs and which socket it plugs into inside your lot.
5. Say how you will deal with insurance, wind and removal when you sell or move.
6. Ask for the decision in writing, including any conditions.

If you rent, get the strata consent first and then ask your landlord. The renters guide covers that side.

If the answer is no, Landgate says parties are encouraged to sort it out themselves first, and a formal dispute can go to the State Administrative Tribunal. Landgate also notes a by-law is invalid if it is oppressive or unreasonable, or unfairly prejudicial to an owner. The Strata Enquiry Line is (08) 9273 7047.

What do the plug-in rules not answer yet?

Several things that matter in strata are not settled. These are the gaps I found:

1. Buildings with rooftop solar. The draft says a plug-in system “must not be used at sites with an existing fixed installation (e.g. traditional rooftop solar).” It also treats each dwelling with its own switchboard as a separate household. It does not say whether solar panels on a common-property roof, wired to common areas, make every unit in the block a “site with an existing fixed installation”. That question is open.
2. Building insurance. The draft makes users responsible for checking whether the kit affects insurance, including “insurance covering the property or building”. In strata that is the strata company’s policy, and no insurer position has been published that I could find.
3. Fire and neighbours. The draft says panels must not be fixed to walls that form a boundary between dwellings, must not increase the risk of fire spreading along external walls or balconies to neighbouring properties, and must not compromise fire compartmentation under the National Construction Code. How a strata council checks that is not spelled out.
4. Strata law changes. The FAQ says the government is “working across government to see what changes might be needed to allow easy access to people in strata groups.” Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen said in September 2026 that “States will need to review their Strata laws.” No WA strata changes have been published.

Can the strata company put solar on the building instead?

Yes, as a separate thing. The Act lists solar panels as an example of “sustainability infrastructure”, and section 91 lets a strata company improve or alter common property, with spending on sustainability infrastructure able to be authorised by ordinary resolution. A shared rooftop system is a fixed installation, not a plug-in kit, and it may then raise the rooftop solar question in point 1 above for every unit. See plug-in solar vs rooftop solar.