AN alleged greedy landlord transformed her one-bedroom flat into a cramped living space – and is marketing it as a five-bedroom flat share.
Si Ren of Adelaide, Australia, has been summoned to court over the project, which created new rooms into a 82-square-metre flat allegedly without prior approval from local government.
The entire property was formerly rented for £380 per week, but Ren marketed each at weekly rates of £125 per week in 2021, according to News.com.au.
After Ren bought the flat in 2018, she added a bathroom unit and five bedrooms with a kitchen and hallway.
The renovations Ren made were allegedly illegal, breaking the Strata Titles Act of 1988.
The strata corporation in Adelaide has claimed Ren ”failed to obtain authorisation to carry out works”.
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Strata management is a specific area of property management which deals with day-to-day operations of properties with multiple units.
In 2018, Ren told the strata manager she hoped to purchase and renovate the former one-bedroom flat with new bedrooms, but was advised that the committee did not support her ideas.
The same day she was told she didn’t have the support of the committee, Ren applied for approval to begin renovations to the cramped flat.
Ren began renovating the tiny flat in 2019 – before she had approval from City Council to begin development.
After beginning renovations, she was granted licences for each bedroom, but was quickly told to cease any renovations by the strata manager after they discovered her plans.
In the legal case between the strata corporation and Ren, Adelaide District Court Judge Michael Durrant ruled that the renovations were ”prescribed” and had to have been previously approved by the strata – which they allegedly were not.
“I find that the putting up of internal walls is the alteration of a building and the erection of a structure.
”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,” he said.
Judge Durrant found that Ms Ren was not legally allowed to grant a lease or licence over part of the unit either.
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The judge has not come to a decision on the whether Ren must return the unit to its original state, which would void any current leases in the property.
“I will hear the parties as to whether any orders or declarations should be made and as to costs on a date to be fixed,” Judge Durrant said.
