Buying a strata home? The rules that can govern your pets, parking and even your access card

The article discusses the complexity of owning strata properties in Malaysia, highlighting the importance of adhering to by-laws under the Strata Management Act 2013 (SMA).

While standard by-laws cover issues like noise, pets, and security, additional rules can be established by management bodies, allowing for differences among buildings.

These by-laws regulate daily life and must be legally compliant, with avenues available for homeowners to challenge or propose changes to by-laws through the Strata Management Tribunal or building meetings.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — As strata properties become an increasingly common choice for homebuyers, owning one involves more than paying a mortgage and maintenance fees.

While a new home may be your own, living in a strata development means not everything is entirely up to you. Residents are expected to abide by rules, commonly known as by-laws, governing how they use their units, facilities and common spaces.

The law behind strata by-laws

For those unfamiliar with them, these rules form part of the broader legal framework governing strata properties in Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan under the Strata Management Act 2013 (SMA).

Sarawak has its own Strata Management Ordinance 2019.

Sabah, meanwhile, passed the Building Management Enactment 2026, although it has yet to come into force.

In essence, the SMA provides for the management and maintenance of strata buildings and their common property, while setting out the rights and responsibilities of homeowners and management bodies.

Section 150 empowers the minister, after consultation with the National Council for Local Government, to make regulations for the implementation of the Act, including on the proper maintenance and management of buildings and common property.

What the standard by-laws cover

Because by-laws play a vital role in regulating daily life in a strata community, the Third Schedule of the Strata Management (Maintenance and Management) Regulations 2015 sets out 30 by-laws across eight parts.

Made under the SMA, these by-laws provide a standardised set of rules for strata properties in Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan.

They cover everyday issues residents may encounter, including nuisance, pets, vehicles, common facilities, security and unpaid charges.

Under the by-laws governing nuisance, for example, noise from electrical or electronic equipment, appliances or musical instruments used within a parcel or on common property must be kept at a low volume after 11pm to avoid disturbing other proprietors, unless prior written approval has been obtained.

For pet owners, the by-laws prohibit keeping animals in a parcel or on common property if they cause a nuisance or annoyance, pose a risk to the safety or health of other residents, or breach state or local authority laws and regulations.

For vehicles, improperly parked or unauthorised vehicles may be towed or wheel-clamped at the owner’s expense without prior notice.

Vehicle owners must also ensure their alarms are properly maintained to prevent frequent false alarms that could annoy other residents. Management may prohibit a vehicle from entering the development for a specified period if its alarm repeatedly causes a nuisance.

On security, management may require anyone on the common property to identify themselves and, if they refuse and are not a proprietor, require them to leave the common property or development area immediately.

The rules also give management certain powers when charges remain unpaid.

Management may display the names of proprietors with outstanding payments, along with their parcel details and the amount owed, on notice boards in the building. The list must be updated monthly.

It may also, after 14 days have passed from the defaulter receiving the relevant notice and without further notice, deactivate an electromagnetic access device — such as an access card or tag — until the outstanding sum is paid.

Management may also stop or suspend a defaulter from using common facilities or services, including a car park bay on common property designated for the defaulter’s use.

Buildings can set additional rules

The statutory by-laws are not necessarily the end of the story.

Under the SMA, a joint management body or management corporation may, by special resolution, introduce additional by-laws or amend existing additional by-laws, provided they are not inconsistent with the prescribed by-laws.

These may regulate matters including:

safety and security measures;

restrictions on the use of common property;

the keeping of pets;

architectural and landscaping guidelines; and

fines of up to RM200 for a proprietor, occupant or invitee who breaches the by-laws.

For example, additional by-laws may introduce more detailed conditions governing pets, such as limits based on size or rules on where animals may be taken, provided those rules are consistent with the statutory by-laws.

They may also introduce stricter security requirements for visitors, such as requiring more detailed identification or documentation than the standard registration process.

That is why two buildings operating under the same statutory framework can still feel quite different from day to day: one may allow motorcycles in visitor bays while another may not; one may specify renovation hours while another imposes broader restrictions.

Can I challenge a by-law?

The short answer is yes.

Additional by-laws must comply with the SMA and cannot be inconsistent with the prescribed statutory by-laws.

The Strata Management Tribunal has jurisdiction over certain disputes involving by-laws and resolutions, including claims seeking to revoke amendments to by-laws, while the SMA also allows a management body or parcel owner or proprietor, as applicable, to seek orders from the Tribunal or a court to enforce a by-law, restrain a breach or recover damages arising from one.

Homeowners may also raise concerns over proposed or existing additional by-laws through their development’s general meeting process.

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文章探讨了在马来西亚拥有分层地契物业的复杂性，强调了遵守 2013 年分层地契管理法 (SMA) 细则的重要性。

虽然标准章程涵盖噪音、宠物和安保等问题，但管理机构可以制定额外的规则，以适应不同建筑物之间的差异。

这些细则规范日常生活，必须符合法律规定，业主可以通过分契式物业管理仲裁庭或楼宇会议对细则提出质疑或修改建议。

吉隆坡，9月29日讯——随着分层地契房产越来越成为购房者的常见选择，拥有分层地契房产不仅仅意味着支付抵押贷款和维护费。

虽然新房属于自己，但住在分契式产权公寓意味着并非所有事情都完全由你做主。住户需要遵守规章制度，这些规章制度通常被称为业主章程，规定了他们如何使用自己的单元、设施和公共空间。

分契式物业章程背后的法律

对于不熟悉这些规则的人来说，这些规则是马来西亚半岛和纳闽联邦直辖区根据 2013 年分层管理法 (SMA) 管理分层物业的更广泛法律框架的一部分。

砂拉越有自己的《2019年分层地契管理条例》。

与此同时，沙巴州通过了《2026 年建筑管理法令》，但该法令尚未生效。

从本质上讲，《分契式物业管理法》规定了分契式建筑及其公共财产的管理和维护，同时规定了业主和管理机构的权利和责任。

第 150 条授权部长在与国家地方政府委员会协商后，制定实施该法的规章，包括对建筑物和公共财产的妥善维护和管理。

标准章程涵盖的内容

由于细则在规范分契式物业社区的日常生活中起着至关重要的作用，《2015 年分契式物业管理（维护和管理）条例》第三附表列出了 30 条细则，分为八个部分。

这些细则根据《分层地契法》制定，为马来西亚半岛和纳闽联邦直辖区的分层地契物业提供了一套标准化的规则。

它们涵盖居民可能遇到的日常问题，包括滋扰、宠物、车辆、公共设施、安全和未付费用。

例如，根据有关扰民的细则，在晚上 11 点之后，在房屋地块内或公共区域内使用的电器或电子设备、电器或乐器产生的噪音必须保持低音量，以免打扰其他业主，除非事先获得书面批准。

对于宠物主人来说，细则禁止在私人地块或公共区域饲养动物，如果这些动物造成滋扰或烦扰，对其他居民的安全或健康构成风险，或者违反州或地方当局的法律法规。

对于车辆，违规停放或未经授权的车辆可能会被拖走或锁上车轮，费用由车主承担，且无需事先通知。

车主还必须确保车辆警报器维护良好，以防止频繁误报，以免打扰其他居民。如果车辆警报器反复造成滋扰，管理方有权在特定时间内禁止该车辆进入小区。

在安全方面，管理方可以要求任何在公共区域内的人员出示身份证明，如果他们拒绝出示且不是业主，则管理方可以要求他们立即离开公共区域或开发区域。

规则还赋予管理层在费用未支付时一定的权力。

管理方可将拖欠款项的业主姓名、物业详情及欠款金额张贴在楼内公告栏上。该名单必须每月更新。

此外，在违约者收到相关通知 14 天后，无需另行通知，即可停用电磁访问设备（例如门禁卡或标签），直至欠款付清。

管理方还可以停止或暂停违约者使用公共设施或服务，包括指定给违约者使用的公共停车位。

建筑物可以设置额外的规则

法定章程并非故事的最终结局。

根据《特别管理法》，联合管理机构或管理公司可以通过特别决议引入附加章程或修改现有的附加章程，但前提是这些附加章程不得与规定的章程相抵触。

这些规定可能涵盖以下事项：

安全保障措施；

对公共财产使用的限制；

饲养宠物；

建筑和景观设计准则；以及

业主、住户或受邀者若违反细则，将被处以最高 200 令吉的罚款。

例如，附加细则可以引入更详细的宠物管理条件，例如基于体型的限制或关于动物可以带去哪里的规定，前提是这些规定与法定细则一致。

他们也可能对访客提出更严格的安全要求，例如要求比标准登记流程更详细的身份证明或文件。

这就是为什么在同一法律框架下运营的两栋建筑，每天给人的感觉仍然可能截然不同：一栋建筑可能允许摩托车停放在访客停车位，而另一栋则可能不允许；一栋建筑可能规定了装修时间，而另一栋则施加了更广泛的限制。

我可以对地方法规提出质疑吗？

简而言之，答案是肯定的。

附加细则必须符合《公司章程》的规定，且不得与规定的法定细则相抵触。

分层管理仲裁庭对涉及章程和决议的某些争议具有管辖权，包括寻求撤销章程修订的索赔；同时，分层管理法也允许管理机构或业主（视情况而定）向仲裁庭或法院寻求命令，以强制执行章程、制止违约或追回由此产生的损害赔偿。

业主也可以通过小区业主大会程序，对拟议或现有的附加细则提出意见。

相伴70载，马哈蒂尔医生在哈斯玛医生下葬时潸然泪下。

霹雳州在2027年财政预算案中寻求14亿令吉用于关键水利基础设施建设。

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