November 13, 2026
In NSW, swapping carpet for hybrid, laminate, vinyl or timber is a minor renovation, so you need strata approval for hard flooring before any work starts, and the NSW Government says a flooring application should include an acoustic certificate. In Queensland, it comes down to your by-laws: some bodies corporate have by-laws that require approval for changes to flooring.
Please note: this is general information, not legal advice. Your by-laws and your strata manager or body corporate manager have the final say, so always check with them before you book in a new floor.
Usually, yes. Here is how NSW and Queensland compare.
| NSW (strata scheme) | QLD (body corporate) | |
|---|---|---|
| Laying carpet | Cosmetic work. No approval needed. | Check your by-laws. |
| Wood, tile or other hard flooring | Minor renovation. Approval needed, including when you take up carpet to expose a hard floor underneath. | Some schemes have by-laws that say you need approval for changes to flooring. |
| Who decides | The owners corporation at a meeting (more than 50% of votes cast in favour), or the strata committee if a by-law allows it. | As set out in your by-laws. Ask your body corporate manager. |
| If you skip approval | You may have to pay to put the property back how it was. | If your by-laws require approval, skipping it may breach them, and the body corporate can act to enforce its by-laws. |
NSW sorts strata renovation work into three groups, and each needs a different level of approval.
For a minor renovation, you contact the owners corporation, strata committee or strata managing agent and ask for permission. It then goes to a vote at a strata meeting and needs more than 50% of the votes cast in favour. If your scheme has a by-law that lets the strata committee decide minor renovation requests, the committee must give written reasons within three months if it refuses. If it does not refuse in writing, with reasons, within that time, the request is taken to be approved. That rule started on 1 July 2025. Owners corporations must also keep a record of approved minor renovations for 10 years.
The Queensland Government’s body corporate guidance says putting hard floors, like timber or tiles, in a lot is the reason for many body corporate disputes. Because of this, some bodies corporate have by-laws which say owners need approval for changes to flooring.
Even where approval is not needed, noise still matters. The same guidance says that if hard floors make extra noise for the lot below, this may breach a noise by-law or create a nuisance under section 167 of the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997. If the work will affect common property, it may also need body corporate approval as an improvement. Your scheme’s by-laws are in its community management statement, so start there.
Ready to start? Book your free measure and quote and we will bring the showroom to you.
The NSW Government lists plans of the work with dates and times, details and qualifications of the tradespeople, and an acoustic certificate for flooring. A complete pack usually includes:
An acoustic test report shows how a floor and its underlay or backing performed on a test slab, often tested by an acoustic consultant. Results in your apartment also depend on your building’s slab and ceiling, and some schemes ask for a consultant’s report or a test after the floor is laid. Compare your building’s standard with the report for the exact floor and underlay. Not every range has a report, so ask us what is available.
Ranges to look at for apartments:
You can compare more options in our hybrid flooring, vinyl flooring, laminate flooring and timber flooring ranges. Most apartments sit on a concrete slab, so our guide to flooring over concrete is worth a read too.
Royal Floors has over 20 years of experience and is a member of the Australasian Timber Flooring Association (ATFA).
Your written quote includes underlay (where the floor needs it), trims, moving your furniture (very heavy items are priced at the measure), and taking up and disposing of your old flooring. Stairs and any subfloor preparation are listed as separate items on the quote, so you can see them. Asbestos removal is not included. If your home was built or renovated before 1990, old vinyl, lino, tiles or their adhesive may contain asbestos. Do not sand, scrape or lift them until they have been tested, and tell us at the measure. Once you have approval, our team handles professional installation.
Yes. The NSW Government lists wood, tile or other hard flooring, including removing carpets, as a minor renovation, and minor renovations need approval before the work starts.
There is no single answer. Many schemes set an acoustic standard in their by-laws, so check yours and ask your strata or body corporate manager for it in writing. Then ask for the acoustic report for the floor and underlay you are considering.
In NSW, the Government warns you may have to pay to put the property back the way it was. In Queensland, if your by-laws require approval, laying a hard floor without it may breach them. Hard floors that make extra noise for the lot below may also breach a noise by-law or create a nuisance.
The application comes from you as the owner. We can supply the documents it usually needs: your written quote, the product specification sheet, the acoustic test report where one is available for your range, and the installation method.
Bring your by-laws and any strata requirements to Royal Floors in Penrith, Campbelltown, Hornsby or Logan, book a free measure and quote, or call 1300 980 501.
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