Body Corporate: What committees should know about common property termite risk.

Termites don’t respect lot boundaries. A colony entering through common gardens can travel into attached townhouses or apartment walls before anyone notices, and by then, the damage bill may already be in the tens of thousands.

Under the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1987 (Qld), committees have a statutory duty to maintain common property. This includes gardens, fences, external walls, roof voids, subfloor areas, car parks, and shared storage rooms. When termites damage these structures, the repair cost typically falls on the body corporate, not individual owners.

Why common property is a termite highway

Many termite colonies nest in soil under gardens or lawn areas. From there, they build mud tubes up the sides of buildings, through expansion joints and along pipe penetrations. Once inside a shared wall, they can move laterally into adjacent townhouse units without ever touching the soil again.

Common risks include:

• Landscaping features (mulch, timber garden edging, tree stumps) that attract termites close to buildings.
• Suspended slabs and expansion joints that provide concealed pathways.
• Shared roof voids where termites can travel across multiple units undetected.
• Leaking downpipes or air conditioner condensate creating moisture zones that termites need to survive.

What your committee should do, step by step:

1. Obtain a baseline termite inspection for all common areas
Commission a certified termite inspection for all common areas, completed in accordance with Australian Standards. The report should include:

• A risk rating for every building and common structure.
• Photos of any mud tubes, damaged timbers or conducive conditions.

2. Install or update a termite protection system
If the termite inspection shows that the existing termite protection system is out of date, incomplete or non-existent, the committee should consider installing a termite protection system across the common areas. 

Monitoring stations placed every 3-5 metres around building perimeters give early warning before termites reach the structure. They should be inspected quarterly. A system like the Bittn Termite Protection System also offers an option to eliminate colonies found on common grounds.

3. Adopt an annual termite reporting cycle
Present a termite report at each AGM. It demonstrates due diligence to owners and regulators. Include:

• A summary of any treatments conducted during the year.
• Trend data (e.g., “no activity on north side for 24 months”).
• Recommendations for future inspections or minor works (e.g., removing tree stumps, improving drainage).

How Bittn helps

Bittn provides strata-specific termite management plans with fixed annual pricing, digital reporting portals for committee members and optional service upgrades for owners who want additional pest control for their individual lot. Our smarter, safer science means fewer intrusive treatments and more proactive protection.

The bottom line

A single termite infestation in common property can generate special levies that no owner wants. Proactive monitoring and annual reporting are cheap insurance.