Is it legal to add a balcony extension to a building?
in Real Estate ·
wearycyclist57 said:Changing a building's exterior includes things like installing AC units, or putting up satellite dishes and TV antennas along with their mounts.
My point is that none of this should actually be happening, yet people do it constantly. But what's the real catch here? It really just comes down to how fast you can get the job done. Installing an AC unit or a satellite dish only takes about two hours, so it flies under the radar.
I mean, has anyone ever actually asked all the other residents for permission before mounting an antenna? Probably not. But it gets away with it because it’s a quick install and then you're done. That’s basically the whole trick. It’s not even about whether it’s allowed; it’s about how quickly you can pull it off. If you can wrap it up in two hours, it passes.
But when you're talking about installing French windows, that takes at least a few days of work. You'll likely need scaffolding, a construction crew, and workers milling around the hallways. Everyone in the building is going to notice, which gives plenty of time for someone to call building inspectors. If you could do that in two hours, it would slip through just like the AC units. That's the core of it, as far as I can tell.
That’s why I specifically asked if installing a skylight is permitted. I didn't get a straight answer here, obviously. But I know that falls under changing the building's appearance—since you're altering the roof, and the roof is common property. So, technically, you should need everyone's consent to put in a skylight.
However, I know for a fact the previous owner installed skylights without ever asking for permission. He didn't consult anyone, and he never ran into any issues with them. Why? Simply because the work was on the roof, and nobody even realized anything was happening.
And that's the bottom line. From what I've gathered, you aren't allowed to do anything that changes the exterior look of the building without getting consent from every single unit owner. That part is 100% clear.
So how is it that everyone is slapping AC units onto the building's facade and outer walls? Isn't that changing the exterior look? Those units stick out so much you can see them from a mile away.
You’re being incredibly stubborn, bringing up examples that aren't even remotely comparable. If an antenna can't be placed in a certain spot, you just take it down... easy.
All structural components of a building are considered common property owned by all co-owners. This absolutely includes the facade, which means you can't just go making any openings in an exterior wall without getting permission from every single co-owner first.
That attic apartment of yours was probably only converted into a living space recently, which explains why it lacks all the amenities other units have. You likely picked it up at a bargain price because of that... 😁
Look, if you’re talking about replacing French windows, we aren't just talking about a quick fix. You need several days of labor, probably some exterior scaffolding, a full construction crew, and workers crawling all over the stairwells. Every single resident in the building is going to notice that chaos, which gives them more than enough time to call in the building inspectors. If this were something that could be knocked out in two hours, it might fly under the radar. It's the exact same deal with HVAC systems. That’s the crux of the whole issue, as far as I can tell...
The bottom line is this: a dishonest person will always find a loophole to get exactly what they want. But an honest person? They’ll respect the property and their neighbors, or they simply won't buy a place that isn't a perfect fit for them in the first place.
That’s exactly why I asked if installing a skylight is actually permitted in the first place. I haven't received a single straight answer in this thread. I know for a fact that altering the roofline counts as changing the building's exterior appearance, and since the roof is a common area, you can't just do whatever you want. You’d need unanimous consent from all the neighbors before touching the roof...
You already received a straight answer on that, but since you can't handle it, you're back at it again with these pathetic excuses...
I know for a fact the previous owner installed those skylights without ever asking for permission. He didn't consult anyone, nor did he run into a single issue with them. And why wasn't there any pushback? Because the work was done up on the roof, and nobody even noticed...
This is exactly why these beautiful, historic buildings downtown are being ruined. Every single tenant just comes in and continues the cycle of neglect left by the last one. Meanwhile, the government agencies are completely useless...
But then how do you explain everyone mounting AC units right on the building's exterior? Isn't that just altering the facade? Those units stick out like a sore thumb—you can see them from a mile away...
Look, technically, AC units shouldn't even be mounted on the facade either, but at least those types of modifications don't mess with the building's structural integrity. You have to realize you can't compare a satellite dish to an AC unit, or a door cut into a wall, and this isn't just about aesthetics.