If you live in a Perth apartment or townhouse and you’ve got a car sitting in your bay that hasn’t moved in months – won’t start, was written off, or is just too expensive to fix – it’s worth asking two questions most owners never think about: does it affect your home insurance, and are you actually allowed to leave it there under your strata by-laws? Both come up more often than you’d expect, and the answers aren’t always what people assume.
Home Insurance and a Broken-Down Car
A standard home and contents policy is built to cover the building itself and what’s inside it – not the vehicles parked on the property. Cars are insured separately, whether that’s comprehensive, third party, or (for an unregistered vehicle) no cover at all. So simply having a non-running car in your car bay or driveway doesn’t usually trigger anything with your home insurer on its own.
Where it can become relevant is liability and property damage. If a leaking fuel line, battery, or engine fluid stains a driveway or common property, or a damaged vehicle becomes a fire or trip hazard, that can complicate a claim later – particularly if an insurer is assessing risk on the property or investigating an unrelated incident and the vehicle’s condition comes up. It’s worth checking your Product Disclosure Statement or asking your insurer directly if you’re unsure, rather than assuming a broken car is a non-issue.
When It’s Worth a Phone Call to Your Insurer
- The car has visible fluid leaks affecting shared or common areas
- The vehicle was damaged in a fire, flood, or accident and hasn’t been assessed
- You’re making an unrelated home or contents claim and want to rule out any complications
Strata By-Laws and Vehicles in WA
This is where things get more concrete. Strata schemes in Western Australia operate under the Strata Titles Act 1985, and the default by-laws that apply to most schemes are explicit on this point: an owner or occupier must not park or stand a vehicle on common property without the written approval of the strata company. Many schemes also adopt additional by-laws dealing specifically with unregistered, deregistered, or non-operational vehicles – sometimes banning them outright from visitor bays, verges, or common car parking areas, even if the owner has approval to park a working car there.
What This Looks Like in Practice
If a car sits undriveable in a car bay for an extended period, it’s common for a strata council or manager to send a written notice asking for it to be moved or removed, particularly if a neighbour has complained about appearance, leaks, or reduced visitor parking. If the issue isn’t resolved, a strata company can apply to the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) for an order relating to a by-law contravention. It rarely gets that far in practice, but it does happen, and it’s a slower, more stressful process than just organising for the car to be picked up.
The specifics vary from scheme to scheme, so if you’re not sure what applies to your building, your strata manager or the scheme’s registered by-laws (available through Landgate) are the places to check.
Why It’s Worth Sorting the Car Out Sooner Rather Than Later
Beyond avoiding a by-law notice, there are a few practical reasons not to let a dead car sit indefinitely:
- It keeps taking up a bay you could otherwise use or that visitors could use
- Ongoing exposure to weather tends to worsen rust, tyre and interior damage, which can reduce what a wrecker will offer over time
- If it’s still registered, you’re paying licensing costs for a car that isn’t going anywhere
What to Know Before You Sell a Car in WA
Once you’ve decided to move the car on, there are a few WA-specific steps worth knowing:
- You’ll need valid photo ID to sell the vehicle – you don’t have to be the registered owner, but you do need to be able to identify yourself
- Number plates stay with you, not the car – they don’t transfer to the buyer or wrecker
- After the sale, you’re required to lodge a Notification of Disposal with the WA Department of Transport, so the vehicle is no longer registered in your name
Vehicles that are running, non-running, accident-damaged, flood or fire-damaged, deregistered, or already written off can generally still be sold to a licensed wrecker. Stolen vehicles, cars still under finance, and bodies without a chassis typically can’t be purchased.
Getting It Off Your Strata Property
Cash For Cars Perth buys cars, utes, trucks, vans, and 4WDs in any condition across the Perth metro area (we don’t cover Bunbury or further south), and pays up to $9,999 cash or instant OSKO bank transfer before the vehicle leaves your property. Towing is free, and if you call before midday it’s often collected the same day, usually within two to three hours – useful if a strata notice has given you a deadline. We’re a licensed wrecking yard based at 5 Hantke Place, Welshpool, open Monday to Saturday, 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
Ready to Move It On?
If a broken-down car is sitting in your bay and you’d rather deal with it before it becomes a strata or insurance headache, call 0420 262 651 for a free quote, or get in touch to arrange same-day removal.