Apartments owners could be forced to sell their properties against their will under a proposal being investigated by the ACT government.
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The government has confirmed it is looking to allow for "mandatory collective sales" of Canberra apartment complexes, as part of a wider shakeup of the territory's strata laws.
The scheme has been in place in NSW since late 2016, and allows for an owners corporation to sell an entire building if they can secure support from 75 per cent of unit owners.
Previously, all owners had to agree before a sale could go ahead. That rule currently applies in the ACT.
The new NSW scheme means "dissenting owners" - those who don't support a sale - are forced from their property. They do receive compensation.
An ACT government spokesman said the current rules meant that a small number of owners had the power to block the sale of a complex.
"This can lead to cases where absentee landlords or original developers can prevent people from selling their block," the spokesman said.
The spokesman said the government would consult further on the proposal, flagging the need for extra protections for vulnerable people who might be stranded after a forced sale.
Speaking at a Property Council forum on Tuesday, Strata Community Association president Chris Miller cautioned against introducing the scheme in the ACT.
Mr Miller said it "had not worked particularly well in NSW", pointing out that all of the attempted mandatory sales had been dragged through the courts.
The first sale in NSW was only given the green light in August this year - almost three years after the laws came into effect.
Mr Miller, who has been working with the government on its wider strata reform package, said he didn't think the ACT property market was "mature enough to need" a forced-sale scheme.
But with the government seemingly intent on "pushing this through", Mr Miller said local developers should be ready to take advantage.
"Opportunities naturally may arise ... if you can identify buildings which might be suitable for redevelopment where you can persuade a majority of owners to that way of thinking," he said.
Mr Miller was one of a number of Canberra property industry figures who spoke at Tuesday's forum, which delved into the government's planned overhaul of the outdated rules governing strata living in the capital.
The first tranche of the reform package, which was unveiled in August, did not include a mandatory collective sale scheme.
Mr Miller said the existing laws were "manifestly inadequate" and the proposed changes were largely welcome. But the industry would be concerned about some of the new rules, particularly the proposed new consumer rights measures.
Under one proposed reform, owners would be given "clearer rights" to cancel sale contracts if a project changed significantly. Buyers would also be given more information upfront about levies, maintenance schedules and other uses in their buildings.
Morris Legal Group director Louise Morris warned the new system could expose developers to greater financial risk.
"The biggest issue that I see is how the banks are going to respond to this new regime," she said.
"The bank will think how much do we trust our client not to change or not to have to change their projects. How much can we trust if there is an amendment that contracts are going to continue?".
The Canberra Times understands a bill to implement the first wave of reforms will be introduced into the ACT Legislative Assembly later this month.