Is a Building and Pest Inspection Worth It for an Apartment or Townhouse? What Nine Recent Inspections Found

Yes. Of the 9 strata lots among 18 of our recent inspections (September–October 2026) — 5 units and apartments, 4 townhouses — 7 had at least one major defect (4 of 5 units, 3 of 4 townhouses), 7 had a serious safety hazard, and no live termites were found. Some findings showed only during testing or from the roof space. For a strata or company title property we inspect the nominated lot and its immediately associated exterior, in accordance with AS 4349.1 and AS 4349.3; common property is not inspected. Our apartment and unit building and pest inspections page has the scope.

What did the nine unit and townhouse inspections record?

These counts are from the 18 recent inspections only, and a cracked toilet cistern on its own is not counted as cracking. Where cracking is to masonry, a concrete slab or a load-bearing wall, further assessment by a Structural Engineer is recommended.

Why did wet areas drive the major defects in units?

Of the 5 units, 4 had a major defect, and in 3 of those 4 it was a wet-area item: a damaged wall tile beside a shower mixer; a cracked shower-base tile; and a drip from the back of a shower mixer into the wall cavity, seen only after a wall vent cover was removed during testing. In both single-tile cases, moisture readings on the walls beside the shower were normal. The defect is the path for water behind the tiles, not dampness on the day; one tile can be rated major because the concealed extent cannot be determined in a non-invasive inspection.

No unit recorded elevated moisture, but that did not mean dry. In one, water staining on the carpet edge at the ensuite doorway led to a recommendation for leak detection and a shower base test, even though shower testing showed no active leak. A wet-area defect is referred to a suitably licensed and insured Plumber, Tiler or waterproofing contractor. Where elevated moisture is recorded, it is a condition conducive to structural damage and timber pest infestation, and further investigation by the appropriate trade and, where relevant, a Timber Pest Inspector is recommended. Our article on wet-area and shower defects in Gold Coast units covers sealant, grout, screens and drains.

Where did the townhouse shower leaks show up?

In 2 of the 4 townhouses an upper-floor shower was leaking to the level below. In one, water came through a visibly sagging laundry ceiling, with water around a downlight and elevated moisture reaching a living-room wall. In the other, water dripped onto the ground-floor living area during testing, with electrical cables close by; once the ceiling vents were removed, the leak was found directly above one. Both were recorded as a major defect and a serious safety hazard; water near electrical items is referred to a suitably licensed and insured Electrician, the leak to a Plumber or waterproofing contractor. Elevated moisture was recorded in 2 of the 4 townhouses, each a condition conducive to structural damage and timber pest infestation; further investigation by the relevant trade and a Timber Pest Inspector is recommended.

Sagging ceiling linings were a major defect in 3 of the 4 townhouses, one visible only from inside the roof space, where the sheets had separated from the trusses above a bathroom and ensuite. This is why fixtures are run, and why we look from the other side.

What serious safety hazards were found in the units?

Of the 5 units, 4 had a serious safety hazard: a loose outlet wall plate; loose power points in a kitchen and a bathroom; an exposed cable at a hot water system inside a storage cupboard; and a toilet door without lift-off (emergency release) hinges. Of those 4, 3 were electrical, and electrical items were the most common serious safety hazard across all 18 inspections (9 of 18). Each is recorded as observed and referred to the appropriate trade, the electrical items to a suitably licensed and insured Electrician; a building inspection is not an electrical inspection.

What did the inspections find on unit balconies and decks?

In 3 of the 5 units the balcony floor tiles were drummy (debonded) or cracked. The membrane beneath cannot be seen in a visual inspection, so the tiles are recorded as observed, for further assessment by a suitably licensed and insured Tiler or waterproofing contractor; our FAQ explains what drummy tiles mean in an inspection report. In one unit a gap around the balcony sliding-door frame was logged twice, as a minor defect and as a conducive condition, because it may let water into concealed areas.

The unit whose major defects were not in a wet area had them outside: concrete deterioration to the underside of its upper balcony slab, and a rear timber deck that had pulled away from the building, with moved joists and moving balustrade posts. For both, further assessment by a Structural Engineer and a suitably licensed and insured Builder is recommended, and neither the deck nor the balcony should be overloaded until assessed. Our article on balcony and balustrade defects in walk-up apartments covers how balcony leaks travel downward; responsibility for a balcony membrane in a strata scheme is a question for your conveyancer.

Does a concrete apartment still need the timber pest half?

Yes. In 4 of the 5 units there was no roof space or ceiling cavity at all (a concrete slab overhead), recorded as a limitation. Even so, 4 of the 5 units and all 4 townhouses had at least one condition conducive to timber pest attack, and all 9 reports recommended the next timber pest inspection within 12 months and a termite management proposal, including the concrete unit with no conducive conditions. Unit ratings for undetected timber pest risk: 2 low (both concrete units), 2 moderate and 1 moderate to high (the one with the timber deck and a garage).

No live termites were found in any of the 18. Among them, the one strata damage case was a townhouse: decay and potential timber pest attack to its front patio framing (further assessment by a Structural Engineer is recommended; do not overload it until assessed), and timber pest damage to the particleboard structural floor under a leaking shower, recorded as a serious safety hazard: stop using the shower until a Structural Engineer and a suitably licensed and insured Builder have assessed the floor, and a Plumber the leak. Across 68 of our recent inspections (these 18 included), we recorded termite activity or damage at 16 properties, 14 of them standalone houses; the other two were strata, one unit and one townhouse. In our inspections, strata properties were far less affected, but not immune.

No unit had a durable notice sighted on site, and the reports on 5 of the 9 strata properties told the buyer to get the termite management records from the body corporate. After settlement, that 12-month recommendation is what an annual building and pest inspection is for.

What should you ask the body corporate for?

Termite management records, and roof records where the roof could not be seen. The second-storey roof surface was not inspected on any of the 5 two-storey strata properties, because of height and safety, and two of those reports pointed the buyer to body corporate roof repair or restoration records instead. Anything not seen is written down as not inspected, never assumed clear. Common property is not inspected, and a strata (body corporate records) report is a separate document your conveyancer can arrange; our FAQ sets out the difference between a building and pest inspection and a strata report.

So, is a building and pest inspection worth it for a unit or townhouse?

Yes. A major defect in 7 of these 9 is no reason to avoid units or townhouses; it is a reason to have the findings in writing before you commit. You get a combined building and timber pest inspection of your lot, and CYTE is QBCC licensed and insured. A strata records search is still worth having, and your conveyancer can arrange one. Book inside the contract's inspection period, and what sets the cost of a building and pest inspection explains what we quote on.

To arrange a combined building and pest inspection for a unit, apartment or townhouse, call 0431 114 815 — QBCC licence 1519 2537. The fixed price is confirmed before you book, and the written report is with you the same day.

Book a Gold Coast building and pest inspection with CYTE before you commit, and read the findings in a written report the same day.