Condo Renovation Hours, Noise & Permit Disputes
Malaysia 2026

This guide is for general information only and is not legal advice. For your specific situation, confirm with the Commissioner of Buildings, the Strata Management Tribunal, or a qualified Malaysian lawyer.

Legal framework: who sets the rules

Renovation hours and noise rules in Malaysian condominiums and strata properties come from three overlapping sources:

1. The Third Schedule of the Strata Management (Maintenance and Management) Regulations 2015 — the standard by-laws that apply to every strata development unless amended. These include nuisance prohibitions (By-law 8) and renovation approval requirements (By-law 27) (Source: Strata Management (Maintenance & Management) Regulations 2015, Third Schedule, By-laws 8, 27).
2. The building’s own additional by-laws and house rules — passed by special resolution at a general meeting and filed with the COB. Many buildings specify permitted working hours and noise restrictions in their house rules, in addition to the standard by-laws (Source: SMA 2013, s.70; MahWengKwai, “An Introduction to Strata Management By-Laws”, 2023).
3. Local authority by-laws — municipal by-laws (e.g. DBKL, MBPJ, MBJB) independently regulate noise and construction activity at street level. Violating local authority noise rules can result in summons independent of any strata enforcement action.

Where house rules are stricter than the standard by-laws, the stricter rule applies to residents. Where house rules try to be less strict than the mandatory Third Schedule by-laws, the Third Schedule prevails.

Standard renovation working hours in Malaysia

There is no single national standard for condo renovation working hours — the permitted hours depend on the building’s registered by-laws and house rules, and the local authority’s noise regulations. However, the most common hours observed in the Klang Valley are:

Always check your own building’s house rules — some premium condominiums restrict hacking to weekday mornings only, or ban drilling after 12 noon even on weekdays.

The Third Schedule to the SM(M&M) Regulations 2015 (By-law 8(3)) imposes a general duty on management to ensure there is no nuisance arising from any parcel or common property. This broad nuisance duty is the basis on which management can enforce noise complaints even in the absence of a specific time restriction (Source: SM(M&M) Regulations 2015, Third Schedule, By-law 8(3)).

Renovation permit: what you need and how to get it

Before any renovation works begin in a strata unit, you need two separate approvals in most cases:

1. Management approval under By-law 27 of the Third Schedule to the SM(M&M) Regulations 2015. This is the management corporation’s written consent to proceed with your specific renovation scope (Source: SM(M&M) Regulations 2015, Third Schedule, By-law 27; HHQ Law, “What to Know Before Renovating Your Stratified Home”).
2. Local authority approval for works that affect the building’s structure, drainage, or external appearance — e.g. hacking walls, adding new drainage outlets, or changing window configurations (Source: Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974; Uniform Building By-Laws 1984).

For purely internal, non-structural cosmetic works (retiling the same floor area, repainting, replacing internal doors), only management’s approval is typically required.

The standard process for management approval:

1. Obtain the management office’s renovation application form and house rules.
2. Submit a renovation plan (floor plan with scope of works marked up, materials to be used, contractor name and contact).
3. Pay the renovation deposit and any applicable administrative fee.
4. Provide a contractor indemnity / insurance letter if required by the house rules.
5. Receive written approval confirming permitted scope, working hours, and conditions.
6. Brief your contractor on all conditions before works start.

For a detailed overview of permit requirements across different local authorities, see our renovation permit guide →. For choosing a compliant contractor, see how to choose a renovation contractor →.

The renovation deposit: what it covers

The renovation deposit is provided for by By-law 27 of the Third Schedule to the SM(M&M) Regulations 2015. It is a refundable security deposit — not a fee. Management holds it during the renovation period as protection against damage to common property (lifts, lobby floors, common corridors, building facade). If no damage is caused and works comply with the approved scope, the full deposit must be refunded after inspection upon completion.

Management cannot lawfully forfeit the deposit without citing specific damage and showing evidence of that damage. If management refuses to refund the deposit without reason, file at the Strata Management Tribunal — the RM100 filing fee is well worth it for a RM1,000–RM2,000 deposit claim.

What’s allowed vs restricted: comparison

Noise obligations during renovation

By-law 8 of the Third Schedule to the SM(M&M) Regulations 2015 imposes a duty on every proprietor not to create or allow any nuisance or annoyance to other occupiers of the building (Source: SM(M&M) Regulations 2015, Third Schedule, By-law 8; Gan & Zul Advocates, “Neighbours Disputes”, 2021). For renovation works, this means:

• All noisy works (hacking, drilling, grinding) must be confined to approved hours.
• Music or radios at high volume during works are also covered by the nuisance prohibition.
• Workers must not congregate in common areas before approved working hours (e.g. workers waiting in the lobby from 7:30am creates disturbance).
• Debris must not be left in common corridors or lobby areas overnight.
• Lifts used for material transport should be the service lift; damage to lift walls during material transport will trigger deposit forfeiture.

Even if your approved hours permit works from 8am, consider that residents in adjacent units (especially those with young children or shift workers) will be impacted. Communicating renovation timelines to nearby neighbours in advance is good practice and often prevents formal complaints.

When the neighbour’s renovation is disturbing you

If a neighbouring unit’s renovation is causing noise or nuisance outside permitted hours, follow this escalation path:

1. Speak to the renovating owner or their contractor directly. In many cases, workers are unaware of or do not know the building’s rules. A polite conversation (or a note slipped under the door) resolves the issue quickly.
2. Report to management in writing (email or management app) specifying the date, time, nature of the noise/nuisance, and the unit number. Management has a duty under By-law 8(3) of the Third Schedule to ensure no nuisance arises (Source: SM(M&M) Regulations 2015, Third Schedule, By-law 8(3)).
3. Request management to issue a warning to the renovating unit. Management can — and should — do this formally in writing.
4. If management does not act, file a complaint with the Commissioner of Buildings (COB) for management’s failure to enforce the by-laws.
5. As a last resort, file at the Strata Management Tribunal for an order requiring management to enforce the by-laws or for an order directly against the offending proprietor.

For nuisance and trespass issues in strata settings generally, see strata nuisance complaints →. If the neighbour’s renovation damaged your unit, see JMB/MC not doing repairs? Your options →.

If you are the renovating party: protecting yourself

If you are planning a renovation and want to avoid complaints and deposit forfeiture, take these practical steps:

• Obtain written approval before any works start. Do not let your contractor begin hacking “just to see how it looks” before approval is granted — you are liable for all breach-of-by-law fines even if you did not personally do the work.
• Notify adjacent neighbours in writing of the approximate renovation period, the nature of the works, and the hours you will be working. This simple step prevents most noise complaints.
• Brief your contractor on the permitted hours and the deposit conditions. Get the contractor to acknowledge these in writing or in the contract.
• Photograph common areas (lift interior, corridor, lobby flooring) immediately before works start as baseline evidence. This protects you if management later claims damage that pre-existed your works.
• Inspect daily. Check that workers have cleaned up the corridor and lobby area before leaving each day, and that no debris is left in lift or common areas.
• Formally request post-renovation inspection in writing to management as soon as works are complete, to trigger the deposit refund process.

Fines and sanctions management can impose

Under Section 32(8) of the SMA 2013, the management corporation may impose a fine (by resolution at a general meeting) on any person who breaches a registered by-law or additional by-law. The maximum fine is prescribed in the Act and Regulations (Source: SMA 2013, s.32(8); SM(M&M) Regulations 2015).

In practice, fines for renovation hour violations in the Klang Valley typically range from RM200 to RM1,000 per offence. Repeated violations can lead to:

• Forfeiture of the renovation deposit.
• Management instructing works to stop (though the legal basis for stopping works physically is limited — management should file at the Tribunal or COB rather than use force).
• A Tribunal order requiring you to cease and desist.

If you receive a fine notice from management, review whether the fine was imposed by a proper resolution at a general meeting as required by s.32(8) — a fine imposed unilaterally by the management manager (without a general meeting resolution) may not be enforceable.

Escalation path: COB and Strata Management Tribunal

The Strata Management Tribunal (RM100 filing fee; no lawyer required) handles all of these disputes. For the filing process, see Strata Management Tribunal: how to file a claim → (Source: KPKT, kpkt.gov.my; MahWengKwai, “10 Things to Know About the Strata Management Tribunal”).

Choosing a contractor who follows the rules

The single most effective way to avoid renovation hour and noise disputes is to hire a contractor who is experienced with strata renovation rules. An experienced strata contractor will:

• Obtain all management approvals before works start (and advise if the approval has been properly granted).
• Conduct all noisy works strictly within permitted hours, without being told twice.
• Protect lift walls and common areas with padding during material transport.
• Clear debris from common areas daily, without prompting.
• Maintain a renovation log and photo record that supports your deposit refund claim.

For how to vet a contractor and structure your renovation contract: how to choose a renovation contractor →, renovation contract essentials →, and our free renovation contract generator →. To understand scam risks when hiring: renovation scam red flags →.

Sources & official references

• Strata Management (Maintenance & Management) Regulations 2015, Third Schedule, By-laws 8 & 27 — full text via Lee Partners
• Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757), ss.32, 70 — full text via Lee Partners
• HHQ Law — What to Know Before Renovating Your Stratified Home
• MahWengKwai & Associates — An Introduction to Strata Management By-Laws (2023)
• Gan & Zul Advocates & Solicitors — Neighbours Disputes — Noisy and Nuisance Neighbours (2021)
• KPKT — Strata Management Tribunal — kpkt.gov.my | [email protected]
• jmbmalaysia.org — How to Make a Claim at the Strata Management Tribunal