Neighbour’s Renovation Damaged Your Unit?
What to Do in Malaysia (2026)

This guide is for general information only — not legal advice. Confirm your specific situation with the COB, Strata Management Tribunal, or a qualified Malaysian property lawyer.

How renovation damage happens

Renovation damage from a neighbouring unit is more common in Malaysian strata buildings than most owners realise. The most frequent causes are:

• Hacking shared walls — impact from demolishing non-structural walls or chasing for wiring can crack your side of a shared wall or dislodge your plaster.
• Waterproofing failure — a bathroom or wet kitchen renovation that skimps on the waterproofing membrane causes water to seep through the shared floor slab into your ceiling.
• Plumbing works — capping, re-routing or incorrectly reconnecting pipes during renovation can create leaks that only become visible weeks later.
• Vibration from heavy machinery — jackhammers and heavy hacking create vibration that can loosen tiles, crack plaster and even fracture older drainage pipes in adjacent units.
• Structural interference — illegal removal of load-bearing elements (walls or columns) without engineering approval creates structural risk for adjacent units.

Your legal rights

Malaysian law gives a strata owner several overlapping rights when a neighbour’s renovation causes damage (Source: Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757); Yew Huoi, How & Associates, Strata Title — Trespass and Nuisance; Donovan & Ho, Case Spotlight: Noisy Nightmare Neighbours):

• Right to enforce strata by-laws — by-laws under SMA 2013 bind all owners and occupiers; a breach of by-laws (e.g. hacking beyond permitted scope, working outside approved hours) is actionable.
• Right to compensation via the Strata Management Tribunal — the Tribunal can order the neighbour to pay for repair costs and consequential losses up to RM250,000.
• Right under tort law — you may have a claim in nuisance or negligence if the renovation was conducted carelessly or in breach of a duty of care.
• Right to COB enforcement — the COB can direct the offending owner or management to carry out rectification.

Role of strata by-laws

Under the Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757), Section 32, strata by-laws are legally binding on every owner, tenant and occupier of a parcel. They routinely include provisions that protect you from renovation damage, such as (Source: MahWengKwai & Associates, An Introduction to Strata Management By-Laws; KPKT model by-laws):

• Requirement to submit a renovation plan and obtain management approval before works begin.
• Obligation to pay a renovation deposit that can be used to rectify any damage caused.
• Restriction on hacking load-bearing structures without structural engineer approval.
• Permitted working hours (typically 9 am–5 pm weekdays only).
• Prohibition on activities causing nuisance, damage or structural risk to adjacent units.

If the neighbour began renovations without management approval or exceeded the approved scope, they are in breach of the by-laws. Under Section 32 of the SMA 2013, you can apply to the Strata Management Tribunal or a court to enforce by-law compliance, restrain further breach, and recover damages (Source: Resources.PEPSVentures, Understanding By-Laws Under the Strata Management Act 2013).

Management’s duty to act

Your JMB or MC has a statutory duty under SMA 2013, Sections 21(1) and 59(1) to maintain and manage the building and common property in good repair, and to enforce the by-laws against errant owners (Source: Lui & Bhullar, JMB and MC Legal Duties & Recovery of Maintenance Charges in Malaysia; TYH Law Firm, Rights of Strata Owner Against the Joint Management Body in Malaysia). Once you report renovation damage in writing, management should:

• Inspect the damage and document it.
• Write formally to the offending unit’s owner directing them to stop further damage and carry out rectification.
• If the owner has paid a renovation deposit, apply it against rectification costs.
• Refer the matter to the COB if the owner refuses to cooperate.

If management fails to act after a written complaint, that inaction is itself a breach of their statutory duty, and you can escalate to the COB or Tribunal against management directly.

Evidence checklist

The strength of your claim at the Tribunal — or in any COB complaint — depends on the quality of your documentation. Collect the following as early as possible:

Step-by-step action plan

• Step 1 — Document immediately. As soon as you discover the damage, photograph and video everything before any temporary patching. Note the date and approximate time the damage appeared.
• Step 2 — Report in writing to management. Write to your JMB or MC (email or letter) describing the damage, identifying the likely source (e.g. Unit X above you), and requesting an inspection. Ask management to halt any further renovation works that may worsen the damage.
• Step 3 — Get a repair quotation. Engage a CIDB-registered contractor to inspect and quote for rectification. This is your primary evidence of quantum for a Tribunal claim.
• Step 4 — Give the neighbour a chance to rectify. Sometimes a direct, polite written request (copied to management) resolves the matter without escalation. Give a clear deadline — 14 to 21 days is reasonable.
• Step 5 — Escalate to COB if management or the neighbour fails to act. File a written complaint with the COB at your local city or municipal council.
• Step 6 — File at the Strata Management Tribunal. If the COB process does not produce a satisfactory result, or if you need a compensation order, file at the Tribunal via strata.my or the relevant COB office.

Who is liable — comparison

(Source: Yew Huoi, How & Associates, Strata Title — Trespass and Nuisance; Lui & Bhullar, JMB and MC Legal Duties in Malaysia)

COB complaint

The Commissioner of Buildings (COB), attached to your local council (e.g. DBKL, MBPJ, MBSJ, MPKJ), enforces the SMA 2013 (Source: KPKT; SMA 2013, Part I). A COB complaint is a cost-free escalation route. Submit a written complaint with:

• Your unit details and the offending unit details.
• Description of the damage and its likely cause.
• Evidence: photographs, written complaint to management, management’s response (or lack of response).
• Repair quotations.

The COB may issue a direction to the owner or to management to carry out rectification, and failure to comply can attract fines under the SMA 2013.

Strata Management Tribunal claim

The Strata Management Tribunal (SMT) is the primary forum for compensation claims between strata owners in Malaysia. It is faster and cheaper than civil court (Source: MahWengKwai & Associates, 10 Things to Know About the Strata Management Tribunal; JMBMALAYSIA.ORG, How to Make a Claim at the Tribunal). For renovation damage, the Tribunal can order:

• The neighbour to pay the cost of repairing your unit.
• Compensation for consequential losses (e.g. temporary accommodation if the unit was uninhabitable).
• The management body to enforce its by-law duties.

File at strata.my or in person at the relevant COB office. Bring all your evidence documents. Awards are issued within 60 days of the first hearing and have the force of a court order.

See also: Inter-Floor Leakage Rules (Malaysia) → if the damage is specifically water penetration from the floor above.

Tort law option: nuisance & negligence

If your claim exceeds RM250,000 or if you want an injunction to stop ongoing works, you may need to pursue a civil claim in the High Court (Source: Donovan & Ho, Case Spotlight: Noisy Nightmare Neighbours; Yew Huoi, How & Associates, Strata Title — Trespass and Nuisance). Two common grounds are:

• Private nuisance — the neighbour’s renovation unreasonably interfered with your enjoyment of your property. You can seek an injunction and damages. Note that trespass (physical intrusion such as cracked plaster breaking through your wall) is actionable without proving special damage.
• Negligence — the neighbour (or their contractor) owed you a duty of care, breached it by conducting renovation carelessly, and that breach caused your damage. The contractor may also be joined as a defendant.

For disputes of this complexity, engage a Malaysian property lawyer. Consult firms experienced in strata litigation such as MahWengKwai & Associates, Donovan & Ho, HHQ Law Firm, or Lui & Bhullar.

If the damage was caused by a renovation contractor rather than the owner personally, see our guide to Renovation Contracts in Malaysia →.

Preventing future damage to your unit

• When your own renovation is complete, document the condition of your unit with dated photographs — this protects you if a future neighbour’s renovation is blamed on your earlier works.
• When a neighbour announces renovation plans, ask management to confirm the approved scope and deposit amount. This creates accountability from day one.
• If you share a wall or floor slab with a unit undergoing heavy hacking, monitor your side for new cracks and document them as they appear.
• Make sure your own waterproofing is in good condition so you cannot be accused of being the source of a leak to the unit below.

For a full overview of JMB/MC duties and how to hold management accountable, see The Complete JMB Guide → and JMB/MC Won’t Repair Common Property? →.

Sources & official references

• Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757) — Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia
• Strata Title — Trespass and Nuisance — Yew Huoi, How & Associates
• Case Spotlight: Noisy Nightmare Neighbours — Donovan & Ho
• JMB and MC Legal Duties in Malaysia — Lui & Bhullar
• Rights of Strata Owner Against the JMB — TYH Law Firm
• 10 Things to Know About the Strata Management Tribunal — MahWengKwai & Associates
• Strata Management Tribunal — How to Make a Claim — JMBMALAYSIA.ORG
• Strata Management Tribunal portal — strata.my (KPKT)
• Understanding By-Laws Under the Strata Management Act 2013