A power outage can create safety, access and equipment risks for apartment residents. Depending on how your building is designed, lifts, garage doors, security systems, water pumps and air-conditioning may all be affected.
Preparation helps you respond calmly and safely. This guide covers what residents can do before, during and after a blackout, along with the questions body corporate committees should consider.
What should you do when the power goes out?
First, check whether the outage is limited to your apartment or affecting the wider building. Look outside, check common areas if it is safe to do so, and contact a neighbour if you need help confirming what is happening.
If severe weather is involved, stay away from fallen power lines and damaged electrical equipment. Do not use wet or damaged appliances. Queensland electrical safety guidance also recommends turning off and unplugging electrical items when power is lost, and listening to local radio for restoration updates.
Use a torch rather than candles where possible. Keep one light switched on so you know when power returns, and avoid opening your fridge and freezer more than necessary.
If there is an immediate threat to life or property, call Triple Zero (000). The State Emergency Service can assist with flood or storm damage on 13 25 00.
How can you prepare your apartment for a blackout?
Your household should have a simple emergency plan and an emergency kit. Queensland’s Get Ready guidance recommends understanding the risks where you live, preparing a household emergency plan and packing an emergency kit.
Useful items include:
- A battery-powered, wind-up or solar-powered radio
- A waterproof torch and spare batteries
- A first aid kit
- Non-perishable food
- Drinking water
- Phone chargers and a charged power bank
- Copies of important contact details
- Any medication or other essential personal items
Keep your electricity provider’s details available, along with emergency service contacts and the contact details for your landlord, property manager, body corporate manager or building manager.
Before severe weather, understand your risk, prepare a household emergency plan and pack an emergency kit. Monitor reliable news and emergency updates during the event.
Do not open or work on electrical equipment if you are unsure what you are doing. Electrical work is not a do-it-yourself job and should be carried out by an appropriately qualified person.
What should a body corporate include in an outage plan?
Every body corporate community has different buildings, equipment and priorities. A committee can work with its body corporate manager, building manager and contractors to understand what may happen if power is lost.
The plan should identify:
- Who will communicate with residents and how updates will be distributed
- How residents will receive information if internet or mobile services are affected
- Whether garage doors have manual overrides or battery backup
- How residents should access the building if security systems or access doors stop operating
- What happens if lifts stop operating, including how a person trapped in a lift will receive help
- Whether water pumps, hot water, ventilation or air-conditioning may be affected
- Whether backup batteries or generators support any essential systems
- How common-property equipment will be checked when power returns
- Which contractors or service providers should be contacted
- How residents who may need assistance will be identified and supported
A power outage is not automatically the body corporate’s responsibility. The electricity network, an individual lot and common property may each involve different responsibilities. The body corporate and lot owners are responsible for different parts of a community titles scheme, so the registered survey plan and community management statement can help clarify the boundary between a lot and common property.
For more information, see our body corporate maintenance factsheet. It explains why identifying the relevant plan of subdivision and regulation module is an important first step.
Fire safety installations should also be included in the review. Multi-unit residential buildings may have prescribed fire safety installations that require ongoing maintenance, testing and records. An outage plan should consider how these systems operate and who is responsible for checking them, without assuming that an outage creates a new compliance requirement.
How should you check whether the outage is inside your lot or widespread?
Start by checking whether lights and appliances have stopped working throughout your apartment. Then check whether common areas, corridors, lifts, garage doors or neighbouring apartments are also affected.
If the problem appears limited to your lot, check whether the safety switch or circuit breaker has tripped. Unplug appliances and devices before checking the switchboard. If the switch trips again, do not keep resetting it. A damaged appliance, wiring fault or other electrical problem may need attention from a licensed electrician.
Do not touch damaged wiring, wet electrical equipment or fallen power lines. If you see a fallen power line, keep away and report it through the relevant electricity network or emergency channel. Never work on an electrical installation unless you are appropriately qualified.
If the whole building is affected, notify the building manager or body corporate manager and check whether the electricity provider has reported an outage. If surrounding buildings or streetlights are also without power, the problem may be outside the scheme.
If you rent, contact your landlord or property manager about issues inside your lot. For common-property equipment, contact the building manager or body corporate manager. Refer urgent electrical hazards to emergency services or a qualified electrical contractor rather than trying to repair them yourself.
How can you stay safe during a power outage?
Turn off electrical equipment, particularly heating appliances, ovens and irons. Unplug computers, televisions and other sensitive equipment as a precaution, but leave one light switched on to indicate when power has returned.
Keep curtains closed during hot weather and limit unnecessary door opening to help keep your apartment more comfortable. Check on neighbours who may need assistance, while avoiding unnecessary travel through dark stairwells or other unsafe areas.
Follow reliable news and emergency updates, particularly during storms, floods or other severe weather. Keep your phone available for important communications and use a battery-powered or wind-up radio if mobile services or internet access are unreliable.
Assess food carefully after a prolonged outage. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible, and do not rely only on smell or appearance to decide whether food is safe. Check current food-safety guidance before keeping or discarding particular foods.
During severe weather, do not use electrical appliances with wet hands or use damaged, wet or damp equipment. Queensland guidance says not to use damaged appliances, power cords, plugs or power boards.
For storm preparation advice, you can also read our guide to storm season preparedness for Queensland body corporates.
What should you do when the power comes back on?
Do not switch every appliance on at once. Check for signs of damage, water ingress, burning smells or unusual sounds before reconnecting equipment. Do not use anything damaged, and arrange qualified assistance where needed.
Check that lifts, garage doors, access systems, pumps and other common-property equipment are operating normally. Report problems to the building manager or body corporate manager, and keep residents informed if repairs or restricted access are required.
Review any food that was stored during the outage using current food-safety advice. When in doubt, do not take unnecessary risks with food that may have been kept in unsafe conditions.
After the event, the committee can record what happened and update its outage plan. Consider which systems were affected, how quickly residents received information and whether contractors or emergency contacts were easy to reach.
A practical blackout plan helps residents stay safe while giving the body corporate a clearer response for lifts, access, communication and common-property systems. If you need help reviewing your building’s responsibilities and procedures, contact StrataCare at reception@stratacare.com.au.
