Battery Storage and Fire Risk in Apartments: A Strata Committee Checklist
Lithium-ion batteries are showing up in more strata buildings every week — in e-bikes, scooters, power walls and power tools. Here's a practical checklist to help strata committees manage battery fire risk before an incident occurs.
Lithium-ion batteries have quietly become one of the most pressing battery fire risk strata managers and committees face today. E-bikes leaning against corridor walls, e-scooters charging in car parks, home battery systems installed on balconies, and a drawer full of power-tool packs — these are everyday realities in Australian apartment buildings. When something goes wrong with a lithium-ion cell, the results can be devastating: fires that ignite rapidly, burn at extreme temperatures, and are notoriously difficult to extinguish. For strata committees and owners corporations, getting ahead of this risk is no longer optional.
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Why Lithium-Ion Batteries Deserve Special Attention
Not all fire risks are created equal. Lithium-ion batteries can undergo a process called thermal runaway — a self-sustaining chain reaction inside the cell that generates intense heat, flammable gas and, ultimately, fire or explosion. What makes this particularly dangerous in a strata context is:
- Speed: Thermal runaway can escalate from a warm battery to an uncontrollable fire within minutes.
- Toxicity: The gases released include hydrogen fluoride and other toxic compounds that are hazardous to occupants and firefighters alike.
- Re-ignition: A battery that appears extinguished can reignite hours later, making suppression and evacuation more complex.
- Density: Apartment buildings concentrate many batteries into a shared, multi-storey structure with common egress paths.
Australian fire services have recorded a significant increase in lithium-ion battery-related fires in residential settings in recent years. The devices most commonly implicated include e-bikes, e-scooters, ride-on toys, cordless power tools, and retrofit home battery storage systems.
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Common Ignition Sources in Strata Buildings
Understanding where fires start helps committees target their controls effectively.
Charging in Unsuitable Locations
Batteries left charging unattended in enclosed spaces — car parks, storage cages, under staircases — limit early detection and block evacuation routes. Many residents charge overnight, meaning a fire can develop for some time before anyone notices.
Damaged or Incompatible Chargers
Using third-party or counterfeit chargers is a leading cause of battery failure. These chargers may lack the protection circuitry that prevents overcharging, which dramatically increases the risk of thermal runaway.
Physical Damage to Cells
A battery that has been dropped, crushed or had its casing compromised may fail internally — sometimes days or weeks after the damage occurs. There is often no visible sign of danger.
Ageing and Degraded Batteries
Older cells, particularly those that have been deep-discharged or cycled beyond their rated lifespan, are at higher risk. Many residents are unaware their battery has reached the end of its safe service life.
DIY and Non-Compliant Installations
Home battery storage systems (such as residential energy walls) installed without appropriate approvals or by unlicensed contractors can have wiring faults, inadequate ventilation or missing battery management systems — all of which elevate risk.
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Battery Fire Risk Strata Management: A Practical Checklist
Use the following checklist as a working tool for your committee. Assign owners or the building manager to each item and set target completion dates.
By-Laws and Rules
- [ ] Review existing by-laws for gaps relating to e-mobility devices (e-bikes, e-scooters) and home battery storage. Many by-laws predate these technologies entirely.
- [ ] Draft or update a by-law that addresses: approved storage locations, charging requirements, notification obligations for home battery installations, and consequences for non-compliance.
- [ ] Ensure the by-law is consistent with your state or territory strata legislation and has been properly passed and registered.
- [ ] Communicate the rules to all owners, tenants and their managing agents in writing — not just via the AGM minutes.
Physical Controls and Common Areas
- [ ] Audit storage areas — identify any e-bikes, scooters or battery packs currently stored in corridors, under stairs, or near exit paths and address immediately.
- [ ] Designate approved charging locations where possible (e.g., a section of the car park with adequate ventilation and a fire-rated wall or cabinet).
- [ ] Install or verify that fire detection in car parks and storage areas is functioning and covers areas where devices are likely to be charged.
- [ ] Check fire doors and exit paths adjacent to any common-area charging or storage zones are clear and self-closing mechanisms are operational.
- [ ] Review signage — post clear "no charging in corridors" and "no storage of e-mobility devices in common areas" notices where relevant.
Home Battery Storage Systems (Lots)
- [ ] Require notification from any owner or tenant who installs or intends to install a home battery storage system, as part of the by-law framework.
- [ ] Confirm installation compliance — appropriate council or building approvals, licensed electrical contractor, compliant battery management system, and adequate ventilation.
- [ ] Confirm insurance implications with your strata insurer, particularly regarding lot improvements and any impact on common property coverage.
Essential Safety Measures and Maintenance
- [ ] Confirm your essential safety measures (ESM) schedule is current and that fire detection, suppression and emergency lighting inspections are up to date.
- [ ] Check whether your building's fire suppression (sprinklers, if fitted) covers car parks and storage areas adequately for the current use.
- [ ] Brief your building manager or caretaker on visual signs of battery distress: swelling, unusual heat, acrid smell, hissing sounds.
Emergency Planning
- [ ] Review your Emergency Management Plan (EMP) and ensure it references lithium-ion battery fires as a specific scenario.
- [ ] Confirm your fire warden structure is current and that wardens are familiar with the appropriate response — including that water may not be sufficient and that re-ignition is a real risk.
- [ ] Liaise with your local fire service — many brigades offer pre-incident planning visits for high-rise or multi-storey buildings and are aware of the emerging battery fire challenge.
- [ ] Ensure resident evacuation information is visible and current in common areas, and that residents understand they should not use lifts in a fire event.
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Insurance and Liability Considerations
Committees should be aware that a battery fire caused by an owner or tenant's device — stored or charged in contravention of a by-law — may complicate insurance claims. Strata insurers are increasingly asking questions about building risk management practices. Proactively documenting your committee's actions (by-law reviews, inspections, communications) demonstrates due diligence and can be critical if a claim is ever disputed.
It is worth raising battery storage risk directly with your strata insurer or broker at your next renewal to understand how your current policy responds and whether any specific exclusions apply.
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Engaging Residents and Owners
No checklist works without buy-in. Send a straightforward communication to all residents that explains *why* the rules exist — not just what they are. Most people do not fully appreciate the speed and severity of a lithium-ion fire. A short, factual note (without being alarmist) that explains thermal runaway in plain terms tends to generate far better compliance than a rule alone.
Consider including battery safety in your building's welcome pack for new residents and raising it as a standing agenda item at your AGM.
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Practical Takeaway
Battery fire risk in strata buildings is growing in step with the adoption of e-mobility devices and home energy storage. The good news is that most of the risk is manageable through clear by-laws, physical controls, up-to-date essential safety measures, and straightforward resident communication. Start with the checklist above — work through it item by item, assign responsibility, and document your progress. A committee that acts now is far better placed than one that waits for an incident to prompt action.
Orveya's building management tools help strata and facilities managers track compliance tasks, maintenance schedules and documentation in one place — making risk management like this easier to stay on top of across an entire portfolio.