Yes, but only under two conditions: the unit entry must not be a fire doorset that your installation would compromise, and your owners corporation must approve the work. Most refusals happen when owners skip the paperwork stage. Before ordering anything, confirm whether your front door is fire rated and build a proposal that answers the committee’s safety questions before they ask them, including the important condo security checks buyers should ask.
TL;DR:
- Security doors must be installed with certification from AS 5039.1 and AS 5039.2 standards before approval, especially if the entry is fire rated.
- Retrofitting heavy security screens onto fire doors can void the building’s fire safety certification if fixings penetrate the tested assembly.
- A well-documented proposal, including compliance certificates and expert notes, significantly improves chances of approval from your owners corporation.
- Most refusals occur due to missing or unclear fire safety documentation, not aesthetic concerns, making early certification checks crucial.
- Professional installation with compliant fixings and prior APFS or fire engineer assessment is necessary to maintain fire door status and pass compliance reviews.
Table of Contents
- Which doors are fire doors and why it matters for body corporate security doors
- What AS 5039 and AS 1905.1 actually require
- How do you get body corporate approval for a security door?
- What installation features actually keep you compliant?
- If the committee refuses: what are your options?
- How reputable suppliers and fire practitioners handle these installations
- Why most owners get this backwards
- Getting a compliant security door sorted without the back and forth
- Sources
- FAQ
Which doors are fire doors and why it matters for body corporate security doors
A fire doorset is not just the timber slab you walk through. It’s an engineered assembly: the door leaf, the frame, intumescent seals, hinges, and door closer—all tested together as one unit under AS 1905.1. Change one part, and the whole assembly can lose its rating.
That’s the core problem with retrofitting a security door onto a strata unit entry. Screw a heavy-gauge screen into the jamb without checking what’s underneath, and you may have just voided the certification that keeps the building’s Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS) valid. A single non-compliant entry can hold up certification for the entire scheme, which is exactly why fire practitioners and building managers tend to take a conservative line.
Committees typically check for:
- Whether the door leaf and frame carry a fire rating (often stamped on the hinge edge or door tag)
- Whether the proposed addition interferes with the self-closing device or latch
- Whether the new door swings into a corridor, obstructing egress or firefighter access
- Whether fixings penetrate the door’s core or frame reinforcement zones
Firefighter access is the other half of the equation. Emergency crews need predictable, fast entry to every unit. A second locked door, especially one with a different key system, adds a barrier that fire services are wary of approving without good reason.
What AS 5039 and AS 1905.1 actually require
Two standards do the heavy lifting here, and knowing them by name gives your proposal instant credibility with a committee.
AS 5039.1:2023 sets the performance benchmarks for security door and window screens across Class 1 to Class 10 buildings, covering hinged, sliding, folding, and fixed screens and how much forced entry they must resist. AS 5039.2:2024 governs how those screens get installed, including face fitting rules that avoid drilling into structural or fire-rated elements. Then there’s AS 1905.1, the fire doorset standard, which is the one that actually governs whether you can touch the entry door at all.
Pro Tip: Ask your supplier for the AS 5039.1 and AS 5039.2 compliance certificates upfront, not after manufacture. A committee is far more likely to approve a proposal that already answers the “is it certified?” question.
A few things worth citing directly in any application:
- AS 5039.1 covers product performance, not installation, so a compliant screen still needs a compliant fit
- AS 5039.2 specifies face fitting methods that reduce the risk of compromising a fire-rated frame
- Neither standard overrides AS 1905.1 where the entry door is a certified fire doorset
Fire authorities in New South Wales generally recommend against heavy security doors fitted in front of fire doors, favouring simpler single-locking-point screen doors that don’t interfere with the existing assembly.
How do you get body corporate approval for a security door?
Most committees aren’t against security doors on principle. They’re against unreviewed installations that create liability. The fix is a proposal that does the committee’s risk assessment for them.
- Work out who decides. Check your scheme’s by-laws. Some approvals sit with the committee, others need a general meeting or special resolution, particularly if the by-laws already regulate entry alterations.
- Gather your documents. Include AS 5039.1 and AS 5039.2 compliance certificates, your installer’s licence, and if the entry is fire rated, a written note from an accredited practitioner in fire safety (APFS) or fire engineer confirming the design won’t compromise the doorset.
- Address objections before they’re raised. Provide colour samples and hardware finishes so aesthetics don’t become the sticking point, and explain how the door preserves self-closing and latching function.
- Clarify who pays. Owners generally cover the cost of their own installation, but if remedial work is needed to restore a compromised fire door, that liability should be settled in writing before work starts.
Our step-by-step compliance checklist walks through exactly what to include in that documentation pack. Expect four to eight weeks between lodging a complete application and getting a committee decision, longer if a general meeting is required.
What installation features actually keep you compliant?
The product matters less than how it’s fitted. A fully AS 5039 compliant screen door installed with fixings through a fire-rated jamb can still fail an APFS review, while a well-documented, professionally fitted door with the right features sails through.
Features fire practitioners look for:
- A single locking point, which NSW fire authorities prefer over multi-point locking systems because it simplifies emergency access
- A self-closing device that still functions correctly once the new door is attached
- Non-combustible fixings that avoid penetrating the door core or frame reinforcement zones
- Face-fixing or independent jamb mounting methods, which some installers use specifically to avoid drilling into the tested assembly
On the installer side, accredited tradespeople should test the finished setup properly. Fortifire’s guidance recommends a simple check: hold the main fire door open, activate the added hardware, then release the door. It should close and latch every time, with no interference. If your entry is fire rated, get an APFS assessment before manufacture starts, not after installation. Our installation guide covers the fitting techniques that preserve a fire-rated frame.
| Consideration | What to check |
|---|---|
| Locking | Single locking point where entry is fire rated |
| Closing device | Confirmed functional after installation |
| Fixings | Non-combustible, avoid core/frame drilling |
| Sign-off | APFS or fire engineer note for fire-rated entries |
Custom-made compliant doors typically run several weeks from measure to install once documentation and committee approval are sorted. Our pricing guide covers what affects the final cost.
If the committee refuses: what are your options?
Refusal isn’t always the end of the road, but it does need to be handled carefully. A committee acts unreasonably when it refuses without engaging with the professional evidence you’ve provided, or when it applies a blanket “no” without considering your specific proposal.
- Revisit the proposal first. If the refusal cites a genuine fire-safety concern, get an APFS or fire engineer to respond directly to that concern rather than resubmitting the same application.
- Try mediation through the strata manager. Many disputes resolve at this stage once both sides see the professional documentation side by side.
- Escalate to the relevant tribunal if needed. Tribunal decisions have overturned owners corporation refusals where owners presented solid compliance evidence and the refusal was found unreasonable. In most states this means NCAT, QCAT, or your local equivalent.
- Keep records of everything. Correspondence, certificates, and committee minutes all matter if a tribunal application becomes necessary, and tribunal fees and preparation time should factor into your decision to escalate.
How reputable suppliers and fire practitioners handle these installations
A supplier that’s done this before doesn’t just sell you a door. They document compliance from the start, coordinate with your committee, and loop in an APFS when the entry is fire rated. Good installers favour face-fixing methods and independent mounts that leave the door’s self-closing device untouched, and they treat “key stays in the lock” as standard for emergency access, not an afterthought.
The usual project flow runs: site measure, proposal pack with certificates and samples, committee liaison, manufacture, APFS coordination where required, then install. Skipping the middle steps is how owners end up removing a perfectly good door six months after installing it, because a fire contractor passed the screen as compliant but later flagged egress concerns that should have been caught earlier.
Why most owners get this backwards
The conventional advice tells owners to pick a door first, then seek approval. That order is precisely why so many applications stall or get rejected. A committee facing an undocumented request has every incentive to say no. Refusing something with unclear fire-safety implications is the lower-risk decision for them, even if it’s frustrating for the owner.
What the evidence in this guide actually supports is the reverse sequence: confirm fire-door status first, get an APFS opinion if the entry is rated, then choose a product that already fits within that answer. Owners who do this rarely need to touch a tribunal, because the paperwork carries the argument for them.
The other overrated piece of advice is treating aesthetics as the main hurdle. Colour and finish rarely sink an application. Vague or missing fire-safety documentation does. If you take one thing from this guide, prioritise the APFS conversation over the showroom visit. It changes the entire trajectory of your approval.
— MYBMC
Getting a compliant security door sorted without the back and forth
A reputable supplier is a practical alternative to piecing this together yourself. Instead of ordering a door, then discovering it conflicts with your fire-rated frame, they build the compliance documentation into the process from the first site visit, covering AS 5039.1 and AS 5039.2 certification, installer licensing, and APFS liaison where your entry needs it.
A consultation typically includes a site measure, hardware and colour samples, and a paperwork pack your committee can review without chasing you for missing details. Manufacturers may offer products made from aluminium, steel, and stainless steel, providing finishes suited to various building entries, whether heritage facades or modern blocks. Browse the full door range or, if you’re in Melbourne, book a site consultation and quote to get your proposal pack moving before your next committee meeting.
Sources
- AS 5039.1:2023 — Security door and window screens, Part 1: Classification and performance
- Security doors in front of fire doors. NSW guidance (SFSU Guide sheet 7)
- Information Bulletin 10 — Fire doors in Class 2 buildings (Fortifire)
FAQ
How Much Does a Security Door Cost?
Costs vary by material, size, and hardware, and custom-made compliant doors typically take several weeks from measure to install. Our pricing guide breaks down what drives the final figure.
Does My Owners Corporation Have to Approve My Security Door?
Not automatically. Approval usually sits with the committee or a general meeting depending on your by-laws, and refusal is only challengeable at tribunal when it’s genuinely unreasonable given the evidence provided.
What Happens If My Front Door Is a Fire Door?
Any addition must preserve the self-closing device, latching function, and structural integrity of the tested assembly. Get an APFS or fire engineer’s written assessment before manufacture, not after installation.
Can I Install a Security Door Myself?
Body corporate schemes generally require professional installation with proper certification, since an incorrectly fitted door can compromise fire-door status and expose you to remedial costs. Accredited installers also provide the paperwork your committee will ask for.