Bespoke will drafting for unit owners and renters
A will that deals with a strata-titled unit, super, insurance and personal effects, and says who takes what and who manages any rental.
Wills & estates · Sunshine Coast
Wills & Estate Lawyer Mooloolaba
The highest share of apartments on this coast, the highest rental rate in the group, and a body corporate that has its own rules for who can own and what can be done with a unit.
Mooloolaba has the highest share of flats and apartments of any locality we cover, 47.6% of dwellings at the 2021 Census, and the highest rental rate in this group at 41.5%. Median age is 44, 51.4% of households are couples without children, and 32.8% of dwellings are owned outright. A wills and estate lawyer Mooloolaba unit owners and renters rely on plans around a strata-titled home, a body corporate and a tenancy, not just a title. The first conversation is free.
A unit in a body corporate carries obligations a house does not: levies that can attach to the property as a debt, by-laws that bind whoever inherits, and a transfer that runs through the scheme's own records. For renters, the will's main job is directing super, insurance and personal effects. For unit owners who rent their unit out, the tenancy and the management arrangement also need to be dealt with, so the executor knows whether to keep it, sell it or wind it up.
First consultationFree and confidential
FeesFull fee quoted before drafting starts
WhereBirtinya office, by appointment
Why Mooloolaba Residents Choose Catton Roderick
Our Birtinya office is a short drive from Mooloolaba, and appointments are booked for a full review of a unit, a body corporate and a tenancy where those apply. Dr Darren Catton, the firm's principal, handles each wills matter personally. He holds a Doctorate of Juridical Science from QUT, carries the TEP designation for specialist trust and estate practitioners, and sits on the Queensland Law Society's Property Law committee. The firm states he has practised Queensland estate law for more than 30 years.
- Strata-titled units planned properly, including body corporate levies and by-laws that bind the next owner.
- Tenancies and rental management checked, so the executor knows the options.
- Free, confidential first consultation, full fee quoted before drafting.
- Executor guidance covering a unit sale or transfer, in writing.
- Signed originals stored securely, with a copy for your records.
Our Wills and Estate Services for Mooloolaba
Where a unit is held in a company or trust, our commercial law team can assist alongside the estate planning. Enduring powers of attorney and probate are described here as general Queensland law only.
Estate planning for a unit or investment property
Deciding whether a unit is kept and let, sold and divided, or passed to one beneficiary with the others equalised.
Executor selection, with written guidance
Choosing someone able to deal with a body corporate, a tenancy and a sale, and setting out those steps in writing.
Family provision claims (Queensland)
How Queensland law treats claims by a spouse, child or dependant, relevant where a unit is the main asset in dispute.
What Mooloolaba's Apartment Living Changes About Your Will
Mooloolaba has 8,202 residents, a median age of 44, and median household income of $1,506 a week. Housing is 47.6% flats or apartments, 38.5% separate houses and 11.6% townhouses, the most apartment-heavy profile in this group. Tenure is 32.8% owned outright, 23.2% mortgaged and 41.5% rented. Professionals (22.0%), community and personal service workers (14.1%) and technicians and trades (13.9%) lead the workforce, with hospitals, cafes and restaurants and aged care the largest local industries. Median rent is $400 a week.
Apartment living combines the body corporate issues of a unit with a rental population, so many estates here include a unit that is let out, or a tenancy that continues after the owner dies. The will has to deal with both: who inherits the unit, how any tenancy is managed in the meantime, and whether the property is kept or sold.
Areas We Serve
We act as a wills and estate lawyer for Mooloolaba and the surrounding Sunshine Coast localities, from the Birtinya office:
Our Birtinya office, address and hours · Book a free consultation
FAQs
I rent my unit out. What happens to the tenancy if I die?
The tenancy generally continues with the property, and the executor needs to manage it or end it lawfully. A will should say whether the unit is kept and let, sold, or passed on, and who handles the management in the meantime.
Do body corporate levies come out of the estate?
Outstanding levies are a debt against the unit, so they are settled from the estate on transfer. We check the scheme's current position before drafting, so the executor is not surprised.
Can a beneficiary change the unit's rental arrangements?
Only within the body corporate's by-laws, which bind whoever owns the unit. We look at the by-laws as part of the estate planning for a Mooloolaba unit.
I'm a renter, not an owner. Do I need a will?
Yes. Super, insurance, savings and personal effects still need direction, and a will is where you name a guardian for any children under 18.
What does a will cost?
It depends on the estate, including whether there is a unit or investment property. The first consultation is free, and the full fee is quoted before work starts.
Mooloolaba, and How to Reach Us
Mooloolaba sits on the Sunshine Coast's coastal waterfront, in the Sunshine Coast Council area, beside the Mooloolaba Esplanade and the harbour. It has grown into the coast's most apartment-heavy suburb, with a busy waterfront and a large rental market. Today it is home to 8,202 people with a median age of 44.
Catton Roderick Lawyers
| Business | Catton Roderick Lawyers |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1300 673 792 |
| info@cattonroderick.com.au | |
| Office | Regatta 1 Business Centre, 2 Innovation Parkway, Birtinya QLD 4575 (by appointment) |
| Other offices | Unit 3, 9 East Street, Caboolture QLD 4510 (Mon–Fri 9–5) · Level 1, 133 Redcliffe Parade, Redcliffe QLD 4020 (Tue–Fri 9–5) |
| Serving | Mooloolaba, Dicky Beach, Currimundi, Buddina, Minyama and the wider Sunshine Coast |
We do not have a Mooloolaba office. Mooloolaba clients are seen at our Birtinya office by appointment.