Apartment owners will be slugged up to $60,000 each to fix dangerous cladding, after a court ruled the building watchdog could not force builders to repair apartment blocks once residents are able to move in.

Following estimates that there are up to 1400 apartment towers, hotels and offices in Victoria with non-compliant cladding, the Strata Community Association says the cost of removing unsafe cladding will range from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.

The exterior of 673 La Trobe Street. Credit:Chris Hopkins

The association's chief executive, Erik Adriaanse​, said taxpayers should foot the bill for the construction crisis rather than leave owners to pay tens of thousands of dollars each.

"It is an unacceptable outcome for owners to have to decide between crippling themselves financially and making their buildings safe apartment buildings," he said.