Still seeing that damned barking chihuaua?
Are you getting frustrated because every time you log on to Flat Chat you just go to the same page with the same old stories, including one about an incessantly…
Past Posts
These posts go all the way back to the raw versions of my Flat Chat columns for the Sydney Morning Herald’s Domain section over th e past 15 years. Some of the issues are specific to New South Wales, some are universal. There will almost certainly be differences in strata law between NSW and other states and countries and the laws have changed over that timespan too.
If you have a serious problem, contact the agencies (in Australia) listed in our contacts sections. Or contact a properly qualified and experienced strata lawyer. These columns should not be regarded as a substitute for professional legal advice.
Roundup – even from a distance, cladding plan looks thin
Greetings from Cambodia! OK, the picture above is from the centre of Saigon but we stopped off for a few days on our way to Angkor Wat. Anyway, how would…
Podcast: Ep 3 of the Wrap looks at buying and selling
Is this the best time to buy an new apartment or just the worst time to sell? And what you should look out for in offers that seem to be…
Business booms in blocking illegal Airbnbs
What would most Flatchatters change first about their apartment blocks if they had three magic wishes? Make it harder for people to let out their entire flat through Airbnb, was…
New hope for high-rises hijacked by criminals
I was chatting to a colleague the other day who’s just back from South Africa and she was telling me about an area of Johannesburg that experienced apartment dwellers’ worst…
Sydney blocks save $1m in smart green apartment scheme
The City of Sydney’s popular smart green apartments program – which last year helped 20 unit blocks save an average of $57,000 off their annual power bills – is now…
Airbnb battle moves to Queensland … and Edinburgh
The debate over the spread of short-term holiday lets and the restriction on it – or lack of them – has quietened down a little in NSW with the announcement…
Shock of the new – is your block ready for electric cars?
You’ve probably seen them in your car park; power points on the odd pillar or wall and a cable snaking off towards the bonnet of a car, where it’s attached…
Live where you love, buy where you can afford
There are few feelings of financial disappointment greater than scrimping and saving (not to mention begging and borrowing) for a deposit only to see the prospects of living where you…
How the cost of hard floors can go through the ceiling
When you live in a concrete and glass tower, putting down a timber floor can have a softening, humanising effect. On the other hand, tiles are more durable and easier to…
Roundup: Who will stand up to the holiday letting liars?
The evidence is stacking up that Airbnb and the other short-term letting agencies have persuaded the majority of our MPs that they should be allowed to operate unhindered by any concern for what they…
Strata owners fear insurance bills as much as cladding fires
By Sue Williams Apartment owners whose buildings are covered with inflammable cladding are living in as much fear of insurance hikes as they are of fires, says a leading strata…