Dish the data … save the planet … win $200
Did you know that, despite the fact that we share a lot of services, apartment blocks tend to be less right-on than stand-alone houses when it comes to the environment?…
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.
Politicians and the myth of the vomiting bridesmaid
Airbnb and the battle for your blocks: Part 3 Last week Jimmy Thomson looked at the appeal of “free money” and the push to allow holiday rentals to have greater access…
Monster utes – it’s not the width, it’s the length
Have you noticed a lot of giant ‘crew cab’ utes around recently? Those big four-door 4WDs with a short cargo tray tacked on the back? Australians bought more than…
Roundup: Space invading giant utes all the rage
Is it getting a bit squeezy in your car park? If it isn’t it soon will be. The biggest selling vehicle in Australia last year was the giant Toyota Hilux…
Airbnb: Free Money and Castles in the Air
Airbnb and the battle for your block: Part 2 Last week Jimmy Thomson looked at the growth of Airbnb and the opportunity and potential threats it presents to apartment residents.…
Landlord bashing ‘doing more harm than good’
Landlord-bashing by tenant support groups is doing renters more harm than good, says an organisation of property investors, hitting back at a report that revealed many tenants were too scared…
Fight for the right to ban holiday lets taken to the top
“How often in any politician’s career does he or she get to effect tangible and significant social change?” That was what Planning Minister Anthony Roberts asked me back in 2013…
Roundup: Back in print and raring to go
Wot? No Flat Chat? Where have you gone? Why was there no print edition of the column? This weekend saw the launch of the shiny new half-property, half-lifestyle Domain magazine,…
Renters v landlords: have-nots and have-lots
The recent revelations that rentersvare too scared to complain about problems in their units should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever rented a house or flat in…
Queensland closer to adopting forced sales laws
Queensland unit owners could soon join their counterparts in NSW in being forced to sell their homes against their will if 75 percent of the neighbours in their block agree.…
Roundup: A little update goes a long way
With the recent changes in strata laws, we realised a lot of our information needed an update, links were broken and there are new answers to old questions, so this…
Airbnb feelgood factor crimped by $415,000 fines
Just hours after Airbnb polished their sharing and caring image with a pro-refugee ad during yesterday’s Superbowl TV broadcast in America last week, a city council has punched a $415,000…