A good whinge and the power of negative thinking
Nobody likes a whinger, but in strata, sometimes it pays to stow your personal aversion to complaining. A well-timed complaint could save you a heap of grief, not to mention…
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.
Kiwi writer finds Sydney airbnb trashed
I am “sharing” this extract from a column written by the excellent David Slack in the Sunday Star Times in New Zealand. Sharing is a word we use on the…
Alarming prospects when phone lines are cut
Within 18 months of the NBN coming to your suburb, all copper wires will be disconnected … potentially leaving you without a back to base fire alarm or emergency lift…
Cheaper electricity for strata schemes that are pro Choice
I had no idea about this until a Flatchatter asked if it was real. It does sound too good to be true, I admit, but our major sponsors Strata Choice have found…
Flat Chat 600 – Still crazy after all these years
Writing a new column – on the value of a good whinge, if you must know – I noticed that this would be our 600th Flat Chat. It’s true –…
Budget strata insurance now online
One of the most contentious issues in the new strata laws that came into force in NSW last year was the question of compulsory strata insurance and commissions paid by…
Roundup: Now strata residents have three amigos
Maybe it’s coincidence, maybe it’s a cunning plan, but the two MPs who had most to do with creating and establishing our new strata laws in NSW are now, after the…
New strata laws, same old dirty tricks
Now that the holidays are out of the way, the first of the year’s AGMs will soon be upon us. That will be the first time most of us will…
Renters lose but few owners gain with Airbnb, claims Sydney Uni report
More than half the empty rental properties in Sydney’s holiday hotspots are likely to be listed on Airbnb, according to a Sydney University report cited in a plea to new…
Roundup: If you leave us, Mr Dominello, can we come too?
I was chatting the other day with the strata Minister Victor Dominello (his proper title is Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation). I realised afterwards that, now that he has…
Meet airbnb’s public enemy No 1
Airbnb is a ‘sinister force’ that hides its true business, while its popularity distorts the housing market and overly influences politicians, says the Australian who is arguably, globally, the online…
Roundup: Drones and moans
Sometimes I wonder how closely people read my stuff. I was criticised by a couple of people for my “dirty tricks” story (below) being pro-airbnb. Huh? Just because they’re dirty…