Roundup: Logic takes a holiday in NSW as the world wakes up to “sharing” myth
I was hoping to take a holiday from typing the words ‘short-stay’ or Airbnb but I haven’t lasted 24 hours – it’s an issue that just won’t go away. While our state…
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.
Short-stay report expects us to share the pain – and pay the price
The report by the NSW parliamentary inquiry into holiday letting represents a huge win for the misnamed “sharing economy” but a devastating blow to long-term apartment residents. Duchessed by the…
Roundup: Airbnb report is in .. and it’s not good
This week’s strata news is going to be dominated by the release of the report into short-stay letting. I’ll let you wait until Wednesday when all will be revealed (in…
Double trouble for by-law breachers
If you are one of the many people who think that strata by-laws are just a bunch of blah and the new laws don’t really affect you (mainly because you…
Forum Roundup: sorting out the strataphobes
Sometimes you have an idea that is so brilliantly simple you know it doesn’t have a snowball’s chance of ever seeing the light of day. I was thinking the other…
City cracks down on holiday let tax dodgers
Another major tourist destination has joined the growing list of world cities cracking down on internet-based holiday letting hosts and their online agencies – like Airbnb and Stayz – saying…
‘Name and shame’ file draws rental agent anger
Did you know that NSW Fair Trading has started naming and shaming bad operators? For two months now there has been a list on its website of businesses that have…
Forum Roundup – 80 percent fail quiz pet poser
By the time you read this, the quiz I set on the new strata laws (below) will have been attempted by 4,500 readers. And it has thrown up some surprising…
New strata laws hammer DIY renos
As new strata laws free up the regulations on renovations, can we expect a fresh wave of ‘DIY-itis’ in our apartment blocks? Maybe the opposite is true. New definitions of…
QUIZ: 20 questions on the new strata laws
The new strata laws for NSW are are only two months away. So what’s changed? If you think “not much” you could be in for a rude shock. Have a go…
Roundup: Law and order – strata style
You’ve probably heard that the new strata laws will do away with the silly rule that meant, strictly speaking, you had to get a special resolution by-law to hammer a nail…
Fast-tracked strata disputes first go in-house
Dispute resolution in NSW strata schemes is about to get a lot easier. Whether it will be better remains to be seen. Under the new strata laws, due to…