Time we banned strata management cowboys
I was at the launch of a new strata management venture recently and one of the senior executives said to me: “You’re not as angry as you used to…
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: Short-stay concerns for stars in flats
I was wondering this week about how some of the more famous residents of apartment buildings in touristy spots might feel if the parliamentary committee looking into the holiday letting…
Minister moves to curb forced sales fears
Apartment owners forced to sell their units under new strata laws could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in a controversial West Connex style value gap, it has been claimed.…
New laws – new seminar
With the new strata laws just over the horizon, a number of strata professionals and community groups are organizing information events. The next Uber off the rank is an Owners…
How to beat strata bullies
We know all about school bullies, workplace bullies and cyberbullies, but what about StrataBullies making residents’ lives miserable in apartments blocks. They could be rogue owners determined to have their…
Roundup: Let’s hear it for strata’s unsung heroes
I was on the radio the other day and got a couple of calls from, let’s call them mature ladies, who live in small unit blocks and who have been…
How City of Sydney betrayed strata residents
It’s probably too early to gauge the effect of City of Sydney’s betrayal of apartment residents when it comes to holiday letting – but it’s somewhere between a kick in…
Forum Roundup: Forcing owners to sell easier than blocking holiday lets
I’ve been writing a lot about short-stay lets this week. The government inquiry into the “adequacy of the laws” is about to report and, as you’ll find in the story…
Law change would force strata blocks to allow Airbnb
By Jimmy Thomson Apartment buildings in NSW could be forced to accept short-term lets – including every weekend – under proposals currently being formulated by a parliamentary inquiry. And protections…
Smart green strata schemes save thousands in levies
Apartment owners in 20 blocks in Sydney are being offered the chance to save an average of $25,000 a year on their annual levies … and tackle global warming at…
Bye-bye to bad old by-laws?
Tucked away in a corner of the new strata laws is a smart-thinking provision that threatens to be a complete waste of time. Quite simply, it says all owners corporations…
Roundup: Bullies in the block
One of the fundamental problems with living in strata is the fact that we can’t get away from our neighbours and if they decide to make our lives more difficult,…