Anti-holiday lets group gaining support
Things are getting serious down in Victoria where the We Live Here movement – set up to curb the unfettered spread of short-term lets into residential apartment blocks – has launched a…
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: Non-owner neighbour rules block
There’s a late arrival on the Flat Chat Forum this week and it’s a cracker. A committee member who isn’t even an owner and lives in the block next door…
Pet restrictions up the garden path
With slightly pet-friendlier by-laws to be included in the new strata legislation, some animal-free apartment blocks are worried that they are about to be over-run by schnoodles, spoodles and labradoodles.…
Forum roundup: Parking, pets and puffing
It seems the new strata laws can’t come soon enough for the Flat Chat faithful. Our readers have been champing at the bit this week, wanting to know when the…
Free course – become a strata guru
Ever thought you could do a better job than your strata manager? One way to find out what it takes could be to take the free course Sydney TAFE is offering …
Strata voting goes hi-tech – and old school – in new regs
Flat Chat with Jimmy Thomson A significant lurch towards strata democracy was revealed last week with proposed regulations allowing participation in meetings by people who need not be in the…
Flat Chat Live roundup
The Flat Chat column’s recent seminar, Flat Chat Live, saw somewhere north of 120 people turn up in central Sydney to hear a cavalcade of experts discuss a huge variety of issues…
Forum faves: Cat lovers persecuted by dog owner – and the psycho next door
Aaah, the wonderful world of strata. I found some old Flat Chat columns on my computer today, going back almost 12 years , and guess what? We are still talking…
Forum Roundup: Developer backs down
The Flat Chat Forum is a hotbed of debate and discussion, with everything from recalcitrant developers to DIY renovators. Here’s your instant weekly roundup of hot topics and cool advice on the…
Pool safety rules get the sitcom solution
Apartment owners in blocks with swimming pools have been thrown a lifeline. New swimming pool safety regulations, due to come in later this month, remove the proposed ban on selling…
Kids stuff: Fun and games on the Forum
The Flatchat faithful have been wrestling with a variety of topics on your behalf in the past week. As ever, there is a range of opinions; some rock solid, some wishful thinking…
A ‘wee’ noise problem keeps strata owner awake
We all have to put up with some level of neighbour noise in apartments, but it shouldn’t be anything that disturbs us or, even worse, keeps us awake at night.…