Owners left high and dry on building defects
The decision last week by Syd Fisher to put the development company behind the troubled Gazebo apartment block into liquidation has exposed one of the major problems many apartment owners…
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.
Why apartment residents love and loathe Airbnb
If there is one thing that the members and managers of owners corps both love and loathe in almost equal measure, it’s Airbnb Many of us love the online accommodation…
Strata law reforms pushed back another six months
Strata law reforms in NSW are to be delayed, yet again, with changes now not due to come into force until July next year. The plan to reform the state’s 50-year-old…
Block fans warning: DIY renovations restricted by rules and by-laws
With the Block TV show apartments having very successfully gone under the hammer, all over Australia apartment owners are looking at their walls, windows and floors and wondering if a…
Cat poo too yucky – even for parking thieves?
How far can you go when a stranger parks in your parking space? Actually, there’s two questions – what should you do and what can you do, legally? One recent…
What’s not to like about low levies?
There are many similarities between Federal and state politics and strata committees, including that if you promise people lower taxes, they will happily forget about all the services they want.…
Your bad habits that drive your neighbours nuts
The big ticket complaints in strata, like pets, parking and parties, are easy to deal with. It’s the little things that may seem inconsequential to you that drive your apartment block…
Concrete cancer seminar
SCA NSW (the strata managers organisation) is holding a seminar on concrete cancer on April 16. A press release says the seminar will cover a range of topics relating from how…
Quiz: When noise annoys
When you live in an apartment, you expect to hear sounds of life from time to time. But how much noise is too much? And what about the noise you make…
Strata (non)Party wants your votes
With the NSW election looming, we thought we’d take a look at what the various parties have planned for strata residents. First up, there’s a new strata party, although officially…
Huge support for micro-apartments as low-cost housing?
Did you notice the story about micro apartments being built as affordable housing in New York? Well, I submitted a follow-up (below) in the Herald’s online page and they ran a…
Quiz: Parking madness
Parking – along with pets and parties – is one of the perennial three P problems in strata. In this entertaining, interactive quiz, Jimmy Thomson of Flat Chat tests your…