Deceptive conduct – Interstate Links
There are no guarantees that a deceptive and misleading conduct case against dodgy flooring sales people will get a run but at least we know that Fair Trading in NSW…
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.
Strata smokers face $5,500 fines
Smokers can be banned from puffing away inside their own homes if it affects other residents, and face fines of up to $5,500 if they don’t quit. That’s the legal…
Why your sinking fund costs you money
It used to be that, if you hadn’t squirreled away sufficient cash in your sinking fund, special levies were the only way of raising finance for big projects. But Lannock…
Out-of-date by-laws mean pet bans will stay
Dog and cat owners in apartments and townhouses need to sit and stay. It could take decades for the proposed changes to the standard by-laws to make any difference to…
Strata voting in different states
I have said many time in these pages that when you look at the different strata legislation in different parts of Australia, you could easily reach the conclusion that in…
Barry’s magic garden goes under concrete
They’re paving paradise and putting up – well, it’s not a parking lot but it’s a 60-unit apartment block with underground parking for 30 cars. An intriguing inner-city idiosyncratic garden…
Window smash leads to excess grab
A young man walks through a glass door on to his balcony. It shatters and he gets away with a few cuts. The question is, who’s responsible? “It was a…
Fines, damages and arrest threat as tenant flees noise
A battle between two landlords could see them both in court and one tenant under arrest after her constant noise has driven her downstairs neighbour out of her home. “I…
Tenant locked out of parking garage
A Sydney tenant is not allowed to let her friends park in visitors parking because, it seems, she’s only a renter. Inner City Walker wrote to Flat Chat complaining that…
Disability rort fears over hearing dog decision
A court decision allowing a “hearing assistance” dog to stay in a pet-free apartment building could lead to the strata equivalent of the disabled parking permit rort, says a leading…
Baby on board – but not on lease
QUESTION: When a baby is a new addition to a rented property, is there a legal requirement to notify the owner or property manager? Also is there a legal “duty…
Pro pets by-law a life-saver
I was buttonholed recently by Richard Holloway, one of the doyens of strata management, who hustled me into a quiet corner and said he wanted to talk to me about…