Grease, mould and a slippery agent
QUESTION: During inspection the agent said mould and grease would be cleaned, but when we moved in, nothing has been done about it. Can I put it into a repair…
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.
Dirty looks for nude cleaner
QUESTION: I have a weird one. I work from home and where I sit at my desk I can see into a flat across the courtyard from me. Now I’m…
Fatal flaws in floating floors
QUESTION: We are looking to replace our badly worn 20-year-old carpet and are considering a floating bamboo floor, but I’m very much aware of the possible noise issues. I have…
Votes for tenants
In the many, many possible changes mooted in the proposed revamp of the strata laws, one is the idea of giving long-term tenants a say in the running of the…
It’s showtime as Flat Chat goes live
In three weeks time we will be publishing the 400th Flat Chat column and we’ve been trying to think of a way of celebrating the event (and commiserating collectively with…
Tenants parking badly – blame the landlords?
QUESTION: A tenant in our block has to appear before the CTTT about one of her sub-tenants parking in the visitor spaces; her unit has more car-owning occupants than parking…
Your rights – use them or lose them
We hear lots of stories about over-zealous executive committee members who go too far, but what about EC s that do nothing. One Flat Chat StrataGuru finds himself with an…
Who pays when plants are in the way
QUESTION: The balcony on my (rented) unit needs to be ripped up, re-waterproofed and retiled. There are a lot of very heavy and large pot plants and outdoor furniture on the balcony…
Tenants: ‘You’re not the boss of me’
QUESTION: The Executive Committee wants to communicate with tenants and tell them of “duties” that they should be participating in – like rubbish removal etc. I don’t agree with EC…
Does my perfect pooch need a ticket to reside?
QUESTION: I currently have a small dog in a leased apartment and have had no issues with the real estate, body corporate or any neighbours. I’m wondering what the repercussions…
Building anger over rogue tradies
QUESTION: In my strata plan the EC is using unlicensed tradespeople to carry repairs of more than $20k. When questioned they have a “so what” attitude. They also now claim…
Verbal leases are all talk
A recent survey revealed that nearly 30 percent of renters in Australia don’t have written leases. It seems high and you wonder if it includes tenants who have allowed their…