The first-time home owners honeytrap
I don’t normally post my own editorials in the Forum but I thought I’d give everyone an opportunity to kick this one around since it got quite a reaction radio…
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.
Trapped in flats with no lift
QUESTION: I rent in a five-story block and the elevator has been out of service for over three days. I have contacted the service provider who says they can’t repair…
Barking up the wrong tree
Nothing gets strata residents’ goat quite like pets … or pet haters. Recently we received a note from a reader who’s been issued with a Notice To Comply by his…
Floods of tears
QUESTION: My apartment was flooded when a guest left a tap on just before we went out. I received a call from my rental agent informing me there was water…
Water on the brain
QUESTION: I have a ground-floor unit and the two units above me have a balcony set back more than a metre from mine. This means that all the water, both…
Giggling girls no laughing matter
Girls nights in are driving a couple of our readers out. Every other weekend the party girl downstairs invites friends around and they sit on her balcony having a great…
The downside of extending up
Extending into to roof space of your unit block, as featured in Domain recently, seems like a good idea. But is it too good to be true? QUESTION: I am…
In a jam over jammies
QUESTION: I work from home and I like to wander down to collect my mail in my pyjamas – snuggly jim-jams that cover me from slippers to chin and have…
Shock, horror – Half of us are happy!
Forget the headlines about defects, pets, parking and underpants drying on balconies, the biggest news to come out of the new study into strata living is … drum roll ……
Parking ‘visitor’ problem won’t go away
Visitors come and go but parking is a strata problem that just won’t go away. QUESTION: Can you please define what a ‘visitor’ is? We have someone living in one…
Creepy Landlord: The Sequel
Our Rental Rant a couple of weeks ago about changing locks to keep out a ‘creepy’ landlord stirred up a lot of comments on the online version of the Herald.…
Owner making all the wrong noises
QUESTION: My neighbour plays loud music late at night and when I complained he said I’m a tenant, he’s an owner so that’s tough on me. I asked the secretary…