Can we handle the truth about strata?
Executive committees are a bunch of self-serving control freaks who wouldn’t know strata law from the soccer offside rule and just want to interfere in other people’s lives … or…
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.
Locking out my creepy landlord
QUESTION: I’m a young single female, and my landlord creeps me out. He ogles me a lot and I’ve been getting a feeling that he’s been in my flat while…
Wrinklies too much to bear
QUESTION: A couple on the far side of 70 renting on our ground level don’t use the blinds in their common-property-facing kitchen at all … ever … night or day.…
Renovation rules there for a reason
Reading some of the mail we get here, you’d think all by-laws are stupid, all Executive Committee members are interfering busybodies, and all owners who want to do their own…
Lawyer bashing a free kick for cowboys
Yay! Let’s go lawyer bashing. Minister for Fair Trading Anthony Roberts says he plans to curb strata lawyers who get rich by pursuing defect claims against developers. They will have…
Steamed up over grubby rug
QUESTION: We recently moved into a rental property and it was only after we had signed that we realised that carpet hadn’t been properly cleaned. We had it professionally cleaned…
Who do I pursue for unit repairs?
QUESTION: I have repairs needed on my townhouse but real estate keep saying strata need to do it and they can’t make them. One is a sliding door that doesn’t…
Take care when the caretaker takes over
Deep in the heart of strata living there’s a grubby little secret … a stain on the whole business that politicians ignore and Fair Trading and the CTTT won’t or…
Park illegally … lose your home
You would think, of all the issues that plague strata dwellers, parking would be the easiest to resolve. After all, a spot is allocated to you (or not) and you…
Who should do unit repairs?
QUESTION: I have repairs needed on my townhouse but real estate keep saying strata need to do it and they can’t make them. One is a sliding door that doesn’t…
Remote possibilities have simple solution
QUESTION: I have an air conditioner installed in my investment property. The remote control has gone missing since the property manager took the new tenant through the apartment prior to…
Dog plan barking up the right tree
Everybody has a different idea of what ‘reasonable’ means but when a by-law says that the Owners Corp can’t unreasonably refuse a request to have a pet, whose definition do…