The day Airbnb came round to complain
About two years ago, I got a phone call from two of my editors at the Sydney Morning Herald. I should say “former editors” – none of us work there…
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On TV pouring cold water on the flammable cladding controversy
The fire earlier this month (February 2019) on the outside of the Neo200 building in Melbourne conveniently coincided with a meeting of state and federal government ministers at which it…
‘Perfect storm’ of flaws caused cracks in Opal Tower, says report
A combination of flaws in design, faulty pre-fabrication and inadequate installation of the pre-fabricated walls, plus damage to critical building elements by work done during construction, led to the cracking…
Flat Chat Wrap #13 – On air with James Valentine and more from Alex Greenwich
Talking off-the-plan purchases and defects – plus your calls – with James Valentine. And why Sydney MP Alex Greenwich thinks Airbnb is bad for Sydney renters, and Mark Latham will…
Roundup: I’m being stalked by a creepy neighbour
Every so often someone sends a post to the Flat Cat Forum and it touches a surprising nerve. This week, a Flatchatter asked what she could do about a stalker…
Podcast: On radio with James Valentine and more from Alex Greenwich
Chatting with James Valentine on air the other day, I was suddenly aware of how immune (or is it inured?) one can become to the idiocies of strata living. James…
New strata service bridges gap to professional advice
This week we welcome our new sponsors Strata Answers, a service that’s set up to bridge the gap between free advice like Flat Chat, and the full-fare professional services offered…
Strata defect laws need an injection of Fair Go
With Sydney Olympic Park’s Opal building crumbling on one side, and buildings in Melbourne going up in flames on the other, NSW Better Regulation Minister Matt Kean had to do…
Posh party animals trash Airbnb rental as holiday lets face global curbs
While local residents in Byron Bay have been offered the prospect of some respite from the incursion of holiday letting agencies into residential homes, it seems no one is immune…
Flat Chat Wrap #12 – The ups and downs of apartment living with Sydney MP Alex Greenwich
Talking apartments, Airbnb, pets, the Opal, defects, cladding and all things apartment related with Sydney MP Alex Greenwich
Roundup: How Byron Bay got an Airbnb bypass
You may not have noticed, but the NSW government on Monday seriously modified its “come on down” attitude to holiday lets in the state – at least as far as…
Podcast: Parliamentary panic behind short-term letting U-turn
This week our podcast is given over to an extended chat with NSW Independent MP for Sydney, Alex Greenwich. I’ve come across many politicians in this game. Most have been…