How City of Sydney betrayed strata residents
It’s probably too early to gauge the effect of City of Sydney’s betrayal of apartment residents when it comes to holiday letting – but it’s somewhere between a kick in…
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Forum Roundup: Forcing owners to sell easier than blocking holiday lets
I’ve been writing a lot about short-stay lets this week. The government inquiry into the “adequacy of the laws” is about to report and, as you’ll find in the story…
Law change would force strata blocks to allow Airbnb
By Jimmy Thomson Apartment buildings in NSW could be forced to accept short-term lets – including every weekend – under proposals currently being formulated by a parliamentary inquiry. And protections…
Smart green strata schemes save thousands in levies
Apartment owners in 20 blocks in Sydney are being offered the chance to save an average of $25,000 a year on their annual levies … and tackle global warming at…
Bye-bye to bad old by-laws?
Tucked away in a corner of the new strata laws is a smart-thinking provision that threatens to be a complete waste of time. Quite simply, it says all owners corporations…
Roundup: Bullies in the block
One of the fundamental problems with living in strata is the fact that we can’t get away from our neighbours and if they decide to make our lives more difficult,…
Out of luck when strata by-laws ban pets
In all the kerfuffle over the new strata regulations, pet by-laws predictably got their fair share of column inches, internet clicks and confusion. To be clear, there are two new…
Roundup: Different strokes for strata folks
It’s been a big week here in StrataLand, with the release of the regulations to go along with the new NSW strata laws that are due to come in on November 30…
The trouble with tenants (it’s us)
There are two major problems with tenants. Firstly, we treat them with contempt and disdain and then wonder why some of them – a tiny minority – behave badly. Then…
Strata regs: The legals have landed
The new strata regulations are with us and it is interesting to see what kind of flesh they have put on the bones of the impending strata law reforms. Regulations are…
Roundup: Fear and loathing on the Forum
The Forum has been busy this week with a variety of questions: straight, curly and occasionally just a little bit crazy. What do you do when your committee ignores an…
Tenants Union hits 40
Over the past few years, we have been grateful to Tenants Union for the advice offered on their website. We haven’t always agreed on everything but we’re glad they’re around.…