Clawbacks, shape-shifters and other off-the-plan horrors
Off-the-plan sales can be very attractive for potential owners looking to get into the property market. Depending on where you live, there are various tax benefits and grants available for…
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Roundup: Our new look and your new questions
What do you think of our new look? It’s the same Flat Chat passions (and obsessions) as far as content is concerned, only it looks a bit more modern and…
Free strata seminars for Sydney and Queensland
Ever felt like the proverbial mushroom when it comes to strata information – kept in the dark and fed you-know-what? Strata Managers of the Year, Strata Choice are about to…
Disgust and despair as Vic Labor caves in to Airbnb
Anti short-term holiday letting community members in Victoria, furious at the Labor Government there for handing their homes over to Airbnb-style holiday rentals, have vowed to make the politicians pay…
Roundup: Radio Flat Chat – listen to it right here
It’s not exactly a media frenzy but, having been on TV last week, I was on ABC radio this week – and this time, I was talking about strata living.…
Five ways do-nothing neighbours could cost you heaps
While many apartment residents complain about the decisions their strata committees make, it could be the ones they don’t make that are causing the most harm. Here are five examples…
NCAT Member rules ‘no pets’ by-laws invalid
Did you know that earlier this year a NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) Member ruled it was harsh, unconscionable and oppressive to have a by-law banning animals? Now, admittedly, this…
Roundup: Why I was on TV talking about … tunnels
Your favourite Flatchatter was on Studio 10 yesterday morning (August 1, some time after 9am) talking about … well, not strata issues, to be honest – that’s something for the…
Air-con: hot topic demands cool heads
A strata scheme not a million miles from where I sit is facing a very modern quandary – how do they deal with global warming when it gets real but…
Five things you really don’t need in your unit
What do you need in your life when you’ve kicked out the grown-up kids and you’re downsizing from your family home in the burbs to a trendy apartment in the…
When you can sue over loss of rent due to renos
We’ve had a lot of discussion recently about whether or not owners can claim compensation for things like loss of rent when renovations – either by individual owners or by…
Strata manglers … and how to get rid of them
When we started Flat Chat 15 years ago, strata managers were pretty much our Public Enemy No 1 (and we theirs, for that matter). It’s all my fault. I once…