Interest rates down, tenants pets rights up
Hold onto your by-laws—two big shifts just hit the strata world. Interest rates came down and new tenancy rights came into effect. Pets and payments can no longer be ignored.
Strata pets
There was a time in strata blocks when “no pets” was the default rule for apartment residents.
When the model by-laws in various states changed to allow residents to apply for permission to keep pets, which could not be unreasonably refused, “we have never allowed pets” was considered to be a reasonabe reason for refusal.
But times have changed and that is no longer the case, as you will read in these posts.
NB: Some of the stories in these pages go a long way back – check the dates as the laws may have changed. Also references to pets may be part of a larger story.
Pets and fee-free rents in tenancy law reforms
The NSW government is to introduce a suite of measures to make life better for tenants, who comprise more than half of the residents of strata in the state, including…
Forum: Are no-pets by-laws back by stealth?
Here’s a blast from the past: A Flatchatter is thinking of buying into a strata villa and has discovered it has a “no pets” by-law. “Weren’t they outlawed after the…
We’re Back – Lawyer in the Hotseat returns
Back by popular demand, join JimmyT as he fires questions that are both curly and sometimes quirky, but always informative, at David Bannerman, principal of Bannermans Lawyers. Kicking off at 3.30…
How to have a party without being an animal
Every Christmas and New Year party season we remind apartment residents about the steps you can take to have a great time without ruining everyone else’s “peaceful enjoyment” of their…
Heat is on for our furry friends this summer
Hot days are on the horizon and while we’re breaking out the short sleeves, cottons and linens, our four legged buddies have limited options to keep their cool. Hopefully you…
All the strata law changes detailed and explained
Last week we touched on some of the proposed amendments to the NSW strata schemes Act, admittedly focussing on the “sexier” stuff like removal of barriers to pet ownership. But…
Forum: New flatmate peeved by pet pee pong
An unusual issue has cropped up this week and it has a surprisingly simple solution … or it would be if finding somewhere to rent in our cities wasn’t so…
Podcast: Petinos, pets and petty squabbles
There we were, all set with a podcast on David Chandler’s resignation in the can, when we heard that NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet had invited Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos…
Refusal to allow second Frenchie challenged
Does gaining permission for one dog in a strata scheme mean you should automatically be allowed a second pooch? And does a by-law allowing permission to keep “an animal” mean…
Podcasts: Your top ten pods of the year
It’s all very well to be gallivanting around the Scottish Highlands, hiking from B&B to B&B (traditional ones, not Airbnbs) but it’s not exactly conducive to recording a podcast. We…
Podcast: Lawyer in the Hot Seat, part 2
Welcome to the second part of Lawyer In The Hot Seat, in which strata lawyer (and Flat Chat sponsor) David Bannerman invited us on to his webinar. This week, Jimmy…