There’s a growing rumble of discontent among strata owners who want to do the right thing but find it comes at a substantial price – sometimes doubling or trebling the cost of relatively simple jobs.
In the case raised in the forum, all the owners want to do is to fix the waterproofing in damaged or worn-out areas, or simply get it done right in, for instance, bathroom renovations.
Now, to be clear, waterproofing is one of the key areas targeted by NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler in his efforts to raise building standards in the state.
Waterproofing is, and has been for decades, one area of building where sloppy work and lack of oversight has consistently caused problems for strata owners and owners corps.
Making matters worse, significant flaws can be hidden until the damage has been done and the original builder has sailed off into the distance (or a cloud of smoke from their phoenix scheme).
To fix this, among other issues, the Design and Building Practitioners Act and associated Regulations were brought in to ensure that only properly certified tradespeople could perform and certify specified work.
The result, says more than one Flatchatter, is that the costs of what should be fairly simple work have shot up. You can read why HERE.
Elsewhere on the Forum
- Can the owners corp rip up an access driveway, blocking in cars, with only four days’ notice? That’s HERE.
- Can I stop owners from planting a garden that will block my light? That’s HERE.
- Who pays to replace cracked tiles on a common property bathroom wall? That’s HERE.
- Is it true that you can separate common property repairs for just some owners? That’s HERE.
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