The new broom sweeping through the Office of Fair Trading has not only brushed up strata law but has scrubbed up its website too.
If you can find it – the easiest way is to Google “NSW Fair Trading Strata” – you’ll discover all the information has been organised in a more logical fashion. For instance, material on buying off the plan is now right there beside other strata stuff, where it belongs, rather than being buried away in the building section.
Still lacking, however, is a clear step by step suggestion of what to do when you have a problem. The information is there, true, but in the same “fact sheets” it’s had for years.
A simple “if that doesn’t work, do this” instant guide would be a big help, especially since it seems more people than ever are taking an interest in what’s going on in their buildings.
Maybe it’s a result of the impending strata law changes or perhaps it’s just a symptom of more people owning and living in apartments and giving a damn, but the number of emails to this column has increased dramatically in the past few weeks.
Many of your questions have already been covered here so you could take a look my (also recently revamped) website www.flatchat.com.au which now has a searchable database of previous columns.