Sirius reno to polish Sydney’s rough diamond
Work has finally started on one of Sydney’s most loved – and loathed – buildings, reconfiguring the 1970s Housing Commission block Sirius at The Rocks into a luxury apartment complex…
Podcast: Is it OK to block access to email addresses?
In the latest Flat Chat Wrap, listeners (and readers) get a preview of this week’s Fin Review column which will examine the issue of access to other owners’ email addresses.…
Now tenants can get rent relief compo for landlords
Tenants whose income has been hit hardest by Covid-19 lockdowns of the past few months can now apply directly to compensate landlords who reduced their rents by up to $4500.…
Where to get help when confusion turns to conflict
As more and more Australians move into apartment blocks, three distinct tribes are beginning to emerge. There are the young first-timers, who have never owned an apartment or any property…
You called her what!?! Top pet names of 2021
It’s that time of year again when Pet Insurance Australia announces the top trending pet names of 2021. With some classic favourites and some great new names making this year’s…
Forum: Chihuahua driving neighbour barking mad
There can be few things worse in strata that finding yourself living next door to an incessantly yapping dog. Actually, there is: living next door to an incessantly yapping dog…
Podcast: Hit list for new property commissioner
In the same week that we get a new property services commissioner in NSW we hear that the first building construction certifier in NSW has been been sin-binned for a…
Airbnb info government doesn’t want to know
There is a significant question missing from the form that operators of short term rental accommodation now have to complete in NSW. The online Airbnb (to give it its street…
New property commish: first job, build bridges
The NSW Government has appointed the state’s first Property Services Commissioner in a move that it says “will herald a new era of trust and engagement between the real estate…
Webinar: Flooded with queries on waterproofing
One of the more fascinating facts to emerge from Building Commissioner David Chandler’s discussions about the two recent surveys revealing the number and extent of defects in new buildings was…
How to build a 3D ‘twin’ of your flat on your phone
Imagine you want to showcase your home for sale or rent to people who aren’t just a couple of suburbs away. They could be in a different city, or state…
Forum: Tribunal rubber stamps illegal extension
For those of us who believe in law and logic, strata can be a bit challenging sometimes. Take Flatchatter Anne-X whose two top-floor neighbours took advantage of work in the…