Forum: Storing trouble over parking spaces
There’s a point in every almost every strata dispute where everyone just needs to take a step back and consider the costs – socially and financially – of either backing…
Podcast: Life savings lost thanks to dodgy dealing
In this week’s Flat Chat Wrap we discuss the awful story about the young woman who put her life savings into a deposit on a flat in a block that’s…
Push to free strata from NSW Fair Trading
NSW Labor has launched a renewed push to take strata out of Fair Trading and into a separate Government entity, saying it’s evident that stakeholders don’t trust the current structures…
Your pet laws and by-laws, state by state
Recent re-interpretations and rulings on pet by-laws in NSW, not to mention much-needed updating of the basic strata laws behind them, have left a lot of pet owners scratching their…
Green ceramics counter curse of disposable fashion
When a university academic handed a property developer a small grey tile recently, and said “this is your son’s old school uniform” it marked the confluence of a creative vision,…
In the thick of it over Airbnb register
It’s all a bit Thick of It (or Yes, Minister for older readers) but every so often our government ministers have to front up and answer questions to a Budget…
Forum: Cubby house in a strata scheme garden
When strata neighbours start getting snarky with each other, the issues are usually fairly clear-cut. It could be parking in the wrong place, leaving garbage outside your front door or…
Podcast: Virtual commutes are transports of delight
Are you over working from home? Does your formerly perfectly adequate apartment now seem tiny. Is your kitchen table too high and your laptop screen too small? Are you one…
Building managers dodge contract limits bullet
Stories about incompetent or dishonest strata building managers are the stuff of apartment dinner party one-upmanship. Or should that be one-downmanship? To be fair, most strata and facilities managers are…
First-timers grab $54k as grant wraps up
The race is on for first-home buyers to take advantage of the Federal Government’s HomeBuilder scheme and save up to $54,000 on the price of a new apartment. The scheme,…
Podcast: Dogs banned but NCAT says OK to cats
There’s a few differences in this week’s podcast from previous editions. For a start, Sue is on the other end of a Zoom call as she takes advantage of easing…
Forum: Land-grabbers hedge their bets
There’s an issue in the Forum this week that brings together some of the most damaging aspects of a strata scheme gone wrong. These are all too familiar elements. Often…