We warned Edinburgh about Airbnb – now they want curbs
It seems Flat Chat has a reach way beyond the shores of Australia, if news coming out of the Scottish capital Edinburgh is anything to go by. This time last…
Victoria residents slam phantom funds offer for cladding fix
NSW owners of apartments in flammable cladding affected buildings may have cast envious eyes in the direction of Victoria, where the state government has promised to help pay for the…
What if you needed a licence to live in strata?
When I wrote last week that there should be a ratings system for builders and developers, there was another brilliant idea bouncing around my brain, and one that has just…
Waterfix saving strata blocks tens of thousands
Is your strata block pouring money down the drain (almost) literally? Sydney Water claims its Waterfix Strata efficiency program is saving 75 Olympic sized swimming pools and close to half…
Flat Chat Wrap #33 – Commercial tenants, caretakers versus Airbnb, and wandering pot plants
How would you feel if you suddenly had 50 to 100 strangers walking through your lobby every day, clogging up the lifts just when you are trying to get to…
The real deal for strata owners on James Valentine
I was listening to the ABC News Radio last Friday and an item came on about strata defects, flammable cladding and the state ministers meeting in Sydney. The news reader…
From The Forum: Kids’ pool ban battle still raging
Remember the story we ran a few weeks ago on the Forum about the Sydney Park Village apartment complex (pictured) that had decided to ban children from their swimming pool…
PODCAST: Space invaders, Airbnb v caretakers and purloined pot plants
How would you feel if you suddenly had 50 to 100 strangers walking through your lobby every day, clogging up the lifts just when you are trying to get to…
Flat Chat Wrap #33 – Commercial tenants, caretakers versus Airbnb, and wandering pot plants
How would you feel if you suddenly had 50 to 100 strangers walking through your lobby every day, clogging up the lifts just when you are trying to get to…
Time we had a Tripadvisor for unit block builders?
With defects on the minds of everyone in the apartment world, there’s a whole lot of finger pointing going on. Developers are saying engineers should be certified, strata owners say…
Supreme Court changes tack on legal cost deposits
There’s a growing trend in legal actions in Australia that has recently intruded into the strata area – litigants being asked to provide security for costs before legal action can…
Flat Chat Wrap #32 – Time we had a star rating for the best and worst developers and builders
In this week’s Podcast, Jimmy Thomson and Sue Williams discuss why it is that we can get ratings and comparisons for just about everything we buy … except the largest…