Where the noise upstairs really comes from
I think sometimes we maybe take ourselves a bit too seriously. Having said that, the above video was sent to us by a long-time Flatchatter who has the unique distinction…
Roundup: Short stays, vote stacking and even praise for NCAT
The discussion on whether or not you can pass a by-law to ban short-stay or holiday lets trundles on. It seems that you can but if a determined holiday letter…
Short-stay ban overturned by NCAT
Last week, the Supreme Court in Melbourne ruled that owners corporations could not pass by-laws banning short-stay lets, such as through Airbnb, in apartment buildings. This is a big win…
Will Victoria’s pro-Airbnb ruling affect NSW
Last Friday, the Victorian Supreme court ruled that owners corporations in that state did not have the right to ban short-stay lets, which is a major blow to any unit…
Unit living: You never had it so good
In the great welter of anti-apartment material that has been published over the years, the minor, humorous whinge about the difficulties of living in flats that appeared in Fairfax online…
Roundup: Sitting on defence
OK, I admit it. I am obsessed with apartments. And, considering that I spend every day and most of my nights wading through your problems and complaints, I should be…
Apartment gripes – an obsessive responds
It’s always a bit disappointing when you read the same old anti-apartment prejudices trotted out … especially when it comes from a colleague (albeit in a light-hearted vein).. Am I too…
Cat-nipped: Pet sitter caught with his pants down
This isn’t strictly speaking a Flat Chat story but it has everything else – pets, sex, apartments, a New Yorker in Australia, smartphones, technology … so we just had to…
Dangers of buying in the worst block on the best street
When you imagine a badly run building where poor management is depressing property values, I bet you don’t think of some of our city’s more salubrious suburbs. But, reviewing a…
Roundup: now with added Apples (OK … iPhones)
I am having great difficulty writing this, mainly because I have my fingers crossed. I think I have finally fixed the problem with iPhones, ipads and smartphones that meant you…
Apps, chats and stats drive strata revolution
Just in time for the new laws allowing online meeting and votes, Jimmy Thomson learns about a strata management revolution promised in a $16 million joint effort. Smartphone apps that transmit…
Window of opportunity as safety laws loom
The big day, July 1, came and went with the proposed changes to the strata Act still in abeyance until November 30, as was announced this week. However, March 13,…