Flood tests tenants

QUESTION: Recently the drain in our ensuite bathroom floor (not the shower) overflowed and flooded the main bedroom and all down the hallway. The carpets were ripped up and slow…

Fears over loan arranger

QUESTION: I’m chairman of a Seventies block of 30 flats that requires major work on internal and external cracking. We have had many quotes from engineers over many years and…

Two’s company

QUESTION: My flatmate and I have shared for years and we’ve both had friends, family or lovers stay over for a few nights, but nothing regular. However, I really don’t…

Double dipper

QUESTION:  My landlord parks his car in my space when I’m at work so he can use the building’s pool and gym.  Sometimes I come home to find he’s still…

Old blocks, new regs

NB:  This topic was originally posted as “Old Buildings, New Regs” (below) before being selected as a Flat Chat topic. QUESTION: Our strata building is approximately 40 years  and it…

Fair shares

QUESTION: My flatmate and I have been getting on really well but a couple of months ago she moved her boyfriend into her room on what seems to be a…

OFT floored again

When, oh, when is the Office of Fair Trading going to wake up and smell the varnish on wooden floors? While unit owners are losing sleep and/or money because of…

Pet politics

QUESTION: I am the chairman of a small unit block and we wish to amend our pets by-law so that occupants who are owners can have one cat or a…

Power of one

Of all the many variations on strata, the two-unit duplex or villa is potentially the most fractious. With only two owners, everything can trundle along happily until there’s a falling…

Things that make you go woof!

Recently a bloke in a flat across the street was having trouble lighting his barbie and the application of ‘accelerant’ was required. Whoomph!  Suddenly there were flames from his Hibachi…