Big wins in broadband battle
Would-be commercial rivals to the National Broadband Network have suffered a triple blow in their efforts to preempt the roll-out of the NBN by hooking up high rise apartment blocks…
10 ways to lower your levies
The old adage that you get what you pay for doesn’t always apply to levies or fees for apartment buildings. Sometimes you pay too much for what you are getting.…
Are rogue renovators doing your block?
“I have just bought a unit and I want to renovate,” says a reader. “Is there anything I need to know and permissions I need to get before I proceed.”…
Are your levies too high … or too low?
Nobody likes paying strata levies or fees, as they are called in Victoria. They feel like a tax on apartment living even though they are really just your share of…
Sounds of summer: ‘where’s my airbnb key?’
I’m sounding like a cracked record on this but the first signs of summer – exhausted travellers buzzing at the door demanding keys to their holiday rental – have set…
Mediation: The umpire strikes out
I have just sat through my first Fair Trading mediation, holding the hand of a friend who had raised a complaint, and I can now confirm what Flat Chat readers…
Study lets renters rant
It’s one of the truisms of apartment living – renters don’t complain … they just move somewhere better. That’s not always the case but tenants could be forgiven for thinking…
Rent rebate for reno gone wrong
Nobody wants to be a whinger, especially when they have just moved into a supposedly renovated property, but Flatchatter Gumball has plenty to complain about. “Nearly all the windows have…
Flat Chat hits 500
They said it would never last (well, I did) but this is my 500th Flat Chat column after more than 10 years of its existence. Why are we still here? Perhaps it’s…
An ill wind in Victoria
Whisper it, but Melbourne may be feeling the first gusts of a perfect storm that could and probably should lead to a major rethink about apartment living. Perhaps it will…
Defect deadline warning at Flat Chat Live
Executive committees in some new buildings have just four weeks to make a claim for defect rectification or they could miss out completely, according to panelists at last week’s Flat…
Noisebusters: Who ya gonna call?
A tenant in a group of townhouses has a problem with a noisy neighbour. She has approached the strata manager who has told her it’s not his problem as she…