Big and bright ideas meet huge strata challenges
By Jimmy Thomson and Sue Williams Black mould built into new homes, fire safety measures ignored and undermined, real estate marketers (rather than town planners) shaping our cities – these…
Forum: Sacked SM sneaks in a final commission
Every time you try to say something nice about strata managers, one of them goes and pulls a new scam that makes everyone look bad. The strata manager featured in…
Podcast: Renters rights and strata safety fright
Three serious stories straight off the website have caught our attention on the Flat Chat Wrap podcast this week – but there’s a bit of fun too. The first two…
It’s Hug Your Strata Manager Day… if it’s OK
As I wrote on last week’s newsletter, a lot of people are sick of us bagging strata managers on this website. Okay, a lot of strata managers, specifically, are tired…
Bond and evictions boost for renters
Life looks like it’s going to get a little easier for millions of renters across NSW with two big announcements within a couple of days. Firstly, New South Wales Premiers…
Compulsory SMs – be careful what you wish for
The canceling of strata manager Whitney Wang’s licence last week had an alarming aspect that many observers may have missed. Complaints about the boss of inner-west strata management firm Professional…
Free guide shows how strata committees work
Last year we accidentally bought an investment property. I say accidentally because it was going to be our sea-change downsizer where we would live in peace and quiet while we…
$225k fatal accident warning for Airbnb blocks
A penalty of more than quarter of a million dollars imposed on a Wollongong strata scheme where a worker died in an avoidable accident should send a jolt through owners…
Forum: Back-to-school daze for Qs and As
A strange thing happens on Flat Chat around this time of year. Actually, it’s not that strange – it’s related to school holidays, and makes perfect sense. I’m guessing our…
Podcast: Struck off and probed, that has to hurt
Oh, dear. Not another swipe at strata managers, please! Yes, OK, it’s a well-trodden path but, to be fair, some of them have made themselves easy targets for the past…
Netstrata ‘forensic’ report only weeks away
If you thought the dust had settled on the Netstrata schemozzle, think again. The strata management giant is currently reaching the end of what can only be described as a…
Nailing the big problem with too many by-laws
Over 25 years ago our regular guest columnist Francesco Andreone enthusiastically promoted by-laws as the best way to customise strata building operations. However, he now thinks the proliferation of strata…