Is your block’s disaster planning a … disaster?
Would you know what to do if there was a 72-hour power outage in your apartment building? What about the people who simply can’t climb up and down multiple flights…
Gold star claims – hearing is believing
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but then they also say that flattery will get you nowhere. It seems Building Commissioner David Chandlers ICIRT star ratings are…
Lock up and leave – the whole holiday deal
We are branching out a little here at Flat Chat. Encouraged and maybe inspired by the fact that a lot of you like being able to lock up and leave…
Forum: Tenant running day-care in her garage
Here’s one for the ages. We have all heard how hard it is to get childcare places and how expensive they are when you get them. So what does the…
Podcast – Greenie grass of affordable homes
We’re heading across the border to Victoria this week where the Greens are flexing their balance-of-power muscle by demanding changes to the state housing program, as detailed in this post on the…
Heading for a showdown with strata shonks
At the first AGM of a new apartment block, owners are expected to approve all sorts of contracts – but what if they are being misinformed, misled and ripped off?…
Vic Greens flex muscle for curbs on Airbnb and rents
The Victorian Greens have put demands for curbs on short-term holiday lets like Airbnb at the heart of their push for reform of the state’s housing policy. And they are…
Forum: Can you force a nasty neighbour to sell?
Somewhere back in the dim and distant past of Flat Chat we may have advised someone that if an owner refused to obey their scheme’s by-laws, they could be forced…
Parcel lockers can deliver a sense of security
Every so often here at Flat Chat we come across a commercial idea that makes so much strata sense that we are happy to promote it, no fee or favours…
Heat is on for our furry friends this summer
Hot days are on the horizon and while we’re breaking out the short sleeves, cottons and linens, our four legged buddies have limited options to keep their cool. Hopefully you…
Podcast: Strata scandal right on our doorstep
In this week’s podcast we find ourselves victims of the kind of scams we have been warning people about for a couple of years. We are about to go to…
All the strata law changes detailed and explained
Last week we touched on some of the proposed amendments to the NSW strata schemes Act, admittedly focussing on the “sexier” stuff like removal of barriers to pet ownership. But…