Podcast: Is Airbnb the solution, not the problem?
Whether you love or loathe Airbnb, you have to admit its founder, Brian Chesky, is a pretty smart guy. Anyone who can parlay an idea to rent an airbed in…
Apartment rents soar in our two biggest cities
Australia’s rents are continuing to rise rapidly, with median rents hitting record highs across five of the eight capital cities over the past three months. And it’s renters in units…
Victoria councils want curbs on holiday lets
The Municipal Associations of Victoria (MAV) – the umbrella body for all the local government bodies in the state – has called on the state government to impose restrictions on…
Airbnb back to basics as global backlash bites
You may have noticed an increase in glossy TV ads of late, showing nice people moving in with even nicer people, usually somewhere exotic. Then the Airbnb logo appears, launching…
Forum: Newlyweds’ dream shattered by shonk
There’s a sad tale from Victoria on the website this week, concerning a newly-wed couple who put their hopes, dreams and First Homeowners grant into a two-bed flat in Prahran.…
Why the Otto2 case study is such a big deal
For the past couple of weeks we have been writing (and talking) about a case study that detailed the battle of one block in Sydney that got bogged down in…
Podcast: Chandler unpacks case study facts
Last week we discussed the new report from the NSW Office of the Building Commissioner – they’re calling it a case study – titled “Broken Promises, Blame Games and Balconies”.…
Burned and spurned by a phoenixing developer
People have recently asked what my problem is with Victoria. Actually, it’s a number of things, including a serious dearth of transparency, accountability and due process for owners who have…
Case study comments make compelling reading
The chilling narrative detailing how a relatively modest defects claim blew out from a ban on residents going on their balconies into a $2million legal fight makes compelling reading. However,…
Forum: Early eviction landlord hung out to dry
There’s a fine mixed bag of questions and complaints in this week’s forum – from an early rental eviction attempt to a plan to scrap a laundry drying area. A…
Affordable or sustainable – can’t we have both?
Climate change deniers aside, most people agree that taking steps towards sustainability in an effort to curb global heating is a desirable aim. Meanwhile, opportunist property investors excluded, there is…
Podcast: Study reveals $2m in defective thinking
When NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler commissioned a case study into what happened when serious defects were discovered in a new block’s balconies, it revealed a trail of denials, delays,…