Newbies get one shot at curbing locked-in rorts
Let’s be clear about this, if you have bought into an off-the-plan apartment, or a brand new one that hasn’t held its first AGM yet, you have one chance to…
Forum: By-law bans indoor e-scooter charging
We are nothing if not trendsetting, here on Flat Chat, so it’s no surprise that we have received notice of a proposed by-law banning the charging of electric scooters, ebikes…
Plan to ‘electrify’ city blocks is on the charge
Strata sustainability experts Wattblock have launched a campaign to electrify more than 6000 apartment blocks across a number of Sydney’s Local Government Areas. Aiming to make a major contribution to…
Podcast: Contract con tricks and little victories
It’s very much a mixed bag in this week’s podcast, not least because what’s good news for some in property prices is, inevitably, bad news for others. But first, we…
Would you pay trained committee members?
There’s been a lot of chat in the strata-sphere recently about whether untrained volunteers should be expected, as they are, to manage the finances of multi-unit apartment complexes with million-dollar-plus…
Forum: Strata manager’s seal of disapproval
They say those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. More than 20 years ago, the new building in which I lived was in dispute with…
Get the lowdown on the top 10 strata issues
What would you say are the top ten issues in strata right now? Building defects? By-laws and breaches? Strata disputes and the logjam at NCAT? Well, those three are certainly…
In-apartment parking is no pie in the sky
Apartments in a luxury block planned for Brisbane’s New Farm river-front will have parking for the owners’ cars right next to their apartments. And that will “propel Brisbane into an…
Who’s minding your block’s big-bucks budgets?
As rising costs of living and mortgage interest rates both bite at our heels, it seems levy (or fee) payments are often among the first financial commitments to suffer when…
Podcast: High-level parking and low-cost living
This week we look at two apartment blocks that it’s pretty safe to say are at the opposite ends of the social spectrum. The first is a Housing Commission block…
Prize-winning unit block is a social surprise
A 58-unit Housing Commission apartment block in Liverpool, has won the NSW Premier’s Architecture award for a multiple occupancy residential award. According to a story in the Sydney Morning Herald,…
Forum: Your thoughts on rents, pets and NCAT?
We’re going to depart from the normal reader Q&A format this week, to try to gauge your thoughts on a number of issues. Firstly, should we be happy or worried…