Forum: Locked out as car park under repair
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: There’s a good old-fashioned strata barney going on over on the Flat Chat Forum. It started when a tenant was told by her property manager that…
Architect anger, developer delight at planning backflip
NSW architects have slammed the state government’s backflip on proposals to compel developers to include sustainable elements in new designs and steer clear of flood and bush-fire susceptible areas, labelling…
Podcast: Will data diving replace tenant checks?
A couple of weeks ago we received a press release from a company called Equifax who are a data analysis company that specialises in credit checks, among other things. Those…
After the deluge: when mould takes hold
With impeccable timing, given the OCN webinar on waterproofing today (Wednesday, April 6), here’s a Sydney Morning Herald Lifestyle section report by Sue Williams about how mould can come into…
The good, the bad and the strata manager
A few weeks ago we looked at the role of the building facilities manager in a block and how a good one can enhance liveability and property values while a…
Waterproofing worries tackled in webinar
The devastating rains of the past few weeks have wreaked havoc in the Northern Rivers area of NSW, as well as S.E. Queensland. Here in Strataland, they will also doubtless…
Forum: Lift repair plans come crashing down
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: You know things have come to a sad state in a block when the only way forward on a long-running and contentious issue seems to involve…
Podcast: Deposit option smashes avocado barrier
This week’s podcast discovers a new way of buying property – or at least putting down a deposit. The problem for many prospective home buyers is that, all the time…
Would you elect a tenant to your committee?
Years ago I heard about a building in Sydney that was totally dominated by a long-running chairman who was an autocrat and a bully. Residents found his “my way or…
High cost of choosing wrong Tribunal tactics
Anyone heading for a hearing at NCAT who is considering “Trumpifying” their case by overloading the tribunal with documents, denying known facts to confuse the issue, and digging their heels…
How to help your dog beat home-alone blues
As the world begins to move past the restraints of Covid and lockdowns that once seemed endless but are now history, pet owners may be leaving their dogs at home…
Show some respect: A Baby Boomer bites back
A week or so ago, I wrote a column for the Australian Financial Review, based on a comment by a senior strata manager that downsizing Baby Boomers were a new…