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I was putting together a list for a feature on the things you should look out for when flat-hunting – the elements that should make you run a mile rather than sign a lease or put down a deposit.
I got to ten and I probably could have found a few more. But what struck me was that almost everyone one of them was an indication that the strata committee wasn’t working effectively or at all.
Admittedly, there are buildings where the committee has handed over the running of the building to an overworked and underpaid strata manager, or where the majority of owners are short-sighted investors who don’t want to do or pay for anything.
And I guess there are things that some people accept as the norm – like using parking spaces for storage (and then visitor parking for the car) or covering balcony glass with black plastic or bamboo for privacy – that make me think there is something seriously wrong with the way the building is run.
Am I too sensitive, living in my ivory (well, steel and glass) tower? I reckon any three out of ten things on my list should be reason enough to say “no way”.
Have a look here and see if you agree.
The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.
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I wish I had seen this article BEFORE I bought my unit in Darling Point!
When we moved in there were nearly daily nasty little pos it notes in the lift accusing other owners of theft of newspaper, accusing owners of leaving lights on in the common car park area, accusing owners of feeding birds, accusing owners of scratching entry and exit doors, such trivial personal peeves written up as if they were government legislation.. There are just over 10 owners in our block,, so clearly there were some very unhappy stressed residents, or, possibly a demented bird-feeding, electricity bill careless, newspaper thieving resident. In addition, every day a new rule seemed to be announced, always by the self appointed “boss” of the strata block. All of the owners were long term residents well into their golden years, who still saw the building as “new” as it was when they purchased in the early 1980s and were not sensitive to the regular maintenance needed on any building. My recommendation would be to check the history of the owners, look for evidence that maintenance issues have been logged and dealt with, and evidence that the owners are motivated to deal with maintenance.If I had been alert to the items you have noted as warning signs, I would have been aware that the abundance of (stolen) rusty local supermarket shopping trolleys left in foyers, some blocking the fire doors, the individual customisation of external balcony glass, the laundry hung out to dry on balconies, the post-it notes, and the lack of any minutes of Strata Meetings, would all indicate a failed Executive Committee and a corresponding serious deficit in maintenance. Big mistake.
Fortunately, with some energy from new owners the EC has got on to the main maintenance deficits, but there has been no growth in the value of the units in our property, and unlikely to be any growth in the near term, as the list of maintenance issues is still long. During the boom of the last 3 years, in an appealing suburb like Darling Point, that is a glaring anomaly.
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