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  • #9980

    Hi all, I’m new to the forum so apologies in advance if I am posting this in the wrong section / place. I would like to get some advice and guidance on my current situation.

    I am currently renting an apartment via a real estate agent in Sydney NSW. A new building manager for the apartment block was appointed last August and they issued new security passes with photo IDs to all residents.

    I’ve been very unhappy with the new security regime for several reasons:

    • To be issued with a new security pass, I had to provide a lot of personal details such as name, DOB, a copy of my tenancy agreement and my photo. Despite them collecting these fairly sensitive and private data, when I asked for a copy of their privacy policy, they advised that they did not have one.
    • Since the introduction of the new security regime, I’ve been constantly asked by security to show them my photo ID, despite the same person checking for a good part of 6 months now. I think this breaches my right to quiet enjoyment of the property.
    • Since the introduction of the new security regime, 80% of my visitors and guests have reported that they have been harassed and even sometimes ejected from the building by security whilst they were waiting for me in the lobby.
    • Throughout my dealings with building management and security on the above issues, they were extremely rude, unprofessional and gave contradictory information. For example, when I raised a complaint about the 2nd and 3rd issue above, the building manager was very defensive and threatened to have his minions check my ID every time I set foot in the building if I pursued my complaint further.

    In an attempt to address my concerns, I’ve made a complaint to security (results as discussed above), and to our real estate agent. After going back and forth with the real estate agent for 2 weeks, all I’ve managed to achieve was i) for him to forward my complaint email to the strata manager, who was dismissive, and ii) him advising me that I should draft a formal complaint letter to the strata manager, and that these issues were not his, or the owner’s problem. Generally speaking, the real estate agent was pretty unsupportive and lassiez faire with my concerns.

    Doing some research, it seems like NCAT seems to be the logical next step. Could someone who have more experience / knowledge of this area provide me with some guidance?

    Thanks.

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  • #23754
    Jimmy-T
    Keymaster

      The real issue here is that it sounds like you have moved into a building that has serious problems with overcrowding.  Unlike many others, the Owners Corp is trying to do something about it.

      Your beef is with the real estate company who didn’t tell you there was an issue with security. But setting that aside, what do you hope to achieve by challenging the security measures and finding out why security has been eased?

      It sounds like you have already won, as far as security being recalibrated goes. What else do you want? All security measures to be removed so that you and your girlfriend can come and go as you please?

      You are part of a community and you really should be trying to fit in with its needs rather than trying to make everyone dance to your tune.

      The long and the short of it is that you are in the wrong building for what you want from a home. There are others although they may not be as conveniently located or comparatively inexpensive.  

      Perhaps you should be chasing your real estate agent to let you out of your lease rather than trying to undermine laudable efforts to make the building liveable for everybody.

      Trust me, the building would not be paying for additional security unless they needed it.  If i were you, I would spend my time looking for a building that was better suited to my needs rather than wasting it pursuing the issue through NCAT which is either going to fail or make life more difficult for other owners in the building.

      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.
    Viewing 16 replies (of 16 total)
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