Flat Chat Strata Forum Rental rants Current Page

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  • #8413
    Jimmy-T
    Keymaster

      In the many, many possible changes mooted in the proposed revamp of the strata laws, one is the idea of giving long-term tenants a say in the running of the buildings where they live.

      Think about it. Tenants are a huge part of the strata community – more than half the residents of City of Sydney are tenants and most of them are in strata.

      Tenants actively choose to live in their buildings.  It’s not quite as easy as home hopping every six months, but it’s a lot easier for a tenant to go somewhere else when their current abode is inhospitable than it is for an owner.

      Tenants see a lot more of their buildings than their landlords do.  And they are the ones who have to deal with the consequences of the lot owners’ absentee votes.

      And, hey, maybe if they were treated like the valuable contributors to a community that they are (rather than a necessary evil) we’d all be a lot better off.

      So why not give a vote at the AGM on non-financial issues only for tenants of more than two years standing?

      You can download the strata law discussion document, and send in your response, by going HERE.

      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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    • #16595
      Anonymous

        In general, tenants are interested in keeping their rent as low as possible; owner-landlords are interested in getting the most rent they can get.

        In a shabby, poorly maintained block you might expect the rents to be lower. In a good-looking, well-run block you’d expect the places would fetch more rent. 

        Generally speaking, I can’t see why it’s the interest of landlords to want their tenants to have a say. However, as things are, a landlord can easily give his proxy to a tenant he considers trustworthy. What’s wrong with that? The status quo is fine.

        In our block, I am stunned at the number of absentee landlords who leave decisions worth thousands of dollars to proxy holders don’t always act in the best interests of our building. Some are tenants; it would be a disaster if there were a whole lot more tenants with votes.

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      Flat Chat Strata Forum Rental rants Current Page