There are periodically so many discussions and debates about laundry on balconies that the issue has it’s own section in the Flat Chat Forum. But it’s not the sight of laundry drying on balconies that gets to one Flatchatter, it’s the smell of the chemicals and perfumes used in the wash. Being highly sensitive to […]

The advice from Owners Corporation Network spokesman Stephen Goddard could not have been more blunt: Don’t buy apartments off the plan. His actual words in an opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald were “prudent purchasers cannot buy strata ‘off the plan’ or, given that most defects emerge within a decade of construction, any residential […]

Victorian apartment residents have at least another 20 months of disruption to deal with – probably more – according to a response we received from the Government there about any studies that are being conducted into the effects of short-term holiday rentals like Airbnb and other STHL agencies. “A post-implementation review will be undertaken within […]

For obvious reasons, our podcast this week is about the Mascot Tower crisis. We recorded the podcast before we were aware of the story in today’s Financial Review revealing that the developer and builder of the property next door, as well as the local council,  were already facing legal action because of disturbance caused by […]

It’s been a while since we’ve had a forum post about a committee that’s gone “rogue” – making decisions without consulting other owners and awarding themselves all sorts of perks. In this case, our Flatchatter tells us lot owners received  their first-ever minutes in  five years a couple of months ago, announcing that the committee […]

It’s hard to know exactly how to respond to the chaos at Mascot Towers.  If you haven’t heard, last weekend hundreds of residents were forced to leave a South Sydney apartment building when worrying cracks in supporting walls and beams suddenly widened. At time of writing, there is no telling when they will be allowed […]

Our podcast hosting service, Castos.com, has provided a new service – converting our audio clips into a text service –  so we thought we’d give it a spin as most of our readers don’t listen to the podcasts (although increasing numbers do). Castos automatically transcribes the podcast audio with, it has to be said, variable […]

Do you ever get the urge to stand for election to your strata committee?  Are you convinced you could do a better job than the existing members? Do you want to join but keep being frozen out at the AGM? Our colleague Sue Williams has written a piece for The Sydney Morning herald’s Domain section […]

Since our last podcast took us to Russia, we thought we’d stay a lot closer to home with this week’s. A story in the Australian newspaper caught our eye, concerning growing signs that  investors are prepared to mothball their brand-new, off-the-plan apartments. Rather than put their units on the market when both rents and property […]

It’s been a bit quiet on the Forum front, what with the long weekend and all. But the saddest story of the week is probably the smallest in terms of shock and horror, yet hugely significant in the community in which it occurred. Basically, one resident had left a box of cakes for another, on […]

Australian apartment owners in buildings fitted with flammable cladding face bills of up to one quarter of the value of their homes, according to a new report. And state governments show no signs of helping apartment owners with the costs of rectification, even though it is clearly not the owners’ fault that they have bought […]

Looking back over that past 15 years or so of Flat Chat, it’s interesting to note the issues that have come and gone. A couple of years ago, arguments about “forced sales” – whereby 75 per cent of owners in an apartment block could compel the other 25 percent to sell to a developer – […]

Our Forum posts about the building that wants to ban children from its swimming pool has ruffled a few feathers.  First of all there was a flurry of appalled and angry messages (which you can read here https://www.flat-chat.com.au/topic/banning-kids-from-pools/). Then our very good friend Sue Williams wrote a story for Domain in the Sydney Morning Herald, giving even more detail.  You can read […]

We all know that building defects aren’t covered by strata insurance. You didn’t?  Well, now you do.  Your strata insurance covers the scheme for accidents and incidents, not wear and tear or, indeed, problems that were there when you bought into the block. But what about the effects that defects have on your insurance? If […]

I was pulled up today by one of our Stratagurus, this week for jumping to conclusions about Kevin Anderson, our new man in charge of NSW strata.  A Nationals MP from Tamworth? Surely an April Fools joke, I wrote in the Forum. “Let’s give him a chance, JT!’ said Lady Penelope. ‘He looks like a […]

Sometimes it’s the silliness of strata that gets to you.  That’s not to say we don’t take it seriously here, it’s just that you occasionally have to wonder at the issues that get people riled up. This week, I settled down for a chat with my regular sparring partner Sue Williams to talk about what […]

Those of you who still buy and read newspapers (bless your cotton socks) might have noticed a sticker the other day advertising a new strata advice service called Stratafaq. If you followed the link on the sticker, you’d be taken to the website of the Pica Group – arguably the largest strata management, building facilities […]

“Defamation is for rich people,” read a comment I recently saw on a website.  It may be true, but then, in strata, the threat of legal action is brandished as readily as a broadsword on Game of Thrones, by rich and poor alike. When it comes to accusing people, and hoping they don’t challenge us […]

Smoke alarms that either don’t exist or are covered up, higher rents for permanent residents and a new service that helps hosts find somewhere to stay when they are renting out their entire homes – they’re all part of the “disruptive” effects of short-term holiday lets (STHL) like Airbnb and their ilk. Our friends at […]

So, the NSW State election has come and gone and nothing much has changed … or has it?  And will some of the mooted changes at the top – as in who will be the Minister in charge of strata –  be as bad for us as we fear. Sadly, we will be denied the […]