Podcast: Why the rental gap is closing fast
There are myriad reasons why apartment rents are getting closer to and even, in a couple of areas, have overtaken the rents demanded for houses.Is it because the immigration tap…
compulsory
Forum: Statutory manager but committee stays
There’s a report on a potentially groundbreaking resolution to an all-too-common issue in the Forum this week. Up until now, in NSW, if you wanted to get rid of your…
Forum: Hoarder leaves us with another fine mess
This week’s weird and not-so wonderful story comes straight out of one of those TV reality shows about hoarders getting their home cleaned up for free. Our Flatchatter has a…
Pets and ‘forced sales’ strata laws to change
Major updates on the cards for four key areas while Property Services Commissioner to take on strata too. Pet ownership barriers, the cost of repair work, collective sales and compulsory…
Why unit owners can’t cut insurance to save
Fires in Hawaii, floods in Australia, earthquakes in Turkey and storms in New Zealand are likely to hit apartment owners in ways they can’t avoid. These natural disasters are driving…
Forum: Range wars and modern strata cowboys
Back in the old Wild West (of America, not Australia) they had what they called “range wars” – they broke out when farmers, who legitimately owned chunks of land, would…
Sacked SM given total power over new scheme
COMMENT: With the announcement of the appointment of Rentals Commissioner Trina Jones, we await the anointing of the proposed new Strata Commissioner, whoever that might be. And the recipient of…
Forum: Owner’s workers parking in visitor spots
A question that goes back to March this year has been revived, obviously because it hasn’t been resolved. Basically it involves an owner of a commercial property in a strata…
SM contracts to be fixed but not set in stone
Contracts between strata managers and owners corporations have been accused of being one-sided, rigid and unfair, but they are unlikely to be replaced by standard statutory contracts any time soon…