One-sided SM contracts exposed… again
JimmyT recalls his first encounters with one-sided strata management contracts as a new ABC expose reveals that nothing much has changed in 20 years of complaints and unkept promises.
strata managers
Podcast: Off-plan buyers rage and SMs slap back
In this week's podcast Jimmy and Sue discuss whether there is a viable solution to the Sapphire schemozzle in Gosford. And do strata managers have a point about unfair treatment…
Time to finally end the disruptive low levies lurk
Developers can still emply a low levies lurk, setting fees at unfeasibly low rates to attract buyers, then sit back and watch as they rise to meet real needs and…
New laws passed to crack down on rogue SMs
New laws designed to crack down on strata managers receiving secret kickbacks while introducing higher penalties for agents doing the wrong thing, have passed the NSW parliament, the government announced…
Podcast: Luxury pad threat to low-cost homes
It’s a bit of a catch-up in this week’s Flat Chat Wrap and a look to the immediate future, too. We’ll be getting abreast of the news that NSW is…
Why your strata manager doesn’t respond to calls
If the recent insurance commission scandals have taught us nothing else, it is that some strata management firms are more about profits than service. That is not likely to change…
NSW to crack down on strata manager scams
The NSW State government is planning to crack down on the “small number” of “unscrupulous” strata managers whom it says are undermining public confidence in apartment living. New laws will…
Podcast: Strata scandal and a can of worms
It feels like the dust has settled a little too quickly on the Netstrata scandal, as exposed by ABC TV. There has been no public statement on it from the state…
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…
Podcast: ‘Worst-ever block’ and Greens v Nimbys
In this week’s Flat Chat Wrap podcast we look at a report that building commissioner David Chandler has issued a stop-work order at a Wollongong construction site after structural defects…
Trainee strata managers’ deadlines extended
Assistant real estate and strata managers in NSW have been given an extra three months to keep working while they register for professional qualifications so they can maintain their registrations…
Podcast: Email crazy – how a few clicks cost $17k
We’ve lifted a post from the Flat Chat Forum for the podcast this week to illustrate two issues – one is basic good practise, the other highly contentious. The post…