QUESTION:  My neighbour comes home late at night and plays loud music until the early hours of the morning, keeping me awake. When I complained to the building committee they said, as he’s an owner and I’m a tenant I couldn’t complain myself and would have to get my landlord involved. The landlord lives overseas [...]

While everybody is getting their tumble-dried knickers in a twist over the proposed changes to by-laws “allowing” laundry to be dried on balconies (provided it can’t be seen from the street), the real strata issues remain where they always are – in the too-hard basket. The Office of Fair Trading has just published proposed revisions [...]

QUESTION: I’m buying my first investment property and I would like to be a good landlord. Can you suggest books or websites that advise landlords of their rights and responsibilities. Also, any info on what to look for when choosing a property manager and the pros and cons of hiring a professional as opposed to [...]

Everybody wants to renovate eventually, but when someone on the ground floor of an apartment block starts knocking out walls, they shouldn’t be surprised if more than the ceiling comes down on their heads. QUESTION: My unit has been damaged from major renovations by the owner of the unit directly below me. The internal walls [...]

QUESTION: A while ago my landlord wanted to paint my flat and we agreed that I would do the job if he bought the paint and let me off with a couple of weeks’ rent. In between then and now he has taken on a new managing agent and she has told him I did [...]

It may seem like common sense and even an act of kindness, but when you start putting things where they’re not wanted in your building, you could be asking for trouble. QUESTION:  The equipment in our gym is pretty poor and I want to get fit so I got a trainer to choose some new [...]

QUESTION: I’m currently settling into my new apartment but while I’m in bed at night I can hear my upstairs neighbour using and flushing her toilet. I’ve even been woken up by it on a few occasions in the middle of the night and I’m not a light sleeper. Her layout is the same as [...]

QUESTION: My problem isn’t that my flatmate is bad … she’s too good. She went through a tough time recently but she was helped by  a church group and now she is so “holier than thou” it’s driving me mad. I don’t want to bring men friends home because I’ll get dirty looks and a [...]