Privacy or transparency? A Tribunal member rules
Our most recent Flat Chat Wrap podcast was largely about how some strata committees wrongly use privacy laws (which are irrelevant to strata schemes) to prevent owners from getting together…
From the Forum: Can we cancel holiday let keys?
This week, a Flatchatter wants to know if their by-law, in support of their council zoning, is adequate for keeping Airbnb out of their building, and if they can use…
PODCAST: Fake email privacy, zombie proxies and pets in peril
This week in the podcast we revisit the vexed question of whether or not you should be allowed to view other owners’ email addresses. The SCA (Strata Community Australia –…
Tribunal won’t sack slack caretakers, say body corporate owners
Unit owners in Queensland are being advised to avoid the state’s tribunal system and just pay private contractors to cover their caretakers’ shortcomings, after a series of cases against poorly…
Popular apartment pets at risk from smoke and heat
Some of the most popular dog breeds for apartment residents are the most susceptible to breathing problems from the smoke that’s been blanketing our cities. Vets in smoke-affected areas are…
From the Forum: Noisy neighbours trample by-laws underfoot
Noisy neighbours have been keeping the Flat Chat Forum awake for the past week. In one case it’s a couple who put down a timber floor without permission – yes,…
PODCAST: Bushfires, unit blocks and stray cats
https://episodes.castos.com/flatchatpod/Flat-Chat-57-Bushfires.mp3 This week’s podcast is about the bushfires. For a change, apartments are not portrayed in the media as the worst possible way to live in Australia. That’s not to…
How no-show investors profit from our efforts
The following was originally posted as a comment to our piece on why investors should get more engaged with the apartment blocks in which they own properties. Our sponsors Strata…
Unit blocks in bushfires – we are not immune
At the risk of appearing to jump on the bushfire bandwagon – it’s pretty hard to ignore. Homes and even lives are being lost. Whole towns are under threat but, it…
Happy new strata year – here’s our 2020 vision
We reckon this year in strata is going to be a big one across the nation. Our big campaign this year is going to be about embedded networks – where…
From the Forum: Bans on unfinancial votes even tougher than you thought
We’re back! Like that never-ending turkey curry or the last few chocolates that nobody likes, there are quite a few left-overs from the festive season for us to get our…
Invest in strata happiness – demand outstrips supply
In the early days of Flat Chat, I used to bang on about the “double investors” – the owner occupiers who not only pay their levies, but who actually live…
Party hearty … but play it safe on the balcony
Is everybody in full party mode for Christmas and New Year? Planning to watch fireworks from your balcony? Allow me to introduce some curmudgeonly caution to your festive frolics. How…
From the Forum: Strata manager charges have 10 pages of “extras”
Your strata scheme is in disarray, the strata manager doesn’t know what they’re doing (or doesn’t care … or both). There hasn’t been a committee election for years and nobody…
PODCAST: A very happy, quirky, poetic Christmas
Last week’s podcast was such a gloomy affair, looking back at a pretty grim 2019, at least in strata terms, that we thought we’d lighten the mood a little by…
Same old story as phoenix frauds ‘exposed’ yet again
There’s much less fun than there ought to be in saying “we told you so” – possibly because it implies that the bad thing we told you was going to…
Boost the value of your block … and your unit
Real estate agents will tell you to buy the worst house in the best street because you can make the most of potential value by bringing the property up to…
From the Forum: Landlady too nice for her own good
There are times when I think some of our Flatchatters are just too nice for their own good. Take this week’s first correspondent whose tenant has been illegally parking his…