Strata defect laws need an injection of Fair Go
With Sydney Olympic Park’s Opal building crumbling on one side, and buildings in Melbourne going up in flames on the other, NSW Better Regulation Minister Matt Kean had to do…
Posh party animals trash Airbnb rental as holiday lets face global curbs
While local residents in Byron Bay have been offered the prospect of some respite from the incursion of holiday letting agencies into residential homes, it seems no one is immune…
Roundup: How Byron Bay got an Airbnb bypass
You may not have noticed, but the NSW government on Monday seriously modified its “come on down” attitude to holiday lets in the state – at least as far as…
Podcast: Parliamentary panic behind short-term letting U-turn
This week our podcast is given over to an extended chat with NSW Independent MP for Sydney, Alex Greenwich. I’ve come across many politicians in this game. Most have been…
Gentrification sees gyms take over Kings Cross
The gentrification of Kings Cross, the upsurge in the number of high-end apartments and the withering effect of the lock-out laws on licensed premises have combined to unexpected effect, writes Sue Williams. You…
Kean announces tighter laws for apartment builders
On Sunday, February 10, NSW Better Regulation Minister Matt Kean announced a plan for a tightening of building regulations, clearly in a response to the Opal Tower and cladding scandals.…
Cladding: It’s your money that the governments are burning
There was another cladding fire in Melbourne the other day. It was one of those “accidents waiting to happen” we’ve been hearing about since the horror Grenfell Tower blaze in…
Small fire, not many dead: Ignorance and racism in Neo200 debate
On Wednesday morning I woke up to read a somewhat hysterical story in the Sydney Morning Herald about the latest apartment block fire in Melbourne. Not only was I appalled…
Podcast: Chatting flats with “mighty” Rod Quinn
In this week’s podcast we have kind of hijacked the Rod Quinn “Talking Points” segment for his ABC Overnight show on radio last week – featuring Flat Chat’s very own…
Election connection as OCN faces the big issues for 2019
Last year was huge for the Owners Corporation Network (OCN), the only significant body for apartment owners, run by apartment owners. Most notably, they were hugely instrumental in turning what…
Roundup: From a secret coup to levies discounts for pensioners
The holidays are behind us, the kids are back at school and Flatchatters have their fingers poised over their keyboards (wondering what the heck has happened to the Forum). If…
That sinking feeling … and why funds run dry
It’s something of a cliché – the ageing apartment block crumbling slowly before your eyes while the oldies on the committee zealously guard the plump sinking fund (as it used…
Roundup: We’re back … with the odd hiccup
It’s been a tough week at Flat Chat Central. Our fabulous website developers (Liveby5) have been working overtime to fix a range of problems that have been increasingly causing irritating…
Opportunists swoop and buyers walk as apartment prices plummet
Apartment owners trying to sell out of the now notorious Opal Tower block are being offered knock-down prices for their apartments, according to newspaper and online news reports. And neighbouring…
Podcast: On air with Josh Zepps and Part 2 of the strata disaster
Every so often, I get invited on to a radio or TV show to talk about apartments. This week I’ve been on Breakfast on ABC 702 with Josh Zepps, (usually…
How Airbnb votes could shape state government
The spread of short-term holiday letting into residential homes could be a significant local factor in the up-coming state election, according to Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich. And, depending on…
High anxiety – how truly safe is your balcony?
How safe is your balcony? That little bit of the outdoors leading from your lounge room, could be an accident waiting to happen. In 2017 two people died and 17…
Roundup – Return of the Zombie Forum topics
Jeez, there are some people who just shouldn’t be living in strata, aren’t there? As I said last week, it’s one of quirks of this website that we occasionally have…