From the Forum: Can we say no to noisy renos during lockdown?

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If you think being forced to work from home – or even just being stuck indoors with no work to go to – is bad enough, imagine how it feels when one of your neighbours decides that right now would be the perfect time to knock out a few walls, drill out the bathroom tiles and bump in a new kitchen.

And if that is going on all day and every day, something has to give.

Sadly, the Environmental Protection department’s rules on power tool noise were designed for free-standing homes on quarter-acre blocks.  Basically they’re 7am till 7pm, seven days a week (apart from Sundays when you can’t crank up the pneumatic drill until 8am).

Of course, this is no use to apartment residents who could be living right underneath, next to or above where the drilling, hammering and grinding is going on.

That’s why well-run apartment blocks have fairly restrictive renovation by-laws, which not only cut down the hours but often take weekends out of the equation entirely.

Basically, there is no place in apartment blocks for hobby renovators. And for every resident who thinks this is a perfect opportunity to get some work done there could be four or five others going quietly mad and plotting hideous revenge.

But what do you do if there are no reno-rules in your building?  We answer that one HERE.

Also in this week’s forum:

  • What do you do when the old strata manager gives the new one the wrong information about a levies increase? That’s HERE.
  • Which level of electrician is allowed to break the seal on a major fuse? That’s HERE.
  • Want some practical insights into the levies challenges facing owners and strata schemes? You’ll find them HERE.
  • What do you when an elderly resident who is always complaining about people leaving stuff in the lobby starts leaving their walking frame there? That’s HERE.

We are getting record numbers of readers to the Flat Chat website these days.  That means more questions that need more answers … maybe from YOU! Log in and have a look around.

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