Loan or levies – why can’t we use both when finances are forced?
While 2020 is likely to snare yet more strata owners in the must-pay trap of defects rectifications, there is a giant hole in most states’ strata laws that make it…
defects
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…
The claim game – detecting defects is just the beginning
You’ve just bought into a new apartment block and cracks have started to appear, or the roof leaks when it rains, or the fire safety measures wouldn’t stop a tea…
Opal chair reveals his year of dealing with disaster
It’s the kind of bad dream that has strata chairs waking up in a cold sweat; being thrust into the heart of a very public building disaster, with residents thrown…
From the Forum: fire regs, air cons and limits on tenant numbers
Particularly at this time when half the country seems to be going uip in flames, fire safety seems to be more relevant than ever. So imagine you are in a…
Flat Chat Wrap 48 – Flats grow, Government ducks, Airbnb strife
We cover a lot of ground in this week’s Flat Chat Wrap, starting with the surprising news that new apartments are getting bigger while houses are getting smaller. Is it…
PODCAST – Flats get bigger, Government ducks, Airbnb in strife
We cover a lot of ground in this week’s Flat Chat Wrap, starting with the surprising news that new apartments are getting bigger while houses are getting smaller. Is it…
Flat Chat Wrap #46 – cracking down on by-law breachers and bad builders
JimmyT thinks of changing the name of this week’s episode to Hard Chat (but won’t because he’s scared of Tom Gleason) as he’s going in hard on two very different…
Building expert: defects plan is deeply flawed
The NSW government’s plans to construct our apartment buildings better in the future, released last week, were met with a universal outpouring of … well … whatever the opposite of…
Ticking clocks and closing windows – time to deal with defects
Towards the end of last century, around about the time state governments started allowing apartment block developers to appoint their preferred certifiers, launching the self-certification scandal, HIH Insurance collapsed. HIH…
New apartments: How to select your defects detectives
Between flammable panel-clad high-rises, and crumbling apartment blocks, surveyors and certifiers have had a rough trot in the media in recent months. But if you are in a brand new…
PODCAST: Defect loans, Airbnb rules and sneaky sex in the spa
It’s a real mixed bag in this week’s Flat Chat Wrap podcast – finance, Airbnb and sneaky sex. Sue Williams and I start our dissection of the week’s strata news…
Flat Chat Wrap #37 – Defects loans, Airbnb rules and sex in the spa
It’s a real mixed bag in this week’s Flat Chat Wrap podcast – finance, Airbnb and sneaky sex. Sue Williams and I start our dissection of the week’s strata news…
OCN blasts ‘hands-off’ regulations after Four Corners TV report
Australia’s main apartment owners’ organisation claims unit residents have been left in the lurch by developers and builders thanks to “hands off” government regulations that allowed the construction of sub-standard…
Why low-cost defects loans are not enough
Despite the first rumblings of discontent among some commentators, NSW seems likely to offer strata owners interest-free loans to rectify defects in apartment buildings. And so they should. In fact,…
The real deal for strata owners on James Valentine
I was listening to the ABC News Radio last Friday and an item came on about strata defects, flammable cladding and the state ministers meeting in Sydney. The news reader…
Time we had a Tripadvisor for unit block builders?
With defects on the minds of everyone in the apartment world, there’s a whole lot of finger pointing going on. Developers are saying engineers should be certified, strata owners say…
Flat Chat Wrap #32 – Time we had a star rating for the best and worst developers and builders
We have a friend called Royce who wouldn’t buy so much as a toothbrush without checking online to see if it was the best design (at the best price) for…