Australia: ACCC ‘continuing to engage’ on strata issues

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says it is examining lobby group information that highlights poor conduct by some strata managers in arranging insurance.  The Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby (ACIL) has presented its concerns to the consumer commission and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, giving examples that it says should be reviewed and asking […]

Australia: How stratas are derailing unit owners’ bid to lower bills

Unmotivated owners and strata policies are preventing more apartment blocks from moving to renewable energy.  ReNewCo founder and CEO Matthew Summerville has recently installed solar to a block of units in Clovelly and said that unit owners have more options than they realise.   Read the article…………………………….

Australia: Five ways strata owners can stem the tide of rising insurance

Climate change is driving insurance premiums higher – in strata properties premiums are set to rise nationally by 15-20 per cent from the start of FY24, according to Honan Insurance Group, driven by “claims costs inflation, rising building valuations, and insurers raising rates after periods of losses”.    Read the article……………………………….

Australia: Strata association produces insurance disclosure guide

Strata Community Association (SCA) has produced a best practice guide that aims to improve disclosure in areas such as commissions, conflicts of interest and the allocation of remuneration.  The release of the guide comes after recommendations made by consultant John Trowbridge in the first phase of an independent review of strata insurance practices and draws […]

Australia: Serious defects found in more than 50% of NSW strata buildings

More than half of NSW strata buildings have serious defects, with an estimated $79 million being spent by owners’ corporations to rectify the issues, a survey has found.  The joint initiative between Strata Community Association (SCA) NSW and the Office of the Building Commissioner found 53% of buildings had serious defects between 2016-2022, up from […]

Australia: NSW Government grant program will assist buildings become EV ready

The NSW Government is investing $10 million to assist NSW strata apartments by co-funding the assessment and installation of electric vehicle infrastructure upgrades. Find out more about the Electric Vehicle Ready Buildings (EVRB) grants in this webinar with the program.    Read the article……………………………..

Australia: Everything that’s wrong with NSW’s Common Property Memorandum

In 2015, the NSW strata law changes introduced a short-form way of trying to clarify who’s responsible for different parts of a strata building: the strata corporation or strata owners. But, like so many tempting shortcuts, it’s poorly considered and done, it doesn’t work, it’s very messy, and, it should be abolished……..Read the article……………………………….

Australia: Backroom deals in strata insurance and how they’re costing you

There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to strata insurance, and a lot of the movement is hidden from the people who pay for it.  It all comes down to the complex dealings between strata managers and the insurance industry – dealings that often involve undisclosed commissions and payments.  Read the article………………………………..

Australia: The one thing you need to know before you buy in Queensland

Laura Bos, general manager of the Queensland wing of Strata Community Association (SCAQ), the strata managers’ and service providers’ professional body, says the Queensland government needs to live up to a promise made to fix the state’s seriously out-of-date body corporate laws.   Read the article………………………..

Australia/Singapore: Governing cities: Exploring the laws of multi-family dwellings

Multi-family dwellings are an inevitable part of cities around the world. With so many living in close proximity to one another, conflicts are unavoidable. It is therefore important to ensure that such conflicts are efficiently resolved, and multi-family dwellings are governed properly. In the context of Singapore, applying for a high-rise public housing flat is […]

Australia: Strata managers struggling under insurance policy squeeze

Astronomic increases in insurance premiums, declining insurance industry competition in the local market and risk hyper-aversion are putting strata managers in a tight spot, according to the president of the industry’s peak organisation.   Read the article………………………..

Australia: Now is the perfect time to fix broken strata system

One significant step forward the new government could take would be to support the Owners Corporation Network, which represents strata owners, with substantial guaranteed finances for the next four years, as it does with the Tenants’ Union.   Read the article………………………..

Australia: Strata Trends 2023

The good news is Australia’s 61 years-old strata industry is flourishing. In fact, it has doubled in 20 years. The last two decades of growth has been cumulative rather than cyclical, with each release of lots into the market adding to the industry’s dwelling stock.  Read the article………………………..

Australia: Consultation to inform education requirements for strata managers (NSW)

Strata management industry representatives and stakeholders are encouraged to have their say on proposed changes to educational requirements for those working in Western Australia’s strata management industry.  Released today by Landgate, the consultation paper was developed in collaboration with the Strata Community Association (WA), REIWA and the Property Council. It outlines a new proposed model […]

Australia: ‘I lost everything’: She was forced to move out of her home. But she’s still being drained of thousands each month

Treacy Sheehan was getting ready for a night out when police knocked on her door.  The Sydney apartment building she had called home for four years was in danger of collapsing – and Sheehan, her young son, and her fellow residents of the 131-unit apartment block would have to leave immediately.    Read the article………………………..

Australia: Retirees face exorbitant fees for retirement village

A group of New South Wales retirees claim RSL LifeCare is seeking exorbitant fees from them for upkeep of their retirement village in Sydney’s north-west and they want to know where their strata money has been going.   Read the article………………………..

Australia: New South Wales Helps Strata Title Buildings Get EV Ready

As part of policies to help New South Wales reduce emissions, the state government is providing tools to help strata title buildings get EV ready. These tools include a simple 5 step program to help body corporates in their decision making processes. Note that a motion to install EV chargers can pass if less than […]

Australia: Pensioners face homelessness over strata levy payment plan

An elderly Sydney couple could soon be homeless after being put on a near-impossible payment plan for a special strata levy to upgrade their windows.  Pensioners Nitsa and Spiros have called their unit home for 50 years, but now they’re staring down the barrel of bankruptcy.   Read the article…………………………..

Australia: Mascot Towers saga a sorry reminder to keep strata records (NSW)

As if the former residents of Mascot Towers in Sydney weren’t doing it tough enough, last month they received another blow, and it’s one that smacks of local government incompetence, with maybe even a lingering whiff of past potential corruption   Read the entire article……………………………….

Australia: Vertical village “Strata Hub” (NSW)

The NSW Government is introducing “Strata Hub” which aims to consolidate core information about strata schemes – but who will it really benefit?  Information, and its management, is well-recognised as a vital organisational resource, essential for informed decision making. And it is now widely accepted that an organisation’s performance is strongly linked to how well […]

Australia: Out-of-Court Settlement Reached Over Opal Tower

A landmark out-of-court settlement has been reached in the multi-million-dollar class action over Sydney’s defect-riddled Opal Tower, one of Australia’s most significant property lawsuits.  Read the entire article……………………………….