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: ‘Unbelievably cruel’: Mascot Towers residents continue to pay fees for units they can’t live in
For hundreds of unit owners from Sydney’s doomed Mascot Towers, this year marks their fourth Christmas paying fees for homes too unsafe to live in. In June 2019 residents of the towers were ordered to evacuate due to cracking in the walls. Read the article………………………….
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: Victorian government cracks down on bizarre three-storey rule after 77 apartment owners ruined
The Victorian government is considering a major change to the process of building apartment blocks after multiple homeowners were stung by a blind spot in the law. Read the article…………………………………
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: Fees for pet owners to be banned amid overhaul of strata laws (NSW)
The Minns government will seek to overhaul strata laws to close a loophole that has stymied Sydney apartment redevelopments while also making it easier for people who own pets to live in unit blocks. Read the article……………………………
Australia: Strata Companies facing calls to offer hardship arrangements
Skyrocketing Strata fees are sending a growing number of homeowners….. bankrupt Watch the video report……………………………….
Australia: Strata managers struggling with verbal abuse and long hours
Strata managers are increasingly facing difficult working conditions, with nearly two-thirds facing verbal abuse from both owners and tenants on top of long hours. 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: (Op/Ed) Is it worth paying the volunteers on your apartment committee?
Some argue for paying a little more in your levies to have trained office-bearers, rather than untrained amateurs making big-buck decisions. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Apartment owners face strata fee increases of 20 per cent as costs soar
Strata levies paid by apartment owners are up by 15 to 20 per cent on average over the past year as the costs of insurance, utilities and repairs and maintenance outstrip even the rapid rise in general inflation. Read the article………………………..
Australia: The ‘extra obstacle’ for owners clashing with body corporates over building defects (NSW)
The number of people applying for strata scheme mediation has surged by 45 per cent in five years as owners clash with owners corporations over building defects and repairs. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Apartment owners face strata fee increases of 20 per cent as costs soar
Strata levies paid by apartment owners are up by 15 to 20 per cent on average over the past year as the costs of insurance, utilities and repairs and maintenance outstrip even the rapid rise in general inflation. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Queensland government proposing changes to strata laws
The Queensland government is proposing a reduction in the number of unit owners needed to agree on a sale of the entire complex. Watch the news report………………………..
Australia: Frustrated neighbours, debt and $1m budgets: High stakes for volunteer strata committees
Understanding “incredibly complex” legislation and maintenance has been a huge learning curve, and trying to get owners to understand costs or participate in subcommittees has been a major hurdle, O’Connell said. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Apartment and townhouse owners report strata fees rising by up to 45 per cent over past year
Australia’s growing population of apartment and townhouse owners say their strata fees have substantially increased in the past year Read the article………………………..
Australia: Thinking about joining your strata committee? Here’s why you should take the leap
With the increasing popularity of apartment living and the desire to be close to amenities, as many as 1 in 5 Australians now reside in properties under a strata title. Nationally, there are 340,601 strata schemes, with 2,869,845 lots, resulting in an average of 8.4 lots per strata scheme, according to data in the June […]
Australia: ‘Dob in a developer’ scheme extended as builders forced to fix defects
Builders and developers have been told to fix shonky work across 33 properties by NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler, as the government announces an extension to the building dispute resolution scheme. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Can you charge an EV in a strata complex? It’s complicated
Strata residences such as apartment buildings and unit dwellings, ill-equipped to deal with a mass uptake of electric vehicle charging, could slow the country’s progress in transitioning to green tech. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Strata explained: Your most pressing strata questions answered
From short-term rental policies to guidelines for electric vehicle charging stations, Stephen Brell, president of the Strata Community Association answers all your burning strata questions. 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: New Condition Reports Required for Strata Buildings Dispute Resolution
Building and Energy has observed a trend by strata companies regarding the inclusion of what is considered to be building maintenance items within a defect list, when making a complaint to the Building Commissioner. Read the article………………………..
Australia: ‘It’s immoral’: Family without home for seven months after black mould nightmare
A leaky washing machine in an upstairs apartment has led to seven months of hell for a Melbourne couple who are now effectively homeless with concerns about their young children’s health. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Couple on brink of losing home amid one of the country’s messiest body corporate wars
A Gold Coast couple is on the brink of losing their home after one of Australia’s messiest body corporate wars. Nick and Soula Hronis thought they had all the required approvals in place to build a balcony on their apartment at the Malibu unit complex at Mermaid Waters. Read the article………………………..
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: Homeowners forced to fork out hundreds of dollars extra a year as strata fees soar by 40 per cent
Homeowners whose properties belong to a strata scheme are feeling the pinch as the cost of living crisis causes quarterly levies to soar, forcing dozens out of their homes. 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: Pressure Builds to Reform Strata Title Laws
Developers in Queensland are urging changes to the state’s “antiquated” strata title rules as part of measures to solve the housing shortage. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Room with a feud: Apartment dwellers seek to ban neighbours from smoking on balconies
A couple who successfully sued their neighbours to stop them smoking on their apartment balcony say the NSW government should bring in a statewide ban. Brenton Pittman and Lynette Cartwright from Kingscliff in northern NSW won in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal after complaining of persistent tobacco smoke drift from the apartment immediately below […]
Australia: Commissioner’s plan to purge lawyers from costly fights over dodgy buildings (NSW)
Owners’ corporations can now dob in defective buildings up to six years old and receive help from the government to resolve the dispute outside the courts under an initiative set up by the state’s inaugural Building Commissioner. 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: Strata management target of cyber attack
An Australia-wide strata management firm has been targeted by a ransomware attack. The attack compromised the operating systems and phone lines of SSKB. Watch the news report……………………….
Australia: Calls for Queensland to end 25-year locked-in property management contracts amid rising body corporate costs
Rising tensions between Queensland homeowners and property managers over locked-in management rights contracts lasting up to 25 years will be raised at the state government’s housing summit today amid concerns of rising body corporate fees. Read the article………………………..
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: Stumped for good strata advice? Where you can find it
A recent story about an elderly couple hit with a cruel, special levy, with costs trebled by fighting an unwinnable case in court, has highlighted the importance of good, reliable advice for apartment owners. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Building defects: In the aftermath of Mascot Towers, how has the industry changed
It’s been three years since residents in Mascot Towers were forced to evict their homes, leaving many in limbo and causing a huge emotional and financial toll on unit owners. 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: ‘Just like The Castle’: The apartment owners under siege in their own buildings
Apartment owners claim they’re under siege from telcos determined to install broadband services in their buildings – whether residents want them or not. And they say they’re being forced to hire lawyers to try to stop them and protect their common property from potential damage caused by subcontractors when companies bully their way in. Read […]
Australia: Developer, neighbouring property owners reach settlement following damages lawsuit
Aland Developments and Mascot Towers have agreed to an out-of-court settlement after it was alleged the developer caused major damage to their homes while working on their Peak Towers project. 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……………………………….