Ask most prospective homeowners and they’ll probably tell you they’d rather buy a house than a unit. But the financial reality is that apartments are not as expensive so they might be a better bet for people who want to get on to the property ladder. House prices have jumped sharply in Sydney’s inner west, […]
Australia: Forced sales dumped as government introduces strata reform to Assembly (NSW)
Controversial plans that could have forced ACT apartment owners to sell their properties have not been included in the government’s new Managing Buildings Better reforms, which was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday. Read the article…………………….
Australia: Pet owner ‘ecstatic’ as tribunal overturns no-pets policy in Sydney’s Horizon apartment block
The dog owner who challenged a total pet ban in one of Sydney’s richest and most prestigious apartment buildings has won her case after a four-and-a-half-year battle. In a decision that could affect any apartment block in NSW with a no-pets policy, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) ruled on Friday that the 43-storey, […]
Australia: Body corporate gets Airbnb banned from Gold Coast complex in Queensland first
In a landmark ruling, a Gold Coast body corporate has succeeded in having Airbnb rentals banned from its complex. Two property owners on Fairway Island within the Hope Island Resort gated community wanted to list on the short-term rental site but a magistrate ruled in favour of their body corporate, which was against the proposition. […]
Australia: Strata Community Association NSW president Chris Duggan says it’s time to “get on with” rectifying the flammable cladding on Wollongong buildings
A strata sector advocate has called for action to “get on with” making Wollongong properties safe that have been identified as containing flammable cladding. In September, the Mercury reported that there were 58 buildings in the Wollongong LGA which have, or may have, the combustible aluminium panels. Read the article……………………………….
Australia: Should pets be allowed in apartment buildings? The Sydney unit owners locked in a legal battle
Half-blind, half-deaf miniature schnauzer Angus is at the centre of a bitter battle at one of Sydney’s most prestigious apartment buildings between those who want to keep it pet-free, and others who think they’re barking mad. The award-winning Harry Seidler-designed Horizon in Darlinghurst has voted to spend $70,000 on legal action to try to evict […]
Australia: Strata Titles Amendment Act 2018: Change is coming (WA)
The Strata Titles Amendment Act was passed in parliament last year and the Regulations have been drafted, distributed for public comment and Landgate are now reviewing feedback so that the Proposed Strata Titles Act (General) Regulations 2019 can be delivered to Parliament in the next few months. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Mascot Towers owners appeal for govt help (NSW)
Apartment owners in Sydney’s cracked Mascot Towers have pleaded for the NSW government to help fund remediation work before the building suffers further damage. Better Regulation Minister Kevin Anderson and Premier Gladys Berejiklian were asked about providing low interest loans in parliament on Tuesday. Read the article……………………..
Australia: Are You Speaking Legalese? – The Need for Easily Understandable Bylaws
For instructions to be followed, they need to easily understood, likewise, we believe by-laws should use language and a structure which is immediately apparent and understandable, avoiding the use of legal jargon or overly complicated terms and phrases known as legalese. Read the article…………………………
Australia: Many Mascot Towers owners can’t pay levy
Apartment owners in Sydney’s cracked Mascot Towers have asked for the NSW government to help fund remediation works because a third of them can’t afford to pay a special levy. Residents of the 132 apartments were evacuated in mid-June due to cracking in the primary support structure and facade masonry. Read the article…………………………
Australia: Vegan Cilla Carden’s court action against neighbour (in strata) sparks huge barbecue meat protest
More than five thousand people are planning to attend a protest barbecue outside the home of a vegan who took her neighbour to court over the smell of cooking meat wafting into her yard.Read the article………………
Australia: ’24/7 presence:’ Building manager who built underground cave amid stolen goods also allegedly hacked apartment security database (NSW)
A strata apartment manager, who built an ‘Aladdin’s-cave’ inside the complex filled with hundreds of stolen items, watched residents on an allegedly hacked CCTV system from his makeshift bedroom. Jaden Hati, 42, was arrested late last month, following an investigation into the theft of hundreds of items stolen from the underground storage cages of residents […]
Australia: Mascot Towers owners vote to pay $7m levy to fix cracked complex
They have been pushed to the brink of financial ruin, but residents of the doomed Mascot Towers are forking out yet again, agreeing to pay more than $7 million to start repairs on their damaged home. Three hundred people attended an extraordinary meeting last night where a vote was held on whether to bankroll stage […]
Australia: Public consultation begins for WA’s strata reforms
WA’s strata laws and regulations are changing for the better. These are the most important updates to our State’s strata system in over 20 years. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Owners’ rights at top of ACT government’s strata reform agenda
Apartment buyers would be told when “significant” design amendments are proposed for developments which they have bought into, under sweeping changes to how high-rise living is managed in Canberra Read the article………………………..
Australia: Mascot Towers owners slapped with whopping $10 million bill
Residents of Mascot Towers in Sydney were evacuated in June this year, following persistent cracking throughout the building. The emergency repairs were initially touted to cost $5.5 million, but new reports say the owners are now facing a whopping $10 million bill to fix the defects – which is a cost of $76,000 per unit. […]
Australia: NSW warned of more lawsuits over buildings
The NSW government is being warned it could face a multi-billion dollar lawsuit from apartment owners if it doesn’t urgently address the state’s building problems. The peak body representing strata residents and owners will on Wednesday meet with the government to demand it fix the “dog’s breakfast” in construction standards and flammable cladding. Read the […]