Speaking at the NA’s sitting today, June 19, Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi acknowledged that setting a duration for apartment ownership as proposed in the draft has received clashing viewpoints. Read the article………………………..
India: ‘No Lungi or Nighty’: Row After Dress Code Circular in Greater Noida Society
An apartment owners’ association in Sector Phi 2 of Greater Noida has issued a request to all residents, urging them to consider their attire when utilizing the common areas and park facilities. Read the article………………………..
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: Noisy Strata Neighbours – The Top Noise Complaints
Strata apartments come with many perks for owners and tenants but of course, there’s also a downside with one of the biggest complaints being noise. As more and more people enjoy apartment living noise complaints have increased in recent times by 33%* and they continue to rise. Read the article………………………..
Japan: Japan weighs proxy condo management for owners abroad
The Japanese government is considering setting up a proxy condominium management system for overseas owners. Under the proposed system, proxies will have the authority to make decisions concerning the management of the condos on behalf of absentee owners. They will be able to decide, for instance, to allow builders entry into condo units for repair […]
Jamaica: New regime for communities with shared ownership in common property
Legislation regulating communities with shared ownership of common property (shared communities) that do not fall within the ambit of a strata has been on the horizon for some time now. Examples of such shared communities include townhouse developments, commercial developments and developments with semi-detached or detached units. 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………………………..
India: Workers in high-rises earn low wages
In the fast-mushrooming high-rise apartments and gated enclaves in urban areas, where the upper classes, including corporate honchos, are living, a gross lack of human concern is becoming largely manifest in the way the lakhs of workers working as cl… 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………………………..
Jamaica: Strata Corporations Urged to File Annual Returns
Director of the Commission of Strata Corporations (CSC), Tricia Harris says proprietors of strata corporations are still able file their annual returns with the Commission. Read the article………………………..
Singapore: Condo owners reluctant to sell private homes due to cooling measures
The 15-month wait-out period is a factor. After the 15-month wait-out period was introduced in September 2022, condo owners are now reluctant to sell their homes, said PropNex. 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 […]
India: Homeowners’ Association (HOA) Laws: Rights and Responsibilities of Owners
In this article, we will delve into the laws governing HOA’s and outline the rights and responsibilities of the owners. Read the article………………………..
South Africa: Cats and other issues of complaints not for ombud to determine, court rules
A resident and homeowner at an upmarket Johannesburg golf estate will no longer be able to call on the Community Scheme Ombud Service to resolve the disputes between her and the homeowners association. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Councils call for Strict Caps on Short Term Letting
Short-term rental accommodation (STRA) in strata properties will continue to be a highly contentious topic in 2023 with even more scrutiny and increasing backlash to the industry because of the current housing crisis. Read the article………………………..
South Africa: Woman sentenced to five years in prison
According to a statement by the Directorate for Priority Crimes (Hawks) Holtzhauzen was employed as a financial administration manager at Zandspruit Homeowners Association NPC situated in Hoedspruit. “Some of her responsibilities as a manager, include paying service providers for services rendered. Instead of paying the service providers, the accused created fictitious claims and transferred the […]
Malaysia: Duo lose bid to declare residents’ group security scheme illegal
THE Federal Court today dismissed an appeal brought by a homeowner and his tenant who sought to declare the gated and guarded community security scheme operated by the Bangsar Park Residents’ Association (BPRA) in Bangsar Park illegal. Read the article………………………..
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………………………..
India: Chintels Paradiso Collapse: Developer offers redevelopment, buyback option to residents,
Two women were killed after ceilings of several flats in tower D had collapsed. IIT-Delhi had recommended the evacuation of residents from towers E and F as well, which is yet to be done. 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………………………..
Philippines: Court fight between Villar, BF homeowners association may go into its second round
The fight between Senator Cynthia A. Villar and the BF Resort Village Homeowners Association in Las Pinas City may go into its second round. Villar said she would talk with her lawyer on filing a suit over several issues such as the construction by BFRV of a gate barring entry into her composting plant and […]
Philippines: Condo residents hit lack of evac order, return to ‘unsafe’ building
MULTIPLE concerns have been raised by unit owners of the condominium building next to the one in Grand Residences that was hit by fire on April 14, 2023, and among these was the fire alarm sounding only 40 minutes to one hour after the fire had started and their now being made to return to […]
South Africa: Woman to spend five years in jail for stealing more than R1.6 million from her employer
“Between January 28, 2019 and October 24, 2019, the accused was employed as a financial administration manager at Zandspruit Homeowners Association NPC situated in Hoedspruit. Some of her responsibilities as a manager were to pay the service providers for services rendered for the company,” Maluleke said. Read the article………………………..
Philippines: BI warns condo owners vs harboring illegal foreigners
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday warned condominium owners against harboring illegal foreign nationals after Sen. Risa Hontiveros reported that some condominiums in Metro Manila are being used in crypto currency scam operations. Read the article………………………..
Australia: Strata Levies Soar as the Cost of Living Rises
As the financial pressure heightens with rising interest rates and cost of living increases we’re seeing more and more people default on their levy payments. We all know that raising and collecting strata levies for building maintenance and scheme administration is fundamental to an efficiently run strata complex. 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………………………..
Philippines: Condo fire causes P4B in damage, review of firefighting capabilities
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is now looking to review the capabilities of the Cebu City Fire Office (CCFO) and other local fire brigades, following the severe damage brought by the fire. In an interview with SunStar Cebu on Saturday, April 15, Rama said this review aims to improve the capabilities of firefighters in the […]
Japan: Neighborhood associations in crisis over aging, other challenges
Neighborhood community associations, long taken for granted by residents for their ability to sort out problems their communities face, are in crisis. These entities traditionally serve as the backbone of any residential area in Japan as they work to, among other things, improve neighborhood safety, keep an eye on residents in need of help and […]
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………………………..
South Africa: Disgruntled Savoy and Waverly residents adopt derelict Weinberg Park
Savoy Estate Residents Association (Sera) and Waverley Ratepayers Residents Homeowners Association (WRRHA)’s vision for Weinberg Family Park includes: planting trees, maintaining infrastructure, and fixing the fencing. Read the article………………………..
Malaysia: Report: Will EV charging in strata unit parking and basements be banned?
The Ministry of Local Government Development (KPKT)’s still being developed guidelines for electric vehicles (EV) charger parking in the country has come under scrutiny by a website owing to two issues. Read the article………………………..
Australia: This parking behaviour is creating a nuisance and we thought we made a by-law to avoid this?
The case of The Owners Strata Plan No. 2245 v Veney [2020] NSWSC 134 serves as an important guide for the interpretation of by-laws and exploring parking behaviour considered to be a nuisance in a strata scheme. Read the article………………………..
Australia: change to queensland strata laws: is the “castle” revisited?
Despite pages of recommendations for changes to strata laws submitted by Queensland Law Society’s Property and Development Committee (of which our lawyers actively participate), the State Government has decided to focus its efforts on addressing a singular issue within the Property sector. This change, perhaps unsurprisingly, addresses the drastic undersupply of accommodation in Queensland. Read […]
Philippiines: Powers of a homeowner’s association
Q: The officers of the homeowner’s association in our subdivision decided to put another basketball court in the common area of our subdivision. Do they have the right to decide on this without even consulting us, the homeowners? Read the Q&A……………………………….
Australia: EV charging – everything developers, strata managers and architects need to know
The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is well underway, and with it, the need to provide EV chargers in multi-residential buildings. EV charging presents multiple challenges in terms of infrastructure and cost. What do developers, strata managers and architects need to know? And what can be done to future-proof new and existing assets? Read the […]
Malaysia: Strain of strata living
Residents’ attitude can determine the quality of life in communal housing. While many schemes in Selangor have to deal with poor management, StarMetro finds that some high-rise dwellers are working together to turn things around and improve their surroundings, given a little push. Read the article………………………..
Australia: EV charging – everything developers, strata managers and architects need to know
The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is well underway, and with it, the need to provide EV chargers in multi-residential buildings. What do developers, strata managers and architects need to know? And what can be done to future-proof new and existing assets? Read the article………………………..
Elevator with 11 people crammed inside plunges into the basement at a Brazilian residential building leaving three injured
At least three people were seriously injured after 11 passengers crammed into an elevator before it plunged into the basement of a condominium in northeast Brazil. Read the article………………………..
Singapore: 6 unusual rules that have shaped how condos have been built
Property developers in Singapore have a solid reputation, but a common criticism is that our projects are all “cookie-cutter”. There’s only one Interlace for every dozen other similar-looking projects. But there are reasons why developers build this way, just as there are reasons for some of the more awkward design choices. Read the article………………………..
South Africa: What are the rules for installing solar power when living in a complex?
The worsening load-shedding crisis is causing homeowners to seek alternatives to Eskom’s electricity supply. Many consumers have since opted for Solar power, an attractive option if you’re considering an entry-level solution to survive power outages or looking to get completely off the grid……Owners of standalone homes have leeway when installing solar power systems. But what […]
Rules for installing solar in complexes and estates in South Africa
Unlike stand-alone homeowners, those who live in residential estates or complexes in South Africa have several rules that need to be considered when looking to install solar. Read the article………………………..
Australia: NSW Court provides hope for owners corporations!
NSW has received a significant amount of rainfall over the last 18 months which has led to an increase in the number of claims made by lot owners against owners corporations in regards to common property and water leaks. These claims can be challenging and difficult for an owners corporation to defend but a recent […]
Russia: In Chernyakhovsk, The Former Chairman Of The HOA Collected 420,000 Rubles From The Owners And Spent
According to investigators, from January to October 2022, while serving as president of the HOA, the man received money from the owners of the living space of six multi-story buildings, allegedly to pay for the repair and maintenance of common property. No work was done, but the suspect regularly signed all the necessary documents. Read […]
India: 92-yo Helped His Neighbors Save 200K Liters of Water And Cut Their Electricity Bills by Half
A 92-year-old Mumbai man took action to transform his housing society with renewable energy and rainwater catches, saving the residents thousands. Read the article………………………..
South Africa: Fines and penalties in estates in South Africa – what you should know
South Africans building in an estate must ensure construction remains on track or face costly fines. Legal firm Wright Rose-Innes has noted a spike in clients who have received a large penalty on their monthly levy account from their corporate body or homeowner’s association for not starting/completing the building of a property on their estate’s […]
South Africa: Estate homeowners’ association loses high court appeal against ombud’s ruling
The Chapman’s Bay Estate Homeowners’ Association has lost its application to review and set aside an adjudication order by dispute resolution resource the Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS) on levies that the association imposed on a property. Read the article………………………..
Australia: NCAT’s Unlimited Jurisdiction – Work Orders
The recent decision in The Owners – Strata Plan No 93227 v In Style Developments Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCATCD provides insight in relation to the interplay of works orders, money orders and the transfer of proceedings to a Court. 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………………………..