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QLD: Q&A Apartment Gym Equipment Removed Without Consulting Lot Owners
Frank Higginson, Hynes Legal Question: The manager in our building removed our gym. This was the only apartment gym equipment in the building. This was done with no consultation whatsoever with lot owners or residents.
NSW: Q&A Noisy Neighbour Replaced Carpet with Noisy Vinyl
Leanne Habib, Premium Strata
Question: A noisy neighbour has replaced carpet with vinyl boards. This renovation was done without owners corporation approval. The increased noise transference permitted through the new vinyl flooring is unacceptable to neighbours who have complained accordingly.
ACT: Q&A Unapproved alterations – remove at the owners expense
Christopher Kerin, Kerin Benson Lawyers Question: Unapproved alterations have been made to the exterior of many townhouses in my scheme. Can the Body Corporate request to have these unapproved fixtures removed at the owner’s expense?
QLD: Chairperson ordered to stop bullying a caretaker
Frank Higginson, Hynes Legal
We have been waiting for a while, but we finally have a decision from the Fair Work Commission (FWC) that gives some guidance about whether the sort of conduct we regularly see in terms of committee and resident manager communications constitutes bullying.
NSW: When a lot owner wants to expand into part of the common property
Samantha Saw, Speirs Ryan More lot owners are considering expanding into the roof space or basement of a strata scheme adjacent to their lot. Doing so can have benefits but there are different approaches and conflicting views on whether an owners corporation is obliged to agree.
Smart Apartment Technology: Making Apartment Living Easier
The LookUpStrata Team
Smart apartment technology has improved apartment living by introducing exciting products and services that keep you more connected, organised and comfortable.
QLD: Q&A Duties of a Building Manager & Providing Relevant Information
Frank Higginson, Hynes Legal Question: We are experiencing unprofessional conduct from our onsite managers who are providing personal information about lot owners. The police have been involved. We receive no support from the Body Corporate Managers and Committee.
QLD: Q&A The First rule of Visitor Parking in Apartments – umm, it’s for visitors!
Todd Garsden, Hynes Legal Question: The most recent article on Visitor Parking has prompted a question. Staff (employed under a contract) by the Building Managers are being allowed to park in Visitors car parking spaces while they are working on site.
The Body Corporate has attempted to prevent this however the Building Managers contends that the housekeeping staff are actually “visiting” lot owners in order to clean the units.
Can the Body Corporate prevent the Building Managers staff/contractors from using the visitors car parking spaces?
Aust Wide: Mobile App Tenant Engagement and Strata CRM
Stratafy brings the full end to end software management for all strata buildings. Stratafy was built with the end user experience in mind and automates and creates and experience that makes Strata and building management simple, automated and artificially intelligent.
VIC & NSW: Specialist provider of property services & facilities management We deliver services which are not core to our clients operations to business in the Real Estate, Owners Corporation and Insurance industries, enabling our clients to focus on their core business. We have been established in Melbourne since 1987.
News of the Week
VIC: Premier says Airbnb rules may change after teen's death in tower block
Clay Lucas, The Sydney Morning Herald Premier Daniel Andrews says he is "open" to tightening short-stay rental laws in the wake of the killing of a 19-year-old woman in a tower dominated by Airbnb lettings.
NSW: Sydney’s rooftop revolution: why we’re on the path to 100% renewables
City of Sydney "...we plan to launch a solar concierge service. If you’re an apartment owner in the City of Sydney area, you’ll be able to call a number and ask for advice. You’ll be given cost breakdowns to take to your body corporate. You’ll be guided through the quoting process. We’ll make it easier for you."
Supreme Court rules in favour of Victorians with disabilities: Owners corps to pay for modification works
Allison Worrall, Domain Apartment owners could have to pay for additional building works following a Supreme Court decision hailed as a victory for Victorians with disabilities.
9News The Twin Towers on Elizabeth Quay will be joined by the Ritz Carlton and the developers are confident both projects will buck the downward trends. The Twin Towers consists of 374 apartments - 1, 2 and 3 bedroom boasting 'forever uninterrupted' water views. 70% of the development has sold. A 2 bedroom apartment will set you back $1.2M. Or how about the three storey penthouse at just $12M?
State Member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, has launched a petition to have short term letting debated in NSW parliament. He needs 10,000 signatures. They must be original signatures so people need to print, sign, and mail/drop off to his office.
We urge NSW LookUpStrata readers to sign, put up in their lobbies, and share with their committees and other lot owners.
Independent MP Alex Greenwich: There has been a strong supportive response to my petition calling for owners corporations the authority to control short term letting in their building, including to place limits beyond state controls or to ban the practice outright. If you support this approach, please sign and collect signatures. Print petition HERE.
Before making any decisions about possible changes to the BUGT Act, the Queensland Government would like to hear your views about QUT’s recommendations.
You are invited to provide feedback on QUT’s recommendations to harmonise some provisions of the BUGT Act and the BCCM Act to provide bodies corporate operating under the BUGT Act with a more contemporary body corporate legislative framework.
WA Apartment Advocacy is conducting a Survey on Strata Fees.
This survey is for lot owners: both owner occupiers and investors.
The survey can be completed HERE. Results will be published via the WAAA site next month.
Quick QLD Question
We sometimes receive interesting questions into the site which aren't quite long enough to create a post. We thought we'd share some here. We recently received the following question: Q: We have a leak coming through our laundry roof that has flooded our laundry for the 2nd time. We live in a strata high-rise in Surfers. Who is responsible? Todd Garsden, Hynes Legal replied: A: It all comes down to who is the person responsible for maintaining the cause of the leak. The only way to really find this out is have a builder inspect and provide a report showing what is causing the leak.
