strata company sydney

What Do I Own in my Strata Scheme and What is Common Property?

Posted on 4 CommentsPosted in Body Corporate, Hints for Strata Living, News, Owners Corporation Compliance, Strata Compliance, Strata Management

For any unit owner as part of a strata scheme, body corporate or owners corporation, the critical question is what is your unit (or lot) and what is common property. This will determined who is responsible for what and who pays. General Rule (subject to exceptions) The general rule applicable to the majority of strata schemes registered after 1 July 1974 is: The structures located on the solid thick line, such as, that shown above at the registration of the strata plan are common property. The ceiling , the structure of the floor including fixed tiles or floorboards, the electrical […]Read More

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What approvals do I need to renovate my unit?

Posted on 13 CommentsPosted in News, Strata Compliance

Owners living in a strata community, body corporate or owners’ corporation sometimes want to renovate their apartments. But it’s difficult to know your rights and obligations. Do I need permission from my neighbours to renovate? What if I don’t get permission? It’s not really that scary, more common-sense so dream big with your renovations but follow the rules. This article by Bannermans Lawyers is very helpful for navigating the difference between hammering a nail in a wall to enclosing a balcony. What approvals do I need to renovate my unit? While this article is about renovating units in NSW only […]Read More

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Self managed strata schemes: does your tradie have the right insurance?

Posted on 2 CommentsPosted in News, Strata Compliance, Strata Management

Self-managing your strata scheme it’s important to check that the tradies you engage have the right insurance cover. It’s not hard. Just follow these steps. Make sure that you check that the company the tradie works for has public liability insurance.  Simply getting a, “Yes I do!” from the tradesperson is not sufficient.  You must ask them to provide you with a Certificate of Currency, which they can obtain from their insurer. Holger Schnabel, from Whitbread Insurance Brokers says, “Best practice is keeping a register of all of the tradespeople used by the Owners Corporation and note that a copy […]Read More

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Savvy Strata Owners Get Involved

Posted on Leave a commentPosted in Hints for Strata Living, News, Our Body Corp Updates, Strata Compliance, Strata Management

News Release Coinciding with popular TV shows such as The Block, today’s Strata unit owners are more savvy about their investment, taking control and interest in managing the affairs of the whole building they live in, including the common areas they jointly own. Commenced in the early 1960s as a form of property management devised for people living in unit blocks, townhouses and apartment buildings, today there are an estimated 120,000 Strata, Body or Owners’ Corporations in Australia. Mostly they manage the common areas such as stairs, lifts, gardens, car parks and the like, as well as organising building maintenance funds […]Read More

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Navigating the minefield that is strata insurance

Posted on 1 CommentPosted in News, Strata Compliance, Strata Management

1. What is Strata Insurance? Strata Insurance is designed to protect you and your property as a lot owner. It provides general insurance cover for common property under the management of a strata title or body corporate entity. The premiums for strata insurance are typically shared amongst the lot owners as part of their strata fees and levies. 2. Is Strata Insurance mandatory? Holding strata insurance is mandatory under each state’s relevant strata legislation. However, each state and territory has different legislative requirements that deal with insurance for strata title properties. You should always check that your insurance meets those […]Read More

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Does Your Pool Pass the Test?

Posted on 1 CommentPosted in Hints for Strata Living, News, Strata Compliance, Urban communities

Does your pool pass the test? What is the test? Did you know from April next year when a property, with a pool, is sold or leased in NSW that a certificate of compliance regarding the pool will need to be attached to the sale or lease contract? This can all sound kind of complicated, and the message we’re hearing is owners must obtain their certificate of compliance as soon as possible. Don’t wait until the time of sale or lease to apply. We understand that the Building Professional’s Board is establishing a new category of private certifier for pool […]Read More

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A pipe has been broken by a tenant in a strata property. Who pays?

Posted on 2 CommentsPosted in Hints for Strata Living, News, Strata Compliance, Strata Management

We recently saw this question about tenants in a strata property posted on the Flat Chat Forum, (a forum for people and managers living and working in strata communities can post questions and have them answered by the community). Question: Tenants broke a waste pipe which is attached to the garage wall inside the garage. They hit it whilst entering or exiting the garage.  The owner has asked the Owners Corporation to have the pipe repaired. My question is who should pay for repair as the damage is obviously done by the tenant and our owners corporation are getting sick […]Read More

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NSW Strata Law Revolution

Posted on 1 CommentPosted in News, Our Body Corp Updates, Strata Compliance

There is a NSW strata law revolution quietly going on. New by-laws allowing pets in units, curbing smoking on apartment balconies and preventing the installation of noisy timber and tiled floors are among the changes in the biggest overhaul of strata laws in more than 50 years. Announcing the long-awaited reforms, Fair Trading Minister Anthony Roberts noted that 30 per cent of people in NSW either live or work in strata and there are now more than 72,000 strata plans – ranging from two-unit duplexes to massive mixed residential and commercial blocks. In 20 years, half the state’s population will […]Read More

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1 in 10 Australians live in strata units but know little about what it means

Posted on 1 CommentPosted in Hints for Strata Living, News, Strata Compliance

Great article from UNSW TV on living in strata units and what it means: One in 10 Australians live in strata titled homes such as apartments or townhouses; in Sydney it’s closer to one in four. A UNSW study has found there are major problems with strata living, including ongoing building defects and management issues. One in ten Australians live in strata titled homes such as apartments or townhouses; in Sydney it’s closer to one in four. But how much do we know about strata title living and what it involves? The University of New South Wales has completed a […]Read More