The Queensland State Governments introduced new Smoke Alarm laws which came into effect on 1 January 2017. The new laws were developed following the recommendations made after the 2011 fatal house fire at Slacks Creek in Brisbane’s south, which tragically claimed 11 lives including 8 children. The full coroners report can be read Here. Almost…
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If you’ve been following my articles over the last couple of years, you know I have a friend who became a community manager. She, like all of us, loves it while simultaneously wanting to poke her eyes out. So, normal, right? Much to her amusement I have written several articles about the various scenarios managers…
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Schoolies week is now officially underway so residents in strata buildings in the many QLD tourist hotspots have seen an influx of teenagers celebrating the end of their high school years. Air BnB properties located in the party zone that provide a teen budget friendly price point and no traditional Schoolies rules most apartment buildings…
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The timely payment of contributions and service charges by each owner is essential for the ongoing operation of a body corporate. Regardless of an individual’s personal or financial circumstances, it really is unfair on all other owners if one owner does not pay on time (and in full) any amounts owed. The paying owners end up subsidising…
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Have you ever received a valuation when seeking insurance renewal terms and thought, this value seems way less than what the building is worth? There is a good reason for this common misconception. We will explain the difference between market and insurance valuations and also the basis for preparation of an insurance valuation by a…
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Do tenants have the same rights as the owners in a body corporate and what are they? These are common questions of both tenants and owners to the Commissioner’s office. In this article I answer some of the common enquiries to help you understand your obligations. Keep in mind that obligations and rights of tenants…
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You have been told time and time again that a body corporate cannot make a by-law banning short term letting or Airbnb within its strata community. But a strata community we have been working with closely for almost two years put in place a by-law prohibiting lettings of less than one month as a means…
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As a strata manager, I often get questions about a persons actions or behaviour and whether they are acceptable. This is a difficult question to answer and as always in the world of strata, the answer usually is found within the by laws of the scheme in question. This prompted me to think about rules…
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If you have been in strata long enough you may recall that once upon a time a single owner which was often the resident manager, would hold all the voting rights from the proxies they hold for most owners, usually from their letting pool. This practice was stopped when the BCCM act came into affect…
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Does your Body Corporate purchase electricity in bulk and then on-sell to residents via privately owned meters? Is your current electricity account issued to you by your Body Corporate or a billing agent? If you answered yes to the above you most likely live in an embedded network. You may be eligible for a rebate…
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