Your Strata Property With Amanda Farmer

Reena Van Aalst joins me to discuss: – Building Management Committees (BMCs): do owners have the right to access records of the BMC? – can an owners corporation refuse to accept cash from an owner wanting to pay their strata levies?  – the benefits that a loyal referral partner can bring to your business. 

Having spent many years assisting owners, committees, and my own neighbours through large strata remedial works projects, this week I’m sharing my top 3 tips to help ease the pain for anyone doing the same.

Reena Van Aalst joins me to discuss: -why it’s important to update the insurer at the conclusion of legal proceedings, -motions to keep quarterly levies rolling on at the same rate until re-determined: are they legal? -Reena’s takeaways from her recent trip to Spain, and -how to transfer a case from a court to the tribunal, and why you might want to.

Strata owner and committee member Kareem Tawansi long ago made the choice to live in strata rather than a Sydney terrace house. In this chat, Kareem shares how the communities he is now part of are reaching new heights, including the recent approval of a $2.7m upgrade project.

Dr Nicole Johnston joins me to share her soon-to-be-published research, confirming what many in strata have known to be true for quite some time: owners are not meeting their legal duty to properly repair and maintain their buildings, and it’s probably time for some government intervention.

I’ve chosen three listener questions to answer, covering termites, security cameras and the strata manager’s authority to appear before the tribunal.

By popular demand, this is your short (12 min) summary of the Barnes case – including why the case is so important for NSW strata communities. This one delivered for you by a special guest. Tune in to find out who…

Amy Brand and Julie McLean join me, sharing your access to The High Life Expo, happening online and in-person over the next month. We discuss how the apartment market is already changing when it comes to the sustainability conversation – with purchasers demanding more, and how suppliers can best harness the many new opportunities available.

Reena Van Aalst brings us a (long!) list of deadline-driven tasks that a strata manager is legally required to complete on behalf of their clients, and I ask her the question: how do you run a profitable business?  I explain the limitations on spending special levy funds, and invite you to the inaugural Strata Impact Conference.

I’m taking you inside part of my LIVE in-person presentation delivered for The City of Canada Bay Council earlier this year, sharing how and why our strata committees should be engaging in the practice of radical transparency (which shouldn’t be that radical…)

Bruce Minter, long-term strata committee member, joins me as we discuss the incredible resilience required to lead a strata community. Bruce explains how he helped his community shift its collective mindset and break “the curse of low levies”. He shares lessons learned from the U.S. Founding Fathers, and his unique understanding that strata “is not a jam stall at a school fete. I...

Daniel Holt, strata manager, joins me, calling out the ‘gaslighting’ that he says has been going on in the strata management industry, with the real cost of managing a strata building hidden behind sophisticated third-party payment arrangements extending beyond insurance commissions. 

In a week during which the media continues to wage war against strata managers, Reena Van Aalst joins me to provide her point of view. We discuss: – models of remuneration for strata managers, and what Reena says needs to change – the role of Strata Community Association – the murky arrangements between other strata “professionals” and service providers, overdue for i...

Recorded before last week’s ABC news story broke, in this interview Tyrone Shandiman of the Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby explains: – how a lack of informed consent around insurance broker appointments may be harming strata owners, – the commercial advantage that strata managers accepting commissions have over those who don’t, – how unfair industry “stand...

Allume Energy’s Australian-made, world-first technology is expanding the benefits of solar power, past a building’s common areas and into the homes of its occupants. Will Antsee of Allume joins me to explain how millions of apartment residents can reduce their energy bills, at a time when savings have never been more important.

Reena joins me to discuss: – who is responsible for paying the insurance excess on a claim arising from an owner’s burst flexi-hose, – meeting minutes: do our minute-takers have sufficient training? – another Tribunal win for a self-represented litigant and member of our online community.

Effective meetings are at the heart of well-functioning strata communities. Today, I’m taking a closer look at how we record the minutes of meetings, including sharing some insights on the subject drawn from my recent visit to the United States.

I’m taking you inside last Friday’s CPD Education Day, for a quick listen to part of my session on the topic of “privacy” in strata. Just as important for owners as they are for managers, the lessons of this session may surprise you. Also, get the diary out, because I’m announcing the date for our 2025 CPD Education Day. Yep! We’re an organised bunch here at YSP. 

Reena Van Aalst joins me to discuss: – why insurers are now asking whether your building has been “re-wired” or “re-plumbed” – committees that are breaching their spending restrictions – how our strata law is failing owners when it comes to privacy – the community leveraging a little-used part of the NSW legislation to ensure all levies are paid on t...

Andrew Boss of Austrata Finance joins me to unpack the new and improved “hybrid” strata loan, including greater certainty for owners at tax time, and easier administration for strata managers.

Brent Clark of Wattblock joins me to share how forward-thinking strata buildings (and savvy purchasers) can ensure they’re “keeping up with the Joneses” when it comes to sustainability infrastructure, all while avoiding the net-zero conversation AND enjoying a 12% uplift in the value of their property.

Sydney strata owner Amanda Reitzin joins me to share her recent experience in the NSW Tribunal battling nuisance smoke drift from her neighbour’s balcony. Amanda shares how she made the difficult decision to litigate, including the lessons she learned along the way. You’ll hear: – Amanda’s realisation that the law is on your side, but it’s up to you to do the hard wor...

Strata Energy Services has been leveraging the power of the collective since 2018, using “bulk buying power” to get strata buildings a better deal on their energy costs. Sally Pollard joins me to share how it all works and how you can find savings in even the most difficult financial times.

In our first podcast episode for the year, I’m sharing the 5 most popular episodes of 2023 – in case you missed them, need a recap, or are looking for a great place to start if you’re new to our world.

In this final podcast episode for 2023, Reena and I cover: an owner’s refusal to permit access to their lot, leaving the Annual Fire Safety Statement (“AFSS”) in jeopardy whether an owner with damaged blinds should call their committee’s bluff and sue over a few hundred dollars the year’s happy endings, including a surprise special event in my own building’s backyard. The pod will be back in the s...