Your Strata Property With Amanda Farmer

Gerard Doyle of Bugden Allen Lawyers joins me this week to take a closer look at hybrid strata loans: a product designed to let some owners pay their share of major works upfront while others participate in a strata loan. Gerard shares his concerns about the legal basis for “levy credits”, how those credits are treated in an owners corporation’s accounts, and whether the legislation actually gives...

Dianne Copping from Elevate Strata joins me this week to talk about what can happen when an owners corporation decides it’s time to change strata managers. We discuss difficult handovers, delays in releasing records, and the formal steps available when an outgoing manager won’t cooperate. Dianne also calls out some “very unusual” rollover and extension clauses that she’s seeing in some agency agre...

Reena Van Aalst joins me this week, as we cover: – An owners corporation being denied access to engineering designs it paid for – The little-known right of strata committee members to inspect records held by their strata manager without paying a fee – Why small knowledge gaps and everyday mistakes can quickly undermine confidence in a strata manager and more.

If you think hidden commissions, vertical integration and conflicts of interest are uniquely Australian strata problems, think again. This week, I’m joined by US community association advocate Vicki MacHale to compare notes on what’s happening on both sides of the Pacific – from insurance commissions and private equity to the fascinating world of “earned credits”, where management companies...

Buying off the plan can look like a smart way to lock in today’s price, but what happens when settlement arrives and the market has moved against you? In this edited version of Friday’s LIVE chat, I unpack the risks, possible options and costly consequences of being unable to complete an off-the-plan purchase. I then…

Reena Van Aalst and I discuss: A committee that tried to sack a building manager without the required general meeting approval,  The growing legal risk around serving agenda packs by link instead of attachment, and  What the Netstrata prosecution may signal for accountability in our sector.    A big episode. Dive right in. Links Mentioned:…

Strata manager Luke Derwent joins me to share how an owners corporation ended up in NCAT after a committee member leaked confidential negotiations with a major service provider. We discuss how the committee responded, why they chose NCAT over an internal political fight, and what it really took for Luke (a non-lawyer) to successfully prepare and present the case himself, on behalf of his client.

This week, Reena Van Aalst and I discuss a strata fact that can be hard for owners to hear: yes, the owners corporation must fix the common property, but no, you don’t get to dictate every detail of how that happens. We also tackle the challenge of a committee changing their meeting location at the last minute, and a tenant applying the scattergun approach to their damages claim. 

This week, Matt Larwood from Strata Vote joins me to talk about: – Hybrid meetings, – Smarter post-meeting workflows, – The shift away from clunky all-in-one software, – AI, and – Why better tech should mean better service for owners, not just less admin for managers. We also consider where strata sits compared to the broader “proptech” world, and what smarter systems...

Reena Van Aalst and I get into the messy reality of Tribunal delays, compulsory management extensions, interim orders that keep expiring, and the extra cost that comes with waiting. We also discuss an owner’s failed attempt to knock out a by-law, and share a cautionary tale about AI-generated legal arguments. Listen out for an important update for NSW strata managers about my new Fair Trading CPD...

Valuer Darren Keen joins me to explain what really happens when an owner wants to buy or secure rights over strata common property. We get into: when a common property valuation is needed how valuers price rooftops, courtyards and car spaces why the “it’s not worth anything” argument usually doesn’t fly whether a by-law arrangement should cost less than a subdivision An essential listen for any ow...

Strata manager Tim Sara joins me, sharing: – Why so many strata managers are stretched too thin to deliver real service – How committees end up “managing the manager” – What a better, more accountable strata model could actually look like …and why the future of strata may belong to managers who stop hiding behind the system. If your committee feels like it’s doing all the heavy l...

What actually gets things done in strata? Committee member and tech founder Kareem “KT” Tawansi joins me to share: – Why influence matters more than power on a strata committee – How he helped shift one building from “secret squirrel” to radical transparency – A first look at the AI tool he’s built to take the drama out of strata and more.

Reena Van Aalst joins me this week, as we cover: – Managers proposing their own reappointment at the AGM – can they? – A creative (but unlawful) by-law trying to control who gets on the committee – The NSW District Court case giving clarity for owners who are seeking damages from their owners corporation and more. 

This week, I’m interviewing our first Member guest in a new format. Danielle’s story is a must-listen for anyone in a mixed-use building. We cover: • BMCs + Strata Management Statements (and why so many owners have never heard of them) • What happens when retail plant sits on the residential roof • How Danielle’s unwavering commitment to stand up for what’s right achieved real outcomes for the res...

AS1851 is now being enforced in NSW. Is it going to cost your building a fortune? Not necessarily. This week, I’m joined by Dominic Dodwell of Valen Project Services to unpack: • What fire safety testing is now required • Why expensive upgrades are not necessary • How to get an $85K quote down to $20K and more

Reena Van Aalst is back on the pod for 2026, as we cover: Growing mediation delays, Schedule B fee shock: how a $20k management contract can quietly become $40k, and why you should be asking for an itemised list of charges, A tribunal workaround you may not know exists: two strata managers, one building, and more.

As we kick off 2026 (and celebrate 10 years of the podcast!) I’m counting down the five episodes you listened to the most in 2025. This is a must-listen recap for regulars, and the perfect starting point for new listeners: the conversations that mattered most, all in one recap.

I’m wrapping up 2025 with the 5 strata surprises I didn’t see coming – not the headline stuff, but what I’ve been seeing on the ground with real owners, real committees and real disputes. This episode is an edited replay of Friday’s LIVE chat (so you’ll hear me responding to comments as we go). From the rapid shift on insurance commissions to the underwhelming rise of AI, plus the one issue...

In our final episode together for 2025, Reena Van Aalst and I share these strata challenges: • A hoarder tenant causing a building-wide cockroach infestation • Why proxies cannot nominate owners for committee positions • The surprising reform agenda for two-lot schemes and more.

Edwina Feilen of Asset Inspect joins me to explain “pre-loss risk profiling”, underinsurance traps, and what to do about the tobacconist downstairs. This is an essential reminder that strata insurance doesn’t start at claim time – it starts well before the loss.

A source of frustration for many owners, records inspections is one of the subjects I am most frequently asked about. In this encore episode, I’m sharing my 4 steps to a successful strata records inspection, including what to do when particular records are withheld for ‘privacy’ or ‘legal’ reasons.

Reena Van Aalst joins me as we cover: Building managers and missing records: what duties do BMs really have? NSW levy recovery reforms: what’s started, what hasn’t (yet), and the flood of payment plan requests The words every strata manager must be prepared to say to the committee when the expert says “fix it”.

Hiring a strata manager? SCA doesn’t want you just comparing prices. SCA Australasia CEO Alisha Fisher joins me to explain SCA’s new Your Property. Our Priority. campaign, including the single question SCA wants owners to ask to determine what “good” strata management looks like in 2025 and beyond.

Will banning insurance commissions actually save owners money? Actuary and industry reformer John Trowbridge and I dive into the numbers, the conflicts, and the path to a cleaner, clearer, fee-for-service model. Plus, what underwriters, brokers, and strata managers need to change now.