Your Strata Property With Amanda Farmer

Over the next three weeks, I’m interviewing three “powerhouses” of the strata sector. First up this week: Bill Coles. He shares: – what the strata cleaning business looked like 30+ years ago – the many ways in which strata living has changed for the better (and the few ways it hasn’t) – how he overcame the business challenges of the last 2 years – wh...

Warren Livesey of Buy Airspace explains the emerging opportunities for buildings to sell or develop the airspace above their common property rooftops, creating income to fund capital works and improvement projects in aging buildings.  

I’m sharing an edited down version of last week’s Friday LIVE chat, where I took viewers through the new NSW government online information resource for strata owners, managers, tenants and purchasers. I also share some more background to the “bankrupt committee member” scenario, discussed last week.

This week: Reena asks whether strata management contracts can roll over, year to year, I query whether there should be a “fit and proper person” test for committee members, we celebrate the effectiveness of the democratic process and, I invite you to join my free webinar next Thursday, 7 April.

Louisa Herbert is the managing director of MBCM Strata Specialists in Box Hill and Hawthorn Victoria. We discuss the skills she developed as a parole officer and how well they translate to strata management, what it is that still surprises her about our sector and the efficient way that she’s training her new staff.

Having recently helped a client avoid penalty proceedings in the Tribunal, this week I’m sharing some common mistakes I see managers and committees making when issuing a notice to comply with a by-law. I’m also giving our members the opportunity to access my next exclusive Pro Member Webinar where we’ll go deep on this important topic (heads up: it’s TOMORROW!)

Reena asks whether a lot owner has any say in the method by which an owners corporation chooses to repair its common property. We also discuss lot owner DAs for change of use and the importance of understanding the mandatory legal requirements for the issue of a Notice to Comply.

Amanda Bombaci of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils explains the unique difficulties apartment residents experience when dealing with rubbish and waste removal, including the importance of tackling the problem at the ‘move in’ stage. Listen carefully for the details of our free WEBINAR on precisely this topic, coming to you next week.

Stephen Brell, managing director of Netstrata and newly appointed president of SCA (NSW), shares his insights on the evolving strata management profession, including: his creative solution to the recruitment problem how to turn a crisis into an opportunity the urge for business owners to upskill why owner education is on SCA’s agenda in 2022, and more.

Today, I publish the 300th episode of the podcast. In celebration, I’ve invited long-time listeners and members of our online community to share their favourite episodes and key learnings from the giant knowledge library that is this podcast, built up over the past 6 years. On this special occasion, I’d like to thank YOU, my listeners, for tuning in, week after week. Your commitment to improving y...

Reena deals with a frustrating misunderstanding of the role of a strata manager. I share my concerns about a by-law attempting to ban solar panels and we consider why a short-term letting by-law didn’t quite make the cut.  

Caroline McConnachie fills us in on a new online course for remedial waterproofing, soon to be released by ACRA in partnership with Construct NSW. We discuss: how waterproofing is the no. 1 defect in apartment buildings the vital role of remedial engineers in even the smallest of projects why new laws are increasing the costs of waterproofing projects and more.

For 20+ years Brendan Cleaver has helped property owners and developers better understand the workings of strata schemes, with a current focus on matching new buildings with the right strata manager. In this chat, we cover: – the advantage Brendan has when conducting strata records inspections – why strata management jobs for mates has to be a thing of the past – where strata man...

In our first chat for 2022, Reena and I cover: – the current pressure on short-staffed building and strata managers – our tips for dealing with “communication overwhelm” – why walking away from a client is sometimes the best option – the new service helping you find the perfect strata lawyer to suit your needs.

Lawyer Bill Kritharas joins me to explain an owners corporation’s work health and safety obligations, including: how the WHS law applies differently to residential, commercial and mixed use buildings his problem with work health and safety reports the important role of the strata manager in guiding their clients, and more.

You may have missed it in the end-of-year rush, but in December 2021 a new regulation was made in NSW making it mandatory for all strata schemes to submit an annual report to Fair Trading. In this episode, I’m walking you through the new regulation and encouraging you to start thinking about how you might ensure your compliance later this year.

  I’m sharing our top 5 most downloaded podcast episodes of 2021. If you haven’t managed to catch all of this year’s episodes, this is your recommended summer listening schedule.    I wish you a happy and restful festive season. I’ll be back on 5 January with the first podcast episode of 2022.   Links…

  Reena and I cover: what happens if a quorum is not achieved at a meeting conducted solely by pre-meeting electronic voting? is washing on the balcony a problem of the past? the tree dispute resolved with help from the local council the largely unrecognised and incredibly important work strata managers have done this year.…

  Chris Irons of Strata Solve joins me to share:  his view that it’s often a clash of personalities that’s at the root of some of the most expensive and conflict-ridden strata litigation why he hasn’t looked back since finishing up his role as QLD Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management  his 3 ‘best…

With news last week that police attended a Sydney strata meeting to break up the chaos, today I’m sharing my guide to compulsory appointments: often the last option for a community in distress (ep 222 replay).

Michael Barnes of Credwell estimates that owners in up to 40% of residential strata buildings aren’t properly maintaining essential services, putting property and lives at risk. In this chat, we talk about emergency management plans – including evacuation diagrams – and the high cost of failing to have a comprehensive plan in place.

This week, Reena and I cover: unsigned building management agreements: are they binding? the problem with “pet bonds” upcoming changes to the NSW community schemes legislation.

Tim Fuller of Strata Guardian explains how strata owners can leverage the power of the collective to get better returns on funds invested, defying the current climate of sustained low interest rates and supercharging your rainy day fund. 

A source of frustration for many owners, records inspections is one of the subjects I am most frequently asked about. 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 and I enjoy our very first in-person podcast chat, covering:  the authority of a strata manager to chair meetings the Common Property Memorandum: a help or a hindrance? the successful resolution of a BMC dispute, and investment opportunities for surplus OC funds.