Why don’t more strata buildings win architectural awards? And, when they do why are they unconventional [not what the real estate spruikers are selling right now]? The answers are worth considering as this recent Burgundian winner demonstrates.

When an American strata lawyer writes in the New York Times about strata building failures, it’s worth listening, thinking and learning. Here’s what I’ve distilled from his insights …

If strata buildings want to get builders and developers to fix their defects and to win their claims, then they need to play the defects game better. One easy way is to know and understand their opponents’ approaches, strategies and game plans …

The ongoing tug of war about pets in strata buildings is mostly focused on dogs and cats, but sometimes other species become the focus of strata building problems and disagreements. But, how are those different scenarios best handled? This recent VCAT case provides some clues …

Do Australian strata buildings need to wake up from their slumber to address long-standing building maintenance issues? Do recent events plus new technologies provide the opportunity? Or, will the strata sleeping beauties just keep dreaming …

The more we know the better we can be. So, next’s week’s release of the Australian Apartment Advocacy’s research into the strata sector is another opportunity to learn more. I’ll be there [virtually], will you …

As we start learning to live with the longer-term impacts of Covid-19 in strata buildings, one of those is the acceleration of existing trends towards increased popularity, prevalence, and acceptance of pets in apartments and townhouses. So, what are the drivers and issues, and how can stakeholders best deal with a new pet-filled strata world …

Without exploiting the tragedy at Champlain Towers South in Surfside Florida, there are some very useful lessons for Australian strata stakeholders for dealing with the aftermath of a structurally impaired building that may have some relevance right now.

Recent reporting that the NSW Building Commissioner is acting on information from whistleblowers prompts me to wonder if that’s the right solution to the strata building defects problem. Or, might it backfire on everyone [including the whistleblowers] and become a game of strata building defects musical chairs …

The ever-growing size [and cost] of the Australian combustible cladding crisis means that the only proposed class action becomes more and more important. So, what’s the latest news about its progress.

So, what gives when one group of strata managers promotes their increasing professional standards whilst another strata manager bemoans low strata management standards? Who’s right and who’s wrong? Or, can they both be right …

The evolution of strata information that’s being produced and consumed reveals an interesting story of changing focii on technicians, businesses, managers, and users. So, where is the strata information universe now, how did we get here, and what’s next …

Now isn’t the time to exploit the collapse of the strata apartment building in Surfside, Florida.  Rather, we need to remember that strata buildings are full of people that sometimes need our help …

The way strata disputes are handled hasn’t changed much over the last few decades, they aren’t going away and almost everyone relies on government-run programmes. So, what could strata stakeholders lose by trying something new …

The latest reporting on the Skyview 960 structural dispute with the NSW Building Commissioner has thrown up the need for ongoing term monitoring. So, how is this not going to be just a long term strata defect gift that keeps on taking from the strata building and strata owners …

Why is it so difficult to get strata buildings to make decisions on anything but routine or emergency issues? Many strata stakeholders are frustrated by it but there are few solutions. In this article I revisit some older research that considers the idea of finding, cultivating, and encouraging strata champions …

Knowing and following the rules for running a strata meeting is just table stakes in the meeting and decision game as they’re just the processes and not the objective of a meeting. Rather, good strata meetings need smart preparation, soft skills, and subtle techniques. So here are some ideas about those things …

The dispute playing out at Toplace Group's Skyview 960 apartment complex in Castle Hill is and will continue to provide lessons for everyone about the effectiveness of the NSW Building Commissioner for the interests of owners of new strata building developments. So, let’s look at what’s happening in Round 3.