strata nirvana

10/09/2024

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02/01/2024

The Strata Schemes legislation in NSW has been amended to assist Owners Corporations to install sustainability infrastructure. In particular those wishing to install electric vehicle charging & solar.

Sustainability Infrastructure involves changes to common property.

Before approving Sustainability Infrastructure consider who will own, install, maintain & pay for the Sustainability Infrastructure. Will the Sustainability Infrastructure will be available to all or only some lots?

Government subsidies are available to assist with design & costs. Check for Federal, State & Local Government assistance packages that may fit your project.

Importantly before approving the Sustainability Infrastructure check with the owners corporation insurer if the installation will effect the insurance policy.

Do your research.

30/05/2023

Important please read.

Strata Hub Reporting for strata schemes every year

Owners corporation secretaries who have finished annual strata reporting for 2022, can now complete 2023 annual reports.

All strata schemes must report online through the Strata Hub or in person at a Service NSW Centre each year within three months of the annual general meeting (AGM).

Strata secretaries who have not yet reported for 2022 must report before 30 June 2023. Penalties of up to $5,500 may apply for not completing the first strata report by 30 June 2023.

Penalties of up to $2,200 may apply if a strata scheme becomes aware that the reported information is outdated or incorrect and does not update it on the Strata Hub within 28 days.

If you need assistance with your Strata Hub reporting please contact Strata Nirvana we are happy to assist you.

02/03/2023

Annual strata reporting for 2023

All NSW strata schemes, including two-lot schemes (most duplexes) must report key building, management and safety information to the Strata Hub.

If your scheme has never held an AGM before, you do not need to provide an AGM date when you complete your first annual strata report. However, you will require an AGM date to submit all subsequent reports. You must still provide scheme management information for each report.

The strata secretary or chairperson is required to complete the reporting.

Reporting can be be completed online or at a NSW Service Centre.

Schemes that have not reported before 30 June 2023 may risk receiving a fine.

To make the online reporting quick and easy, you can gather the following information from this checklist before you start:

Strata contact details:

the name, email and phone number of the secretary & chairperson, plus the strata manager and/or building manager (if any). Phone numbers won’t be shared with a scheme’s owners or residents.

Emergency services contact details:

the name, phone number and email of people in the strata scheme who have agreed to be the emergency contacts. The 1-4 priority is to decide who would be contacted first in an emergency.

Lot information:

refer to your owners corporation records for the number of lots in the strata scheme and how they are used (for example, residential or commercial).

Scheme management information:

refer to your last annual general meeting (AGM) documents and financial statements for the: last AGM date, insurance replacement value, capital works fund balance, and the most recent annual fire safety statement date. You will also need to indicate if a strata renewal committee has been formed (to collectively sell/redevelop the scheme).

Building information:

refer to the owners corporation records for the occupation certificate date and check if your building has a NABERS rating launch.

Decide your payment method:

to finalise your report, your scheme will need to pay a $3 per lot fee via credit, debit card, PayPallaunch or BPAYlaunch.

What if I can’t find a specific bit of information?

If you have having trouble finding some key documents (such as your scheme’s occupation certificate) the system allows you report this as ‘lost or undiscoverable’. If you are able to locate the key documents you can simply log in and update your scheme details at a later date.

24/02/2023

Have you completed your Strata Hub reporting?

Strata Nirvana assist self-managed strata schemes to be compliant.

We assist you to self-manage when the need arises.

There are no contracts & we charge on a per request basis.

If your scheme has never held an AGM before, you do not need to provide an AGM date when you complete your first annual strata report.

However, you will require an AGM date to submit all subsequent reports. You must still provide scheme management information for each report.

https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/strata/annual-reporting/strata-reporting-blogs/how-two-lot-strata-schemes-can-easily-tackle-reporting #:

Did you know that two-lot schemes make up around to 30% of all strata schemes in NSW?

14/12/2022

Strata scheme reporting due 31 December 2022

A reminder of the upcoming deadline for your scheme to report key building, management and safety information to NSW Government.

Secretaries or nominated persons need to log into the Strata Hub to review your responses and complete the relevant declarations and payments.

Reporting due 31 December 2022

Remember, all NSW strata schemes must complete annual reporting.

Strata schemes that don’t report by 31 December 2022 will:
a] need to complete two years of reporting in 2023
b] risk penalties which may apply from 30 June 2023.

For more details visit the Strata annual reporting web page.

26/09/2022

Things to consider when purchasing in strata. Does the owners corporation have an EV charging station? Is there an EV suitable power point in the car space? Is the power point on the common meter or the individual individual lot meter?

From October 2023, it will be mandatory that all new apartment blocks are built with the infrastructure to allow electric car charging. But with all the complications, it is no surprise that EV charger installers aren't getting a lot of work from apartment owners right now.

29/06/2022

Preparing for strata scheme reporting

All strata schemes in NSW will have to report annually to NSW Fair Trading through a new strata portal by 31 December 2022.

The reporting will make it easier to access key strata information, and it will deliver a range of benefits. For example, emergency services will have access to a dedicated contact for each scheme in the event of an emergency.

We will be implementing the portal's functions in stages. From July 2022, owners corporations can register a scheme, set up a profile and access educational webinars. More features will be available in the following months.

Your strata community can start to prepare for the reporting now by:knowing what information you'll need to report and where to find it deciding who will do the reporting and who will be the emergency services contact. For more information on strata scheme reporting please visit nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/strata/annual-reporting.

All strata schemes in NSW will soon need to report key information online each year.

25/04/2022

Disclosure requirements on residential apartment buildings

Last year, agents’ disclosure obligations for material facts were amended in the Property and Stock Agents Regulation 2014.

The change means, from 1 September 2021, agents must disclose an order that is in force under the Residential Apartment Buildings (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act 2020 (the RAB Act) to prospective land and property buyers.

Under these orders, the Office of the NSW Building Commissioner can issue prohibition, stop work or building work rectification orders on a property at any time.

If you are a selling agent, you are responsible for disclosing any current orders. Agents that fail to do so may be in breach of the laws (disclosure of material fact provisions in accordance with Section 52 of the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002).

Visit the Residential Apartment Buildings (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act 2020 orders register page on the Fair Trading website for more information, including a list of all current orders.

Agents will need to check the register regularly when listing properties and apartments for sale, as the status of orders on a building may change during a marketing campaign.

Failure by agents to disclose material facts related to a property they offer for sale may result in prosecution. Conviction may result in a maximum penalty of $22,000.

Conveyancers are also encouraged to check the register regularly during the conveyancing process to keep clients informed of any orders on a property.

26/03/2022

This two hour online free course will assist lot owners understand Project Remediate, a 3-year NSW Government program to facilitate the remediation of potentially combustible cladding on eligible high-risk residential apartment buildings, including:

what’s involved in the program
the benefits for owners corporations
how the program will work
who’s eligible
how to participate.

In this course, you will learn about Project Remediate, a 3-year NSW Government program to facilitate the remediation of potentially combustible cladding on eligible high-risk residential apartment buildings, including:

08/03/2022

We hope with all our hearts you are all dry or if not you have your strata managers email address. Remember your strata manager can respond quicker if you have your strata plan & lot number in the subject line of your email. If urgent type urgent in caps in subject line as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sySlY1XKlhM

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard EnterprisesRaindrops Keep Falling on my Head · B.J. ThomasThe Very Best of B.J. Thomas℗ 2011 Drew's EntertainmentReleased ...

27/01/2022

19/01/2022

A Landmark decision in Queensland regarding smoking on balconies.

Key points:
A unit owner was banned from smoking on her balcony after a upstairs owner complained

The decision was made on the basis second-hand smoke is a hazard

The peak voice for body corporates said the decision could make it easier to ban others

A Gold Coast unit owner has been banned from smoking on her balcony and the decision could impact all apartment dwellers, industry experts say.

02/12/2021

We want to be among the first to wish you a Merry Christmas & a Very Happy & Prosperous New Year.
What a year it has been.

19/10/2021

Today from NSW Fair Trading

Reminder of COVID-19 mask rules for residential strata premises

12/09/2021

New disclosure requirement – apartment building compliance orders

From 1 September 2021, agents must disclose an order that is in force under the Residential Apartment Buildings (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act 2020 (the RAB Act) to prospective purchasers.

These orders can include:

building work rectification order – requiring the developer or builder to carry out or refrain from carrying out building work to eliminate, minimise or remediate serious defects or potential serious defects, or

prohibition order – prohibiting the issuing of an occupation certificate for the apartment building, or its registration as a strata plan, or

stop work order – to ensure building work stops due to the likelihood of significant harm or loss to the public or occupiers, or significant damage to property.

Agents who are aware of a material fact set by the regulations, or ought to reasonably know, and fail to inform prospective purchasers (whether intended or not), face a maximum penalty of $22,000.

Strata Nirvana pre purchase reports include past & current Orders, & the actions undertaken or planned by the owners corporation or Developer/Builder to comply with Orders.

Strata Nirvana helping to make informed decisions.

27/08/2021

27/08/2021

53 Hunter Street Newcastle NSW 2300

18/08/2021

We are starting to see more strata enrol in Project Remediate. A NSW Government program. Assistance for those burdened with the cost of non compliant cladding.

15/08/2021

Solar for Strata. This article is a little dry but is worth a listen if you are thinking of solar for your owners corporation.

Efficient allocation of capital, time value of money, electricity/gas price forecasts, opportunity cost and how hedging energy prices is relevant to solar on...

09/07/2021

Project Remediate

Owners corporations can now register their interest in a program to remove high-risk combustible cladding on Class 2 residential apartment buildings in NSW.

Project Remediate is a three-year program to help remove combustible cladding on an estimated 225 buildings known to the Cladding Taskforce.

Eligible building owners will be helped through:

Interest free loans over a 10-year period with repayments to commence upon completion of the work

Assurance and project management services to provide technical and practical support to owners corporations and strata managing agents

Project Remediate is a voluntary program.

Owners corporations can now register their interest in a program to remove high-risk combustible cladding on Class 2 residential apartment buildings in NSW.

01/07/2021

Living in a strata scheme means:
• you own your unit or apartment as well as sharing ownership
and responsibility for common property
• if you own your unit, you are automatically a member of the
owners corporation which has responsibility for common
property and makes key decisions affecting the strata scheme
• you contribute to the cost of running the building through
paying quarterly levies
• you also have to pay money into a capital works fund, for
future long term expenses such as painting the building or
replacing guttering
• there will be lifestyle restrictions in a strata scheme.

It is important to be aware of the additional and different responsibilities and responsibilities that apply to living in a strata schemes if you are considering purchasing a lot in a strata scheme.

Some activities may be more restricted than if you were living in a freestanding house – for example, where you can park your car or how you can renovate your lot.

One major difference between owning a house and a unit in a strata scheme (or 'lot') is that the external walls, the floor and roof do not usually belong to the lot owner.

These areas are usually common property. This means that the maintenance and repair of these parts of the building are the responsibility of the owners corporation.

As it is common property, the lot owner cannot alter or renovate these areas without permission from the owners corporation.

Lot owners may need permission to do things such as install services (e.g. cable television, phone or internet), knock down walls or replace locks on doors or windows.

01/07/2021

Residents banned from Imperial Towers complex in Parramatta until 'serious defects' fixed - ABC News

A 22-storey twin-tower complex in Parramatta in Sydney's west is slapped with a serious defects prohibition order, after the NSW Building Commissioner discovered major issues with the development's "load-bearing component".

18/05/2021

Short term rental has been an area of concern for many residential Strata in New South Wales.

A change to strata laws is assisting Owners Corporations to manage short-term rental accommodation in their buildings.

Owners Corporations are now able to adopt by-laws that limit short-term rental accommodation in their strata scheme, by not allowing it in lots that are not the host’s principal place of residence.

This means if someone lives in a strata property as their principal place of residence, they will still be able to rent out their home or rooms while they live there, or temporarily go on holidays.

Residential tenancy laws have been changed to clarify that short-term rental accommodation arrangements of 3 months or less are not agreements covered by the residential tenancy framework.

28/04/2021

Disputes over pet accommodation in strata are settled quite quickly in the NSW Civil & Administative Tribunal (NCAT). No need for costly court cases.
The 2016 model by-laws provided by NSW Fair Trading are very pet friendly.
Precedents have been set where No Pet buildings have had applications to remove pets declined.

A Gold Coast dog owner is prepared to fight his body corporate in the High Court to keep his two cocker spaniels in his Southport high-rise.