In the strata title insurance multiverse game, there’s 8 key payers vying for the gold coins, power ups, easter eggs and more and they mostly dominate the game. So, if you want to play and, hopefully win, you need to know who they are, why they are there, and their key characteristics. Are you ready strata insurance game players one, two, three, etc …

That strata managers are valuable to strata managers cannot be doubted. So, why is everyone still struggling with the topic and repeating the lament that they are under appreciated, underpaid and unloved after more than 45 years. So, is it time to discuss, debate and explore the strata manager value dilemma?

Strata title building insurance commissions have existed for many many decades. So, they’re not new, the issues that have resurfaced now have always been there, and they’ve been considered, debated, studied, and adjudicated repeatedly with almost nothing changing. So, whilst the dramatic reactions to the latest headlines are fine, it’s a bit like watching strata ostriches pulling their heads out of the sand. So, whilst that happens, here’s a lot of material from all kinds of strata stakeholders about insurance commission and other issues in the strata sector so strata citizens know more about what everyone thinks, does and says.

It’s very common for some strata owners to believe their unit or lot entitlements are incorrect and want them changed. Like a kind of strata tune up. But the processes can be complex, lengthy, expensive, and legally intricate as this overview of the NSW strata rules and cases demonstrates.

I love motor racing and I love strata. Since it’s time for the Australian Formula 1 Gran Prix in Melbourne, let’s look at those two fast paced worlds to see how they compare for the similarities, differences and lessons. So, ladies and gentlemen, start your strata engines.

Is it time to think differently about micro strata buildings? There’s a lot of them, they often don’t actually follow applicable strata laws and many regulators and other strata stakeholders want to let them off the hook. So, here are some of my thoughts and ideas for the small fish in strata lake. To make them tastier.

Half of all Australian strata apartments are investment properties that are tenanted. Strata renters must follow all the strata laws, by laws and rules. But strata renters have almost no strata rights, have no say in how strata buildings operate, and they’re treated as second rate strata citizens. But they’re not. So, why is that and how did it happen? Plus, where do Australian strata renters have the most rights?

Does life imitate art or vice versa? It’s a been a perennial debate that has no right answer. But, there’s no doubt that when artists imagine and depict something that doesn’t yet exist, we often see something very much like it appear. Think of Dick Tracey in the 1960s and the Apple Watch in 2015. So, is that kind of scenario possible or likely for future strata buildings too and, if so, how has Hollywood imagined their future?

In today’s guest-writer article by Brent Clark, he discusses the transition by Australian strata apartment buildings into a sustainable energy future and where to next. It’s a very well reasoned, technically supported explanation about energy issues and opportunities for strata buildings. Plus, it’s a fascinating story of how one person’s interest found a home in our sector to develop these initiatives.

The Australian trend in favour of strata pets over the last few years makes its way north into the latest changes to Queensland strata laws. Since December 2023 those laws include provisions favouring pet owners and preventing a range of restrictions on approving, keeping and removing pets from strata buildings. So, it looks to me that Queensland dogs and cats are now partying hard everywhere.

Strata buildings can self-manage or appoint a strata manager of their choice. But sometimes a strata manager is appointed to run strata buildings by Court or Tribunal order who can be welcome or not, the strata owners’ preferred choice or not, and good, bad, or indifferent. So, how, why, and in what situations does a strata manager get delivered to you in NSW? More easily and less predictably than you might think.

In 2020 a major strata NSW strata case has and continues to have major impacts on all strata stakeholders. It changed the way everyone sees strata owner’s rights and how strata buildings control things, it changed the way strata by laws [and strata pets] are treated, and it caused me to strata writing and talking about strata title issues again. It was a bit like a change of strata rulers. So, how did that happen, and why?

Today’s the day I reveal my unrequited strata love. But I know I’m not alone in this heartache. So, here’s a few Valentine’s day wishes for strata apartment owners, dwellers, managers, regulators and lovers.

Many things that happen in strata buildings need planning approval, usually from the local council. That’s no different to other property types, except that because there are multiple lots in strata buildings it happens more often, because there’s common property and lots it’s a bit more complex, and because of strata decision making rules there’s also an internal approval layer, So, here’s a simple[ish] refresher for NSW strata buildings about what needs planning approval, how it works [internally and externally], and some complications to help keep the strata approval genie in the bottle.

Strategies for strata buildings to deal with climate changes have been around since this 2013 NCCARF research on the impacts on strata building and stakeholders and strategies. It’s now looking like it’s finally time to implement them. worked on as the impacts of weather changes and changing social, economic and political imperatives are more obvious and common . So, what did the research discover and recommend?

In my ever-wider quest to know more about strata titles, I follow what’s going on in other countries that may have lessons for strata citizens down under. And, since South African strata laws were original modelled on ours, how they evolve can provide useful insights. Today’s article explores a recent important decision of the South African High Court about overdue strata levies and what their reasoning might mean in Australian strata title conditions.

In today’s guest writer article by an experienced expert on strata building car parking, Angelique Mentis, she discusses the latest best practices for EV vehicles in strata buildings, including pros and cons. Strata EV is quickly becoming a topical, confusing and high focus issue in strata buildings, so it’s timely to read about her thoughts, experiences and ideas.

Since strata buildings mostly do the same things over and over, it should be easy to identify and better handle these recurrences. Plus, large scale repetition over time allows for easier analysis and process development. But, it seems that many strata buildings, owners, committees, and strata managers are stuck in a repeating ‘deja vu’ pattern without any prospect of change or improvement.

I first heard about the P’s of strata in the 1990’s [pets, parking, parties, etc] and was amused. But, more than 25 years later it sounds like just another well-worn strata catchphrase that’s past its use by date and, probably, suggests strata sector thinking capture, negativity and failure. Surely, we can do better in 2020s?

I don’t have a crystal ball. But, as a strata thinker and commentator, I think I can make some predictions about the trends that will impact Australian strata title experiences over 2024. So, here are my 10 predictions, which I’ll revisit at the end of the year.