We need a Chandler clone army checking strata defects

NSW’s Building Commissioner, David Chandler OAM, is scoring some goals by a combination of never-before powers to issue Orders that require defects to be fixed and to stop Occupation Certificates before strata buildings are finished and his personal commitment, credibility and approach.

But there’s only one of him and there’s plenty of NSW strata buildings that need that kind of attention and help. Otherwise, it’s only great news for those lucky new #stratatitle owners that get his attention.

Doesn’t every strata buyer and future strata owner deserve this?

So, here’s a novel idea!

We need more Chandler clones. Perhaps even a Chandler clone army!

Why doesn’t every developer of a NSW strata building that’s over 3 storeys [since they don’t have HOW building insurance coverage] pay NSW Fair Trading $100K to cover the cost of a Chandler inspector clone to do these inspections at the end of the building cycle and to issue Rectification and/or Protection Orders before Occupation Certificates get approved?

In that way someone independent of developers, builders and strata stakeholders is involved, key defects are identified early [enough], there’s timing and commercial pressure to get the defects fixed, and strata buyers and their financiers are not squeezed [read screwed] into premature purchase settlements.

After all, for buildings of 25 apartments or more, it’s less than $2,000 per strata owner. At Skye [the most recent lucky NSW strata building], it would have cost less than $1,000 per owner and less than $1,000 per defect: which is a cheap solution. That’s before considering all the negative amenity impacts, delays, internal conflicts and stress they will suffer.

It’s effectively a bit of stakeholder funded quality assurance for strata apartment construction since no one else appears to be incentivised or punished enough to do it otherwise.

Just strata saying ...

December 08,  2023

Francesco ...