When it comes to pet ownership and living in Strata community, it's very different from living in a standalone dwelling. I say that because it's important for the pet owner to understand that there are certain things they should be considering when it comes to living in a Strata community. One of the main things to, consider in a living in a Strata community is that when they're using the common property, most especially, it is the owner's responsibility, the pet owner's responsibility to make sure that any loss or damage caused by their pets on the common property, which includes nuisance caused by their pets to other residents, it is their responsibility. There are certain body corporates or owners corporations or the Strata communities within Australia that are given the right by their respective state laws when it comes to creating rules that govern the behavior of owners and their pets. So what's important is where the owner has decided or the owner of the pet has decided to live in a Strata community, they should understand the rules that have been created by that particular Strata community when it comes to pets. Clean up after your pet when they're using the common property. Be conscious and be respective of other spaces so as to not receive allegations that your pet is causing nuisance. We love our pets, and it's important that we also protect them. And by protecting them, that is understanding the rules that the Strata community has when it comes to pet ownership.

There are 5 key steps that I wanna take you through to compel the builder to fix the defects and particularly to a common property. The first one is get the tool, the defects report. The defects report could be obtained from a building consultant. Guide the building consultant on what is already known to the Strata community and the defects and instruct them to prepare the defects report. The second tool that the Strata community should obtain is instruct a quantity surveyor to prepare the list and methods of how to fix defects and how much it would cost.These two reports are key items that needs to be collected prior to demanding the builder to rectify the defects. The third one is get all the details of the builder so that the Strata community has taken all the necessary actions to make a demand and reach the builder. The 4th item is send that demand. The demand letter requires the builder to rectify the defects, give a due date of when the works will commence, and also attach all the defects reports and quantity surveyor reports that are obtained to support the allegation against the builder. And of course, the 5th step is if the builder does not act on it, follow through.Follow through with the demand and issue, the necessary legal proceedings. Of course, this depends on the steps prior if there are steps prior to issuing legal proceedings against a builder, it's state by state depending on the state legislation, follow that through.These methods are the key things compel the builder to rectify the defects.

Get ready to elevate your knowledge with StrataLife Podcast, the place where you should go to learn and get inspired on all matters strata. Welcome back to StrataLife Podcast by Rochelle Castro. Today's episode, I'd like to talk to you about how a strata community could manage residents' misbehavior. There are four key steps in dealing with residence misbehavior. Some of these misbehavior would include but not limited to, of course. Things being thrown around from the balcony that would put in danger others whilst using the common property. Too much noise from another apartment or unit. Mess being left on common property that could cause damage to common property. Blocking or obstructing the use of common property. Sometimes even spell emanating from someone's unit where it's not well kept. But there's a way, there are four steps that I'd like you to take note of in this episode. four steps that the strata community could do in respect of dealing with residents' misbehavior. Step one is review and determine the relevant rule or bylaw of the strata community in respect of a misbehavior. If one does not exist, the strata community should consider creating that special rule or bylaw. Once identified which rule or bylaw, second step is create, if one does not yet exist, a policy which is a step-by-step procedure on dealing with complaints about misbehavior of residents. The policy should be reviewed from time to time and should be determined on the different steps, step-by-step procedure that both the strata community and the manager who is actually taking action on behalf of the strata community when it comes to dealing with complaints about residents' misbehavior. Third step is within that policy, determine what steps to take. Is this issue relating to the resident misbehavior? Is it a phone call first that should be done? Or is it a courtesy letter? Or is it appropriate to issue a letter of demand? Or is it appropriate to issue a breach of noise? Depending on the gravity, the seriousness, and the repetition, if it's a recalcitrant offender who's been doing it. from time to time and it's causing significant impact on other residents. It's important to determine what steps to take. And sometimes it's better to pick up a phone call. Maybe it's not appropriate. Maybe it's appropriate to issue a breach notice. But definitely the third step is determine what steps to take in respect of alerting the offender about the complaint that's been addressed about the alleged misbehavior. And finally, number four, determine when to go legal or what to issue legal proceedings. It's appropriate for the strata community to determine when to get legal advice, expert advice, and gather all the evidences if it's the strata community who would take action in respect of enforcing the rules. So there are ways to deal with the misbehavior of residents. It's absolutely, absolutely important that both the strata manager and the strata community understand the steps that it ought to take in the event that complaints are raised about residents' misbehavior. If you like and enjoy and are being educated with these podcasts, please like, share this content and the podcast with your friends, your family and the Strata community and colleagues so that they could also enjoy and appreciate living in a Strata community. Until next time, my name is Rochelle Castro. See you here in StrataLive Podcast.Thanks for watching!

Get ready to elevate your knowledge with Strata Life podcast, the place where you should go to learn and get inspired on all matters strata. Welcome to Strata Life by Rochelle Castro. And today I will be talking about what is the purpose of the Strata community's budget. The, there are three components to a Strata community budget, which is raised at the annual general meeting. And it's important that you as lot owners attend the annual general meeting so that we could have a say on the budget that's going to be passed in the next 12 months or within the financial year period. So the three components of a strata community budget are the following you've got the administration budget.You've got the maintenance or sometimes they call sinking fund. Others call it capital works fund budget, and you've got the special levy. So the administration budget is for the daily operations of the strata community. A big chunk of that is the strata insurance, where the premium that would provide for replacement or reinstatement of the building and also the public liability. The other parts of the administration budget would include the strata manager's fees. It would also include any charges that would have to be paid for the government expenses for repair and maintenance that is, uh, It comes based on circumstances. So once off works, for example, it would also include components such as disbursements or expenses that would be part and parcel of the administration budget.So that's one part of the strata community budget. The second one is it's got three different terms, depending on which state you are in. Other states call it maintenance fund. Others call it Sinking Fund, the others call it Capital Works Fund. So usually these are for long term maintenance plans. An example of it would be lift replacement works where it's a, uh, requires a large budget and it would take years for the strata community to save money up and to spend for that particular plan.So really the maintenance a sinking or capital works fund is acting like a bank account or savings account, whether it's part of that bank account. When I mean that, don't misunderstand me. It, it means that it is put as a separate funding that would be spent based on what is planned for long term repair and maintenance. The third one is a once off levy, which is a special levy, and these are for special projects. It doesn't necessarily have to be relating to repair and maintenance. It could also be for experts expenses. So when there are incidences such as unfortunate building defects or where there is an ex, a special project such as upgrading the common property and, uh, it needs to be raised as, as soon as possible as a once off levy, that would be called a special levy. Remember what I said, it's important that you attend the annual general meeting to determine and have a voice. In the budget that's raised for the financial year and also the special general meetings that are held. This is the time when those types of meetings are when the special levies are also usually determined. If you enjoy these sessions, please like, share with family members and friends so that they could also learn and enjoy living in a Strata community. My name is Rochelle Castro here in Strata Life Podcast. See you next time.

Get ready to elevate your knowledge with Strata Life Podcast, a place where you should go to learn and get inspired on all matters Strata. Welcome back to Strata Life Podcast by Rochelle Castro. In this episode, I would like to discuss with you what to do if your apartment or unit is found to have building defects. There are three key steps that you could do to prepare in compelling the person who is liable to fix the defects. Number one is get an expert report. The expert report could be prepared by a building consultant. It's important that you give instructions to the building consultant to include in the expert report their findings on who is liable or what is causing the defects on the property and the damages to the property. The second step is to get an expert if it's the building consultant or quantity surveyor who could identify the quantum or how much it will cost to fix the defects and also identify in that second report what are the steps to fix the defects. These two key expert reports are the tools, the key tools that will allow you to pursue the person at fault in respect of the defects and the damages that resulted from those defects. And finally, number three, once you have those two tools, you can actually make a demand through yourself or if you prefer a construction and Strata lawyer to pursue and compel the person who is at fault to fix the defects and also the damages that has been caused to your property. Three key steps, crucial in with the two tools before you attack. It's really how I look at it because you need to be able to prove that the person you are making allegations is actually at fault and that experts have said that they are at fault. So those are the steps on what you should do if you find your apartment or unit defective. If you like the contents of the Strata Life podcast, please like, share with your friends so that you could spread the education so that you can better enjoy living in your Strata community. My name is Rochelle Castro. See you next time here in Strata Life.

Welcome back to Strata Life Podcast by Rochelle Castro. Today's session, I will be discussing your options in respect of How you would deal with decisions made by the committee where you do not agree with such, such decisions. In a strata community, the committee is empowered to make decisions on the daily operations of the strata community, and that requires an ordinary resolution.What the committee is not empowered to do is make decisions that require a special or unanimous resolution. These types of resolutions are special and unanimous. would require that all the owners put in their votes. That said, going back to the power that's been given to the committee, if it requires an ordinary resolution, the committee can absolutely make that decision.From time to time, there are owners or members of the Strata community who do not agree with such decisions, and what are your options? In respect of that type of situation, you could issue a complaint and address that to the Strata community. But the complaints must, in my view, have three elements.Number one, what is your reason for disagreeing with the decision of the Strata community? What is your legal basis, if there is a legal basis? For the disagreement in the decision of the Strata community, and are there evidences that you could attach to your complaint? It's absolutely important that the three elements, your reasons, the basis, and supporting documents or evidence in respect of your complaint, are all part and parcel of that complaint that you would address the strata community to the committee itself so that they could take your complaint seriously.In my view, without those three elements, it is highly likely that the committee would not address and or Take seriously your matter. So it takes preparation and the three elements to make sure that your complaint would get to the attention of the Strata community. So that's the topic for today in this episode, in respect of what are your options?So, um, I'm going to be talking about how to make decisions in respect of a disagreement with a committee decision. Please share, like, and inform your friends about Strata Life podcast by Rochelle Castro so that they would know more and so that they can better enjoy and take care of living in a Strata community.Until next time, my name is Rochelle Castro. See you here in strata life podcast.

Get ready to elevate your knowledge with Strata Life Podcast, the place where you should go to learn and get inspired on all matters strata. Welcome back to Strata Life Podcast by Rochelle Castro. Today, this particular podcast is directed to professional strata managers. In the last podcast, I covered ways to better communicate the committee with the professional strata managers. I think it's just appropriate to cover the best ways that the strata managers can work with their committee. So let's get down to it. First tip is that the strata manager should agree and recommend where necessary the different channels on communicating that will be used to communicate particular subject matters. You as strata managers best know what are the best tools. One is email, other one is chat room. If you have an app, use an app. And if necessary, sometimes you just have to pick up that phone. So agree on the type of subject matter. That way you are not heavily reliant only on your inbox. And so that you can then clean up also the clutter in your inbox. So again, agree on the different tools and the subject matter when it comes to communicating with your committee. Second is on receipt of instructions from your committee, relay back those instructions so as to make sure you have understood what they are and this is also an opportunity for you as strata managers to consider if it's additional work or it will take a lot of work don't expect that the committee would know they don't know the details of what you do so it's up to you to tell them whether it's additional work and then if where there is an opportunity inform them whether or not you will charge extra for that and that will allow a conversation, a frank and direct conversation about whether the committee would like you to proceed with that, whether you are willing to do that at a certain cost or no cost and it's just a clear direct conversation about these additional work that the committee would like you to do. Whether either way it's important that you are able to relay back instructions to make sure that you are getting the accurate instructions and also having a conversation about the extent of work that is required to do that matter, to do that task. And finally, maintain an action list for yourself and or for the committee. It's important to maintain an action list so that you tick off what has been completed, monitor what is ongoing, what has been completed, monitor what is ongoing, and also give a tracking list of the progress of all the matters. And it's important to provide regular updates, especially for those matters that are quite long, provide regular updates to the committee whether or not there is movements. whether or not there is And if you're working with contractors, ask them for regular updates as well, And if you're working with contractors, ask them for regular updates as well, whether or not it's asked by the committee. After all, that is one of the tricks and special tricks when it comes to customer service. Any customer, which includes the committee, would like updates even if it's not asked for. which includes the committee, would like updates even if it's not asked for. Which includes the committee, would like updates even if it's not asked which includes the committee, would like updates even if it's not asked for. There you go. Those are the three tips to better communicate and work with your committees as strata managers. I'll see you next time here.My name is Rochelle Castro here in Strata Life Podcast.

First method is agree on the method of communication. There are different platforms. It's not always email. There could be a chat room that could be agreed upon. In addition to the email, there's a chat room. There's also calls. There are just some things that you need to pick up the phone and speak with them, that it's not necessary that you use the email as a chat room. So my point is, agree on the method of communication depending on the subject matter, rather than continuously copying in the strata manager in all communications between all you committee members and expect them to read, they will not read, they will miss. And what you do not want is a miscommunication because it's just not humanly possible. If you create the inbox as a chat room and expect at the manager, because in reality they are dealing, they are not the only, you are not the only committee that they're dealing with. So agree on the methods of communication and the channels of communication depending on the subject matter that's being discussed or you're giving instructions. Second is decide as a committee, make a decision on a subject matter, talk amongst yourselves, and then once you read a decision, give those instructions to your strata manager for them to action. If you need some guidance from the strata manager, bring them in. But if it's a discussion amongst the committee, make that discussion amongst you and after making a decision, then give the instructions to the strata manager. That way it's seamless and it avoids a misunderstanding as the last thing you want is put energy and effort to clear up what has been miscommunicated. So again, decide first as a committee, talk amongst yourselves, discuss, communicate, and then give the instructions after to the strata manager so that those instructions are delivered clear. And finally, maintain an action list. As a committee, a lot of things, a lot of subject matters would have to be coming on your table. And we know you are volunteers and the last thing you want is miss things or get confused or get overwhelmed. One tool that you definitely could use to help you as a committee is create that action list. Not only is it beneficial for you, but it's also beneficial when you give instructions to your strata manager.

One of the things that's difficult with running a committee is when you're trying to make decisions and move forward. But in reality, because of the different personalities, there are disruptors and there will be clashes that could occur. But I would like to share with you in this podcast five tips on how to handle complaints and disruptor. One, put the procedure in place. Create a flowchart or even put in a policy in place to make sure that it is a list of the requirements and step-by-step procedure that you and your committee could follow. You won't get lost. It's like having a guidance and a follow-through on what to take. That way, no matter how surprise you get with what comes in, that has to be decided by the committee in respect of complaints or even disruptors, you can always go back to that flowchart or procedure that you would follow. Trust me, it works. Tip number two, acknowledge receipt of the complaint or a matter that has been addressed to you. It's important that there is a response saying, Thank you for your communication. We will revert to you and give them an estimate time of reply so that they would know when to follow up. This also avoids unnecessary communication, and you don't want to have someone to follow through every day. And that allows you to control how long you would need to respond. Of course, it should be within reasonable time, seven days, 14 days, and then follow through as long as it's, again, in your flowchart or your procedure or policy. Tip number three is follow the procedure so you do not get lost. That's how simple it is. Or provide a reply, and the reply should be either you will take action. You will not take action or give us more information so that we can decide whether we will take action or we will not take action, and then set out the reasons why. And remember, if the committee, if your committee is not ready to make a decision and you need more information, data, or evidence, ask that. And again, with that, provide a time frame of how long they could provide it. That way, you are not waiting forever. Number five, allow for an appeal and follow through with the procedure as to whether you are taking action or not taking action. That way, the person who has made a complaint or has addressed an issue can see that you are reasonable, and they are given a final opportunity to provide further information through an appeal.

What I'd like to talk to you about today is the importance of seeking approval and what are the steps in seeking the approval when you carry out renovations in your property and of course when I say when you seek approval I am really referring to your strata community.It's important for you to understand that when you carry out renovations because you live in a community whether it's physical or whether it is behavioural impact, there will be an impact to the rest of the community and because of that it's important that you seek your Strata Communities approval sometimes in your relevant legislation that you're working on or that your Strata community is under sometimes it is required that a written approval is sought or sometimes them just getting an information or written notice from you that you are going to carry out renovations. The reason for renovations approval is being required by the Strato community is so that they could prepare the rest of the community in the renovations that you are also care that you are carrying out. Not only that it also protects you so that you make sure that when the works are carried out you're not going to get any unfortunate interference or notices from your neighbours that they become quite informed about the renovations that you are carrying out, not only that you are also informing your contractors on the steps that are required so that they are not interrupted when they are carrying out your renovation works So getting an approval from your Strata community is absolutely important because of those two factors; One, for the Strata community to prepare, meaning the community to prepare for the renovations that are going to be carried out and also, so that you and your contractors could better prepare so that you avoid uninterrupted renovation works and so that you can enjoy the product of the renovations you're carrying out.

Our discussion for today is about Understanding the Implications of Water Leak from your Balcony or Terrace. The reality is when it is determined by an expert and it could be a contractor when I say expert a building manager, building consultant or an engineer that your waterproof membrane needs to be fixed or it has past its lifetime. The consequence of not fixing that issue is water ingress and water ingress is not good for your neighbors, it's not good for the structure most especially if the structure is common property because what happens is the water ingress would impact not only your property, the common property, and your neighbor's property which is the unit below if any. So, the implications of water leak that you need to understand are contained in three things.Number one, once an expert tells you that you need to fix your waterproof membrane act promptly in rectifying the issue.Second one is inform the parties for in impacted by the issue of the water ingress and tell them that you're being proactive in resolving the issue.No.3 once it is rectified inform the impacted parties that the rectifications have been carried out in that you've been informed, as long as you really have been informed by the contractor that the rectifications have now stopped the water ingress.It's quite important for you to not ignore this issue because the longer it occurs, the longer you allow for water ingress to continue, the more damage and resultant damage could occur and it could not only impact others enjoyment of their property but it could definitely cause in the dispute that could have been avoidable and costs and stress to you would unfortunately unavoidable.So, it is important that more specially if you're in the Strata community or living in the Strata community that you understand these three implications and you must action them best practice as early as practicable in respect of any water leak or water ingress that is coming from your balcony or even your terrace.

You see, it's absolutely certain for the strata community to pass a special resolution because it gives the power to all the owners to make a decision if they want to lease or license part of the common property. Now, this wasn't given to the executive committee for the very reason that all the other owners in your community must be given an opportunity to voice out whether they want to lease or license that shared area. Now, if the executive committee decides to skip that requirement, which is really a legal requirement to pass a special resolution, and decides to make that decision, they're really acting beyond their powers. And what could be the consequence be them opening themselves up to any liabilities that could be made by another owner or even the person that's been granted a lease or license? So it's absolutely necessary that your strata community passes a special resolution, records that special resolution in the minutes or a ballot, and then confirms in the lease or license document that a special resolution has been passed. In that way, there will be no future arguments that could absolutely be avoided, and no allegations made against the committee in the absence of a special resolution being passed.

One of the common issues that one faces when they start living or owning property in a strata community is the obligation to contribute financially. Contribute to the maintenance of the community. There are times that owners stop providing contributions or giving their contributions because they have issues with the maintenance being dealt with. Unfortunately, that isn't the solution because those who bought into a property with a strata community actually have a legal obligation to contribute.But it's not just about obligation. Keep in mind that because your strata community is maintaining your shared property, your private property value is maintained, and there's a high likelihood of it increasing but not providing or not giving your contribution because you have a concern, that's not the solution. If you have a concern with the way the strata community is operating, you must address it to them in writing. That way, you could demonstrate your seriousness about your concern and that you are addressing it and you would like them, the strata community, to resolve it. On the other hand, where your strata community requires you to complete a complaint form to address your concerns, do so. That way, again, you demonstrate how serious we are in trying to find a solution to your concerns. If that fails, you can then request your strata community to have a dispute resolution meeting so that you are given an opportunity to voice out and explain further what you have written down so that they can understand your concerns. Now, I do say it's important for you to communicate, but it's also important for you to assess the issues that you address. And there may be times when it's necessary for you to get expert advice. Include that expert advice to your written concern that you address the strata community so that they can see how determined you are in resolving this issue.

And it gets quite distressful for Strata community, especially when there are a number of complainants who approach them and demand that the issue be resolved. It's important for this executive committee to first determine the seriousness of the issue and how much information has been put forward by the complainant. If there's not enough information that the complainant has provided to the executive committee, it's important that more information is requested. Once all the information, all the relevant information, or enough information is provided, the executive committee. If you're an executive committee, you should determine the seriousness of the issue that has been presented. Is it something that a phone call could resolve? Should a letter of demand to stop the misbehavior be issued? Or is this something where an initial breach notice should be issued followed by a final breach notice? Should there be a dispute resolution meeting allowing the parties to come to the table and discuss ways to resolve the issue? The key here is identifying the correct communication platform to use so as to approach the issue and determine ways, practical ways, commercial ways, or even legal ways to resolve the issue. One thing that as an executive committee should remember is that the legal process is not the only process or what's available, the resource that's available. There are also external resources such as the health department, the police, your local council or local government who could help you, and other centers who could provide the assistance. And those should not be ignored and looked upon as ways to help the complainants and residents who are facing the unfortunate situation of a misbehavior.

Do Strata communities have to get involved in owner-to-owner water leak disputes? Unfortunately, most times they do. This particular podcast provides clarity on the five reasons why Strata communities get involved in water leak disputes.One, the water leak originates from common property. That's quite clear. If the water has come from common property, the Strata community would be involved in the water leak dispute.Number two, the water leak could have originated from private property, but also runs through to common property and has reached another private property. This is where the water leak dispute becomes quite complex, although even if the leak did not originate from the common property as long as it has run through the common property, unfortunately, the Strata community would have to be involved in the dispute.The aggrieved owner of the water leak has filed a complaint to the Strata community and wants it to enforce its rules or bylaws to resolve the issue. This is just like any other issues or complaints raised by any owner or occupier. But it's important that the Strata community make an informed decision as to whether it will enforce the rules. But in our view and experience, it's important that where a water leak dispute is contained in a complaint, the Strata community ought not to ignore it and make a determination on the enforcement of its rules or by-laws.Four, the Strata community could be denied of Strata insurance renewal claim or permanently be denied of a claim relating to water leak damages. This is ultimately a disaster for the Strata community where they have been ignoring water leak issues between owner to owner, or where water leak disputes have been raised by occupiers to the Strata community. Unfortunately, there is a possibility that the Strata insurer would deny claims to the Strata community that relates to any water leak disputes. So definitely the Strata community should be insurer would deny claims to the Strata community that relates to any water leak disputes. Definitely, the Strata Community should be involved in these disputes so as not to face a disaster of insurance problems.And five, the integrity of the building could be compromised if the water leak issue is not resolved as early as possible. Acting reasonably and acting timely is important for a Strata community because if a Strata community ignores water leak issues within a building, it could have a significant impact on the integrity of the building and could compromise the safety of its occupiers and investors. So it's important that the Strata community is involved in such water leak disputes.These are the five reasons why Strata communities get involved in water leak disputes. Do you think there should be items that must be included in the list? We want to hear from you, so please share our podcast with those who could learn more about Strata Living or share your comments in a comment section.

A man's home is his own Castle. This is no doubt familiar to you. One of the most exciting times in a person's life is when they buy their first property and more properties. However, the exciting time could turn into a nightmare where building defects are involved.Let's explore the five steps to resolve building defects in the Strata community.1. Hire a building Inspector to confirm in a report if the defects are structural or nonstructural. It's important to get an expert to identify as soon as possible these components, structural or nonstructural so that a plan could be set by the Strata community on what could be pursued or not pursued for the builder to rectify.2. Get legal advice to determine if the defects are part of the common property or private property, it's important for the Strata community to determine through legal advice, their rights, and responsibilities. Of course, in the first instance, with a common property, in the second instance with private property and determine why they should even be involved in a private property. This could be obtained through another expert by getting legal advice.3. Write a letter to the builder to compel them to rectify the defects. Of course, at the end of the day, it's important that the person or the party responsible for those defects, which is the builder in this instance, should be issued a letter of demand to require them to rectify the defects.4. If the builder refuses to carry out rectifications and if the legal costs to pursue the builder for the defects outweigh the defects rectification costs, the Strata community should make a commercial decision to raise the funds to rectify the defects themselves. This is a commercial decision that should be carefully thought of by not only the committee, but we do also encourage that it would be presented to all members of the Strata community. So everyone is involved to determine whether everyone wants to pitch in making a commercial decision. There are many developments that we know have made decisions such as this, especially where they have determined that the defects are not that significant and they should just and ought to just do away with the stress of litigation and resolve the defects themselves.5. If the rectification costs outweigh the legal costs to pursue the builder, pass the required resolutions to issue legal proceedings against the builder and action accordingly. Ultimately, there are developments that we know would have to resort to litigation. It's absolutely necessary that the resolutions are passed by the Strata community to allow them to pursue litigation and ultimately reach the goal of compelling the builder to rectify the defects.These are the five steps to resolve building defects. Do you think there should be items that must be included in the list we want to hear from you please share our blog with those who could learn more about Strata living or share your comments in the comments section, as usual, remember to continue upgrading yourself.

After attending an Annual General Meeting or what I will call AGM, you would receive a copy of the minutes, but before that, you would receive a copy of the notice when you're getting invited to the meeting. Have you ever wondered, as a member of the Strata community, what are the further details or items that will be discussed at the AGM that's scheduled so that all Strata community members receive clear decisions that will be made at the AGM? It is crucial to highlight the five documents that should be attached to the AGM notice and here they are. 1. A copy of the last AGM minutes. I'm referring to the decisions made at the last Annual General Meeting and what's going to occur at the current Annual General Meeting or AGM, is to confirm the contents of the minutes of the AGM that was last held. It's important that this part of the meeting is determined to make sure that the Strata Communities documents are accurate when reflecting decisions made by the Strata community. 2. A copy of the Strata Insurance Policy It's common practice that at an AGM, renewal of the Strata insurance policy is determined by all members, so a copy of the Start insurance policy is definitely important to be included in the AGM notice. 3. Contracts due for renewal at the AGM. There are a number of contracts and usually their annual contracts are a bit more or longer than that. That would need to be decided whether the Strata community is willing to renew those contracts, whether it's by contractors or by service providers. Of course, it's important to make that decision if they are informed and a copy of the contracts due for renewal should be included in the AGM notice. 4. Financial Statement of the Strata Community money. It's important the Strata community is aware of what's happened to their contributions, the member’s contributions, how they were spent, if there's any money left, and whether the bank or the piggy bank, if you like to call it is healthy or whether it needs to be improved. And that would guide the Strata community members in making the decision as to whether they should maintain the budget based on the last financial year or whether there should be an increase in budget. This would also help managers guide the Strata community members in making decisions as to whether there should be even contingency that should be added to the upcoming financial year's budget 5. Contractor service provider Quotes. These are quotes that should be read fairly by the Strata community members before making a decision as to whether particular contractors’ or service providers’ quotes should be accepted. Of course, we don't encourage that all quotes are presented in Annual General meetings, but we do encourage that where there are significant funding required, it would be prudent that they are addressed at an AGM so that all the members are informed of the decision that would be made in respect of accepting significant quotes.

You would need a common license or lease if you would like to use part of the common property to install your solar panels or personal effect such as your business signage on the common property. Have you ever wondered what should be included in a common lease or license? Even if you're not a lawyer, it is important to understand their components. Let's have a look at five of them.1. Lease or licensed area based on a plan of subdivision. Having the lease or licensed area specified based on a plan of subdivision is absolutely important so that it is clear what is being leased or licensed.2. The term or period of the common lease or license. This is the length of time or the life of the lease or license. It must be clear to both parties the one who is either leasing or licensing and the Strata community who is actually leasing or licensing part of the common property and that would be the term or the period of the lease under license.3. The authorized use of the leased or licensed area? Identifying the authorized use of what is being leased or licensed is crucial in a lease or license document.4. How much, if any, is the lease or license fee, or is it at a peppercorn rate of $1 considered paid at the start of the common lease or license period? It's important to identify if there's going to be significant money exchanged or is it simply where the Strata community will allow a peppercorn rate which I have said is one dollar paid at the beginning of the lease or license. So that the person or party leasing or licensing the common property is aware of any money or investment that needs to be put in the least or licensed area.5. What are your responsibilities to repair and maintain the lease or license area this is usually passed on to the lease or the license of the area that's being leased or licensed. It's important to clarify, and understand point by point what is going to be their responsibility during the term or the period?These are the five essential parts of common property, lease, or license, also known as a common lease or license.

Season 2 of strata life podcast aims to provide you bit size learning and guidance from practical, commercial and effective governance perspectives so that you could maximise living in the strata world. These podcasts also serve all other stakeholders of the strata community industry as guidance for best practice methods so that they could enjoy living, serving or governing this industry.

Often people wonder why it is necessary for a common property to exist, These are the five purposes and even benefits of having a common property 1. Enjoyment by owners and occupiers or residents of the common property - keeping in line when I refer to common property it includes schools, gyms, playgrounds, tennis court, and all those types of facilities and areas that are shared with other residences. These types of facilities are enjoyed by the residents because not all single dwelling or standalone houses have these types of facilities or are readily available to them. 2. Shared expenses to maintain or repair the common property - if a person and a standalone house own a pool, they would bear the full cost to repair and maintain a pool. For example, whereby in a common property because it is shared, and enjoyment expenses are also shared which is not a hard hit on the pocket of the owners 3. Democracy is exercised when making decisions to maintain repair the common property - what is excellent about living in a strata community is you get to be heard by your vote on when and how often should repair or maintenance be carried out on the common property and then that way where your vote is counted and it is heard then it is granted you are able to have a say on how much is to be spent and what needs to be carried out on the repair and maintenance of the common problem 4. Strata insurance protects reinstatement of public liability of common property - of course where the expenses and repair and maintenance are shared amongst owners so is the insurance coverage what's good about this is that the owners share the insurance premium to protect the repair and maintenance of the common property and that includes where there's impact damage or accidents that occur in relation to the share facility or common property insurance covers that and the insurance is through the strata insurance which means there's a larger in where its an accident that occurs or impact damage it is highly likely that insurance will cover that on the condition that the continued repair and maintenance of the common property is proven to be carried out by the strata community 5. Keep the value of your individual property within the market value of the property- where the common property is well kept and maintained it has a significant positive effect on your individual property and that means we're able to maintain the property market value and you also have a say the way the common property is maintained there for you have a say in the impact of the same to your proper property market value.

There are various types and various types of people that the strata manager communicates with but what I will be raising are in my view the type 5 communications received by your strata manager daily.1. Committee communication - these are usually instructions given by the committee or follow-up on actions being taken on behalf of the committee. it is common that the strata manager would often hear from your committee.2. Occupy your communication - there are many reasons why an occupier would contact a strata manager or what we know as a resident. some of them include maintenance issues or even neighborhood complaints. from time to time, it is inevitable that your strata manager would receive the occupier or resident communication.3. Contractor communication - there are many reasons why a strata manager would exchange communication with a contractor of the strata community. this would include but is not limited to giving instructions getting progress reports and even seeking advice. from time to time the contractor and the strata manager would work together to fulfill the instructions and needs of your strata community.4. Professional communication - professional providers similar to contractors from time to time as the strata community requires our needs communicates with a strata manager similar to contractors this would include but not limited to giving instructions getting progress reports by the Strata manager or even seeking advice from the professional provider.5. Insurer communication - there are many reasons that the strata manager would communicate with the insurer, and these include but are not limited to the following: making an insurance claim, seeking advice in relation to insurance, or renewing an insurance contract according to the last resolution passed by the strata community at the annual general meeting.

The administration or operational budget is passed usually at an annual general meeting. These are simply put the regular expenses. Here are the five purposes of why this particular budget should be raised at each and will general meeting by your strata community .1. Regular repair and maintenance of the common property - there is no doubt that from time to time your strata community's common property would require regular repair and maintenance and raising that administration or operational budget is definitely important in carrying out these regular repairs or maintenance.    2. Common property insurance premium - a big chunk as we say of administration or operational budget is for that funding to be contributed to the premium of the strata insurance. It's important that the strata community make sure that there's a sufficient budget to make sure that all properties and common property and all the legal requirements to give protection to the strata community are covered in that premium to avoid necessary special levies being raised .  3. Strata managers professional fees - where your strata community has hired a strata manager, part of the administration or operational budget would be allocated to the professional fees of your strata manager.    4. Emergency works for common property - it is essential that your strata community puts in funding for any emergency works for common properly. It would be very difficult to comply with any legal obligations, moral obligations, and safety obligations of your occupiers if there is little budget for emergency works it is difficult to determine when an emergency would occur does call the emergency and therefore, a budget should be included at the annual general meeting.   5. Contingency funds - a healthy budget would allow not less than 10% contingency fund for the strata community to allow for any increase in payment for services and goods. Your strata community must make sure that there is a contingency fund or percentage allocated in your administration or operational budget .

There are various names the maintenance budget others call it thinking budget others call it sinking budget, others call it reserve fund others call it capital improvements budget they all mean the same thing and that really means savings for future maintenance. Here are the five reasons or purposes for a maintenance budget1. Long-term maintenance/repair (i.e., painting program) - long-term maintenance repair means that it has a succeeding number of repairs carried out on an example of that is to carry out a painting program. Where there is a large development, it would be beneficial for your strata community if you carry out a painting program to make sure that the exterior look of the development is maintained therefore the value is preserved2. Big projects (roof replacement) - another purpose of a maintenance fund is if there are big projects which means it costs a lot of money that way there's time for the strata community to save some money and example of a big project would be roof replacement,3. Improvement works (common property technology) - an example of an expensive project is a lift replacement it is an expensive project and therefore needs time for your strata community to save, to carry out at replacement4. Improvement works (common property technology) - an example of improvement works is to make sure that you come and properly technology is up-to-date, and this allows and requires your strata community to carry out improvement works, and a maintenance budget would absolutely be necessary to make sure that your common property technology is up-to-date5. Upgrade works (upgrade landscape) - example of an upgrade work would include upgrading of the landscape, this would mean beautifying, this would include additional common property assets that were not there before but absolutely requires further funding from the strata community and therefore further time to save money.

This particular podcast covers what should be in the agenda items of committee meetings 1. Resolution to accept the financial statements presented for the period - when I refer to the period that could mean depending on how often a committee meets so it could be the financial statement for the monthly period. quarterly period. and semiannual period. 2. Resolve to provide particular instructions to the manager on surfing directions that they could make decisions on - this allows the manager to provide action items so that they don't always have to go back for each and every single new item on the action list the committee could resolve to make for appointing the manager the strata manager as an agent who actions the decisions of the committee 3. A resolution to approve maintenance or repair works for the common property which could include urgent works - the committee must make sure that when they make decisions in respect of approving maintenance or repair works that such a decision is still within their powers otherwise if it's beyond their powers that means that they need to go back and hold a general meeting to have all members of the strata community make a decision in respect of the maintenance or repair works 4. Resolve to review and action dispute resolution matters if any - this is the opportunity for the committee to determine whether there had been any issues amongst residents and owners in other words neighborhood disputes that have come to the attention of the strata community. a decision should be made on whether the complaints or issues raised to them should be actioned by the strata community and what is the next action that’s ought to be taken and that could mean holding a dispute resolution meeting or deciding to have to take for their action in the matter or whether it's a matter that ought to be escalated to a tribunal or court 5. A resolution to determine when to hold the next committee meetings and its agenda items - it is prudent that the committee determines when they should meet next so that all the committee members are informed and they could make a decision whether they could hold the meeting at an agreed time and date so that they could block off their commitments and more informed and a collection of the decision-making of all the committee members are made at the next meeting. Also, it's an opportunity to determine what are the main agenda items in the next committee meetings these are the 5 committee meeting agendas strata enthusiast.

In particular legislations, there are basic items that need to be covered in AGM agendas I will feature the 5 foundational items that should be covered in your AGM agenda. 1. A resolution to renew or confirm your strata managers contract of appointment it’s important for all the members of your strata community to either confirm or determine whether it wishes to renew its strata manager's contract of appointment that way you could is considered at the budget that also going to be resolved at the same meeting. 2. Resolve to renew the strata insurance cover the members of your strata community should know the particular in the insurance cover to determine whether it ought to renew the same coverage of strata insurance that way the members are given an opportunity to determine whether they want to increase, maintain, or decrease their insurance premium as it affects the budget that's going to be passed at that particular meeting.3. A resolution to raise a budget for the next financial year the members should review the proposed budget its breakdown for the next financial year so that it understands what should be passed as a budget for the next financial year it's also prudent the members of the strata community consider in putting a buffer to their budget to avoid unnecessary special levies and so that they can personally plan their own budget for the year.4. A resolution to charge penalty inches to members who do not pay their shared contribution on time this is something that I recommend that the members of the strata community consider this allows for members to pay online to be recognized and to penalize members who do not pay their share on time. 5. Fifth agenda item is a resolution to approve maintenance or repair works for the common property it's important that when all the members of the strata community gather at this meeting, they understand what aspects of the common property requires repair or require maintenance or recurring maintenance that way they have a clear understanding of where the funding goes.

In today's podcast I want to cover “How do you register rules of the owner's corporation?” The traditional way before electronic lodgment of land Victoria documents were done was that, a form is completed, a form created by land Victoria, it is signed by either an owners corporation representative or the solicitor of the owners corporation and then a clerk would then file that form along with certified copy of the rules and a copy of the certified minutes of the owners corporation proving that the special resolution was passed in support of the rules that’s being registered.In respect to the rules that are being registered I’m referring to special rules other than model rules. That was the traditional way of lodging rules. Nowadays many many things are now lodged in land Victoria titles office electronically and that is done in a different way only to the extent of it being lodge electronically and at the moment what is available for lodgment of land Victoria documents is the platform called PEXA, P-E-X-A, similarly to the traditional way of lodging rules of form of land Victoria is completed but this time it is completed by either a solicitor of the owners corporation or if there's a conveyancer who has access to PEXA as certified copy of the rules that’s being registered and a certified copy meaning a signed copy of the minute supporting that the special resolution was passed to support the making of the special rules.All those three documents are then lodge electronically through PEXA by a subscriber and the subscriber would only be either a solicitor who has access to PEXA for a conveyancer. once that’s lodged electronically the owners corporation will then wait for the documents to be registered on the plan of subdivision, a confirmation is then provided that has been lodged and then a search could be done to confirm that the rules had been registered on the plan of subdivision, that is the process now of electronically lodging rules of the owners corporation so that is registered on title capable of enforcement.

A common question that we get asked is “How does a person deal with water leak issues?” The main thing to determine in water leak issues are two things: Is there evidence through an expert report identifying what caused the leak and the damage, once you get evidence from an expert identifying where the leak is coming from and what is the damage caused, a significant amount of the water leak issue has been addressed? The second thing that needs to be determined is once it’s been identified where did the water leak is coming from, identify whether the source of a water leak is private property or common property. If the water leak is coming from common property, the party claiming water leak damages could turn to the owner's corporation and claim and require them to rectify and stop the leak and rectify the result and damages. On the other hand, if the expert report says that the water leak is coming from private property, the party claiming the damages must determine whether that private property is their neighbor or the private property relates to their property or it's coming within their own property. Where the leak is coming from a neighbor similarly to an owners Corporation claims a party should seek that their neighbor (meaning the owner of tea nearby property) rectify the source of the leak and also the results and damages. On the other hand, if the water leak is coming from their own property clearly they are responsible to stop the water leak from making further or causing further damages to their property and they would also be responsible to rectify the resulting damages.

The truth is, neighborhood disputes could occur in a strata community development. What your strata community must do is simply consider these disputes as part and parcel of strata community living that should be dealt with by using resources that help resolve them. Here are 5 resources of your strata community that could help resolve disputes.1. Chart with a diagram of the dispute resolution procedureCreating a chart that illustrates the dispute resolution process, and a copy of that chart being issued to all owners and residents will contribute to a clear chain of communication and documents that are relevant in the dispute resolution process.2. List of legal requirements to the dispute resolution processThe source of a list of legal requirements to a dispute resolution process for your strata community will depend on the legal requirements of your relevant state or territory. Create a list of these legal requirements so that it is clear to the parties of the dispute why particular documents and steps are required to be presented or produced.3. Last annual general meeting or committee meeting minutesAt the last annual general meeting or committee meeting of your strata community, it would have been decided whether your community, any office bearer or manager are given particular delegated powers to deal with the dispute resolution process. It is prudent that the delegated powers are determined before the commencement of the dispute resolution process so that all decisions made in relation to the process are legal, which ultimately avoids wasting time and money of the strata community.4. Platform to hold the dispute resolution meetingWhether it is face to face or through any electronic platforms, such platform for the dispute resolution meeting should be easily accessed by the parties so that there is a fair opportunity for all parties to attend that meeting. That way, the parties are given fair opportunity to be heard, negotiate and resolve the dispute.5. Plan of subdivision and title extractThe strata community should obtain a copy of the plan of subdivision and title extract to make sure all parties are aware of their role in the community. By being aware of the boundaries, contributions and entitlements, including the membership, the parties are provided clarity on their membership, obligations and rights in the strata community.

Financial, legal and ethical obligations. Financial, legal and ethical management. When strata enthusiasts talk about what it is like living in a strata community, Most people usually talk about the obligations, the levy contributions, the work required to be part of a strata community. That said, there are absolutely many benefits of living in a strata community. Here are what in our view some of the benefits of living in a strata community. 1. Helps maintain the property valueSince the common property is well maintained, it positively impacts the real estate value of the property. There is a greater chance of being assured that your real estate value will continue to increase because the shared assets are well-maintained.2. Financial stabilityYour strata community is financially stable and is able to continuously repair and maintain the common property, which ultimately keeps up the value of your real estate asset. 3. Opportunity to service the communityBeing part of a strata community gives you the opportunity to volunteer and contribute for the benefit of the community. In addition, you are provided with the opportunity to have a deeper connection with the community. 4. Available supportIn the event that you experience a neigbourhood dispute, the strata community could step in to support and assist with resolving the dispute. It becomes very difficult if you not only experience a neighbourhood dispute, but also if you could not find the appropriate support within the community to resolve the issue.5. Access to common amenities and facilitiesWhether it is a common tennis court, gym, pool, recreation centre, depending on what is available in your development, one of the great benefits in living in a strata community is unlimited access to the common amenities and facilities, which makes you enjoy more living in a strata community.

Part and parcel of strata community living is compliance with the rules and regulations and management of the same. This requires good governance and retention of important documents by the strata community. 1. Plan of subdivision A copy of the plan of subdivision should be retained because it not only provides the boundaries (what is common property and what is private property), it also gives guidance on who should contribute to the costs of the strata community expenses. It will be very difficult for the strata community to operate if it does not rely on its plan of subdivision. 2. Minutes of meetings or ballots To make sure all decisions of the strata community are validly passed (which means the strata community was legally authorised to make decisions) evidence of those decisions should be recorded on meeting minutes or ballots. The absence of recorded decisions in minutes could open the strata community to risks of acting without legal decisions being made. 3. Financial statements In annual general meetings of a strata community, financial statements are presented. This document records, based on the previous financial year the following: strata community’s expenses, collected levy payment from the members or arrears of members. It also details the breakdown of the proposed budget for the upcoming financial year. A copy of the financial statements from previous and current financial years must be retained for the obvious reason that there must be evidence available to all members to demonstrate how the funds collected from them have been and will be spent. 4. List of members’ names, postal address, email address and contact number It goes without saying that the strata community must have an accurate list of all its members’ names, postal address, email address and contact number so that they receive all documents of the strata community. We emphasise the word accuracy. If the strata community does not have the members’ accurate details, consequently, the member would not receive the documents and in turn the member would not be able to pay their contribution levies that adversely impacts the strata community’s budget and compliance with their legal obligations. 5. Contracts The strata community, must at all times, retain a fully signed copy of all agreements and contracts that they are a party. Further, they should keep track of when the contract ends, so that they could appropriately consider their financial and contractual obligations in the coming financial years. We have chosen 5 crucial documents that should be retained. However, we note that there are further documents that should be included in the list. We are interested in what you think should be included to this list. We want to hear from you, so please comment on our podcast in the relevant section. Strata enthusiasts, keep in mind to – continue upgrading yourself.

Living in a strata community requires that we learn to live in close proximity with one another. Living in close proximity means that there may be times that others could affect one’s enjoyment of their property and the common area. Where disagreements occur, your strata community could receive complaints from residents about others’ behaviour including misconducts resulting in damage to private or common property. It then becomes necessary for your strata community to hold a dispute resolution meeting by inviting the complainant and the alleged offender to the meeting, with a goal to reach an agreed solution to the issue. That is why strata communities must know techniques so that an effective dispute resolution meeting is held. 1. Request from the complainant evidence of the alleged offenceBefore your strata community decides to hold a dispute resolution meeting, it is necessary to ask the complainant reasonable evidence to support that the alleged offence continues to occur. Nothing could be worse than holding a dispute resolution meeting and the alleged offender denies the alleged offence and points out that there are insufficient evidence supporting that they have caused the offence.2. Determine the appropriate and effective meeting platformAs you know the choices of meeting platforms have now expanded to not only face to face, but also through phone or video conference platforms. Your strata community should consider if one of the following platforms (which should depend on the issue in dispute) could be effectively discussed in one of the following- face to face meeting, phone conference or video conference. It should also be considered if the attendees have reasonable access to the chosen platform, so that all parties are given fair opportunity to attend the dispute resolution meeting. 3. Issue a sufficient and compliant dispute resolution meeting notice to the appropriate partiesMake sure that your strata community includes in the dispute resolution meeting notice the agenda ,a copy of the complaint, evidence received from the complainant, time and date of the meeting and the meeting platform. The meeting notice should be given to the parties within a reasonable period of time so that they could make the necessary personal arrangements in able to attend the dispute resolution meeting. 4. Invite an independent third party to chair the dispute resolution meetingThe purpose of a dispute resolution meeting is to provide the affected parties (complainant and alleged offender) an opportunity to be heard. That said, it is crucial that the strata community engages an independent third party to chair the meeting. Otherwise, the parties may not open up at the meeting, which could compromise the opportunity to resolve the dispute.5. Aim to reach a resolutionThe parties (complainant and alleged offender) should be reminded that it will be very difficult to determine the outcome of the dispute if it is litigated (court dispute). If they resort to litigation, they are passing the power to decide the outcome of the dispute to a judge or tribunal member and the outcome will be very difficult to determine. Not only does litigation cost, but it takes time and could take an emotional toll on all parties of the dispute. Inform the parties that it is likely that they would prefer to put the control of the outcome in their own hands instead. Thus, it is absolutely necessary to be open to negotiations at the dispute resolution meeting.These are the 5 techniques to hold an effective dispute resolution meeting. Holding an effective one means all parties must work hard to reach an agreed resolution.Strata enthusiasts, do not forget – continue upgrading yourself.

We all love to improve our residence or real estate investment. However, one of the worst nightmares of a homeowner is if your property has water leak issues. You either will see the progressive resultant damage or you will see the potential loss of your income, if you hear your tenant threatening to end their rental agreement, should the issue not be resolved within a reasonable period of time. In either situation, as a home owner, all you want to do is resolve the issue as soon as practicable. Strata enthusiasts, in this episode we will share with you 5 ways to resolve a water leak issue. 1. Determine where the water leak is coming from Unless you are a building expert, you should probably not make your own assessment of where the water leak is coming from. Engage a building consultant to prepare a report for you. The report details the source of the water leak including the damage caused and will be caused in the future if the water leak issue is not rectified. 2. Determine if the water leak runs only on private property or includes common property It is important that you hire the right building consultant expert who could determine if the water leak runs only through private property or if it includes common property. This is important because it will help guide you on how to effectively approach your strata community to help you resolve the issue. If the water leak only runs through private property, you could request your strata community to enforce the bylaws or rules. On the other hand, if the water leak runs through the common property, you could require the strata community to stop the water leak and rectify the damage caused to your property. 3. Seek expert advice to temporarily stop the leak Whilst you are communicating with the different parties (whether it is another lot owner or the strata community) you should seek expert advice on how to mitigate or prevent further damage from occurring to your property, by temporarily stopping the leak. 4. List the damages caused to your property and obtain a rectification quote After getting an expert advice on where the leak is coming from, make a list of the damages caused by the water leak to your property so that you could inform the relevant parties what should be rectified after the leak is stopped including the rectification costs. 5. Be open to negotiate The worst position that you could find yourself in, is if you spend your time arguing with the other parties on who should rectify the leak. Be open to negotiate a resolution to your leak issue. Of course, we do not encourage that you accept any offer made. You should accept a reasonable offer. When you reject an offer, you should reply with a reason why their offer is rejected and provide an offer that you will likely accept. These are the 5 ways to resolve a water leak issue. Having a water leak issue is not a walk in the park. That said, strata enthusiasts, if you follow these steps, you will be better equipped in dealing with the issue. Until next time strata enthusiasts, remember – continue upgrading yourself.

Your strata community should carefully consider the traits that are important to you so that you could hire the appropriate and fit strata manager. After all, your aim is to hire a trusted advisor – your strata manager.There are many traits of an effective strata manager. Here are what we think are the 5 traits that you should consider when you hire your next strata manager.1. Committed and DedicatedAn effective strata manager should be reasonably committed and dedicated. Your strata manager should treat all customers with the same high level of care. Their time should be dedicated enabling the committee’s decision making easier. Their attention should be to the commitment of being a trusted advisor of the strata community.2. Experienced and TransparentExperience is important for an effective strata manager. Your selected strata manager should have sufficient exposure in dealing with a strata community with similar characteristics as your development. They should also have a network of strata experts within their reach, which your strata community will need to access from time to time. That way, your strata manager would effectively guide you in an effective and smooth daily operation of your strata community. In our view, transparency is also a necessary trait of an effective strata manager. They should be able to provide accurate reporting on all financial matters and carry out appropriate consultation with the committee, especially when it involves engagement of strata contractors and service providers. By having this trait, the strata community is assured of the integrity of their strata manager. 3. ProfessionalYour strata community would want a strata manager who demonstrates professionalism. Such a trait is crucial in a strata manager because they should be able to execute the duties that they agreed to carry out, which includes compliance and administration of finance management, insurance management and meeting matters. 4. ProactiveAnother trait to look for in a strata manager is their level of responsiveness. An effective strata manager takes a proactive and not a reactive approach in dealing with the strata matters which includes, but are not limited to asset maintenance, accounting, disputes and by-laws or rules enforcement). 5. Effective Communicator We cannot over emphasise the importance that to be an effective strata manager, you must be an effective communicator. Avoidable conflicts in strata management usually comes from poor communication. An effective strata manager would keep an open and healthy channel of communication amongst the strata community members with a goal to reach a resolution. The strata manager should be able to demonstrate that they are an effective listener so that the strata community’s needs are understood and reasonably responded to.Strata enthusiasts, you could probably think of other traits that make up an effective strata manager. Please share your views by writing them in the comments section.There you go. The 5 traits of an effective professional strata manager. If you are part of a strata committee, consider the importance to your strata community of the 5 traits that we have shared with you. On the other hand, if you are a strata manager, you could reflect and consider if there are some traits, from what we shared, that you could work on and improve. Because remember, you should – continue upgrading yourself. This is Rochelle Castro, speak to you next time in Strata Life podcast!

A strata community leader is either the chairperson or president who is elected at an annual or special general meeting. A chairperson or president of the strata community is either delegated all the ordinary decision making entitlement or powers or they are delegated to lead the committee. Many wants to lead a strata community, but the truth is, not everyone has the traits to effectively lead a strata community. Being an effective leader is not just about how much you know or if you are the most liked strata community member. Being an effective leader is about having the required skills to be the captain of your ship called – strata community. 1. Being diplomaticBy being a diplomatic strata community leader, you are able to diffuse any situation with utmost tact and fairness. From time to time, a strata community leader will face challenges to protect their members’ interest in the development. By being a diplomatic leader, it will not appear that you have any favourites or have any loyalty to a particular person. That way, you could demonstrate that the decisions you make on behalf of the strata community is governed by being diplomatic, which could change in approach. 2. Have vision and take actionA leader may have so many ideas to improve the value of their real estate investment, but taking action to put that vision alive is only carried out by few leaders. Being an effective leader, particularly in your strata community is coupled with vision – then action.3. Have brevity and clarityThis means having an ability to communicate with concise and exact words and clear message. I know a number of people who love hearing their own voice. They could go on and on and on with their speech. Unfortunately, they do not realise that their message is not understood by person or persons that they are talking to, but they have just used too many words. Do not waste time. If you want to be an effective leader, particularly in your strata community, have brevity and clarity in your communication with your strata community. That way, you not only take the captainship of your strata community, the message gets across to the appropriate person or persons, so that the message is actioned.4. Take accountabilityAccording to rightattitudes.com – a true leader does not pass and blame for failure but graciously accepts responsibility for the problems inherited. It may be possible as the new and incoming chairperson or president of your strata community, you may have inherited a number or significant issues. Rather than passing the blame of the inherited concerns in the strata community, as an effective leader, take charge and embrace the challenge as the new leader.5. Have the ability to control your emotionsI do not mean – not have any emotion, but be able to control yourself because, after all, you are an effective strata community leader. When times are stressful, and there will be times like that, because not everything runs perfectly, as an effectively leader, you should be the last person to react with dramatic emotions (for example, walking out of a meeting or discussion). You should be a level headed calm individual, who will not explode or lose cool in difficult situations. As an effective strata community leader, you should learn to regulate, not suppress your emotion – according to healthline.com With these 5 traits of an effective strata community leader, I am certain that your real estate investment will not only be preserved but increase in value. Also, you will enjoy being more involved with your strata community by being its effective leader. There are many more other traits of an effective strata community leader. I am interested in your views on what other traits you see that should be added to expand this list.

Welcome to Strata Life by Rochelle Castro The place where you should go to learn and get inspired on all matters strataIn this episode I will cover...5 techniques on how to hold a productive general meetingI previously shared with you the techniques on how to hold a committee meeting. This episode is different in that I am sharing with you the techniques on how to hold meeting with a larger crowd, the crowd where all the members of your strata community are invited to attend and vote – the general meeting. It is important to make sure that you use effective techniques to hold general meetings because it that meeting gets out of control, it is very difficult to turn it around and rectify poorly run general meetings. Here are the 5 techniques to effectively hold a general meeting. 1. Set the agenda based on the past year’s activities and circumstances that have occurred in your strata communityWhen you prepare the agenda for a general meeting, part of the agenda includes a reflection on the events and circumstances that have occurred in the past year. If it is included in the agenda, your strata community is able to report on all the hard work accomplished in the past year and ongoing matters that the new committee elected (if any) will take over.2. Send the meeting notice and agenda to all last known addresses of all members (i.e. physical address, email address, mobile numbers)Your strata community should make sure that the meeting notice and agenda is issued to the member through effective communication method that will get these documents to their attention. The worst thing that a strata community experiences are allegations that the meeting notice and agenda were not appropriately issued, making the general meeting invalid. 3. At the general meeting, held in any platform (i.e. face to face, by video conference or by phone conference), make sure there is an efficient method of noting attendance, absences, proxies and apologiesNoting attendance should simply not eat up too much time. Depending on the meeting platform that your strata community uses, make sure an efficient method of taking attendance is planned well before the meeting is held. This may include putting a team together to help take attendance and the team is briefed on the process.4. At the beginning of the meeting, inform the attendees of the policy or code of conduct on how to behave at the meetingBy setting the tone of the meeting with clarifying the policy or code of conduct of all attendees at the meeting, your strata community could made it clear that the general meeting is held in a businesslike manner.5. Set an efficient method of counting the votesThe worst thing that could happen in the meeting, most especially for large strata communities is if the method of counting votes goes to disarray. You should make sure that even before the voting commences, it is clear to all voting members how the votes are counted. That way, your strata community demonstrates that the general meeting is effectively and efficient held and carried out. CONCLUSION Strata enthusiasts, with these 5 techniques that I have shared on how to hold a productive general meeting, I have no doubt that your next general meeting will be very accomplished and benefit all its members, which, ultimately helps protect and increase the value of your real estate investment. Strata enthusiasts, I will speak to you in our next podcast. I will keep encouraging you to - continue upgrading yourself! This is Rochelle Castro, speak to you soon here in Strata Life podcast!

5 techniques on how to hold a productive committee meetingOf all the meetings that your strata community holds, it is the committee meetings that you will hold the most. This is because committees make the decisions on daily operations of your strata community. So, it is important to know effective techniques on how to hold your committee meetings. Here we go.. 1. Set an agendaIt’s not only crucial but also a compliance requirement for your committee to set an agenda before calling the meeting. The agenda will allow the other committee members notice to prepare for the items to be discussed at the meeting. It will also allow them to research about the agenda items so as to achieve a robust discussion and informed decision making of the committee.2. Invite the right people in the committee meetingObviously, all committee members should be invited to the meeting. I don’t mean that. I mean, the committee should determine if they should be inviting experts to the meeting so that they could be better guided on crucial matters, prior to making a vote.3. Prior to calling the meeting, seek the other members’ views, if they are available for the meeting or if they intend to appoint a proxy.The worst thing in a meeting, is if most of the committee members cannot attend. Enquire with the committee members if they could make the scheduled meeting so that it could be determined if another time and date should be set or if proxy appointment is appropriate.4. Determine the appropriate platform for the meeting (depending on the agenda items and attendees)There are different platforms (like face to face, video conference, phone conference, ballot).Your committee should carefully consider which platform best suits your next meeting, which should also depend on the agenda items. Ofcourse, should you also consider if your committee members could access that platform on the set date and time of the meeting.5. At the meeting, set a table for list of actionsThe purpose of your committee meeting, is to make decisions. Ofcourse, you expect that, that particular committee meeting will not be the last meeting that your committee will hold. To make sure that there is a follow through, your committee should create a table for list of actions, so that at the next committee meeting, your committee tracks which agenda item is complete, ongoing or requires further assessment and determination. CONCLUSION Strata enthusiasts, with these 5 techniques that I have shared on how to hold a productive committee meeting, I have no doubt that your committee will be very accomplished, which ultimately helps protect and increase the value of your real estate investment. Strata enthusiasts, I will speak to you in our next episode. I will keep encouraging you to - continue upgrading yourself! This is Rochelle Castro, speak to you soon in Strata Life podcast!

5 items that strata insurance covers One of the benefits of being in a strata community is enjoying the benefits of a bulk buy of strata insurance cover. It means that each and every lot or unit property, including common property purchases strata insurance cover so that their investment is protected. You will notice that I used the word “bulk buy” of strata insurance. “Bulk buy” refers to the owners, who are also members of the strata community to jointly purchase strata insurance cover. By jointly buying strata insurance, through a specialist strata insurance provider, your strata community will be able to get the appropriate cover that suits your community’s needs. Here are the 5 items that strata insurance covers- 1. Building replacement and or reinstatement cover – in the event that your building needs to be repaired or replaced, if it experiences impact damages (accident that is not excluded from the cover) you will be covered by insurance.2. Public liability cover – Your common property is open for use by you, your family, your guests, your tenant, their guests. The common property is also open to contractors and service provider who visit the site. Should any safety or harm is caused to them or their belongings that are left on the common property, or the damage originated from the common property, there is a likelihood that they will make a claim against your strata community. To transfer that risk, your strata community could make a public liability claim. 3. Office bearer cover – Committee or board members of your strata community are volunteers. They also make the daily decision on the operations of your strata community. It is prudent that your strata community obtains office bearer cover to protect the committee or board members from third party claims of allegations of making wrongful decisions on behalf of your strata community. There is no issue of an approved office bearer claim, as long as your committee or board members could demonstrate to the insurer that their decisions were made in the best interest of the strata community.4. Machinery breakdown cover – If your development has a special machinery (like lifts, car stackers, car lifts or carpark roller doors) it is prudent for your strata community to get machinery breakdown cover. You should note that you can only be covered by insurance for machinery breakdown if the strata community carries out regular maintenance to the machine. Remember, that insurance will not cover you if you do not conduct regular maintenance of your asset.5. Legal defence costs cover – Although you may think that your strata community has not had an legal issue in the past year or so, it is prudent that your strata community is covered for legal defence costs in the event that a third party makes a claim and it is necessary to defend it. Trust me, your strata community will not regret getting this cover and will be able to avoid raising a lot of funds for legal fees, that were not projected in the budget for the current financial year. There you have it strata enthusiasts – the 5 items that strata insurance covers. I hope I have inspired you to review your strata insurance cover to find out if you need that extra protection.CONCLUSION Strata enthusiasts, I will speak to you in our next episode. Remember, continue upgrading yourself! This is Rochelle Castro speak to you next time in Strata Life podcast!

5 responsibilities of your strata community (You probably wonder the purpose of your strata community aside from collect money from you. Well, in exchange of the monies collected from you are the benefits of services and value that you receive from your strata community. These benefits and services come from the responsibilities that your strata community has to take care of your common property so that the value of your real estate property is protected. Here are the 5 responsibilities of your strata community 1. They are responsible to repair and maintain your common property. (Examples of these are your common lobby or driveway, the exterior of your building, if that is common property or if you live in an apartment, your common pool or gym for example).2. They are responsible to protect your security and safety when you, your family or guests are using the common property. (Your strata community must make sure that all those entitled to use the common property is safe and secure. They take reasonable measures to make sure you and your loved ones safety are safe and secure.3. They must obtain the reinstatement and replacement building insurance of the common property and your private dwelling (where applicable). (One of the main benefits of living in a strata community is that you enjoy bulk purchase of reinstatement and replacement building insurance which covers you should unfortunate accidents occur to your property and the common property).4. Your strata community is responsible to enforce the rules against persons whose misbehaviour affect your enjoyment and use of your property AND the common property. (Aside from referring to external resources like the police, fire brigade and other external resources, you could also revert to your strata community to enforce the rules so that the persons hinder your enjoyment of your property and the common property could be compelled to stop).5. Finally, your strata community is responsible to make sure that your property value is maintained or increases. Your strata community achieves this by making sure they continuously maintain and improve the common property including the exterior face of our property. One model behaviour of the strata community is continuously assessing and measuring (through its members, your co-owners) how it could maintain and increase the value of your real estate investment. There you have it – 5 responsibilities of your strata community I hope that you now have a better understanding of your strata community’s responsibilities and how it helps you better enjoy your real estate investment.CONCLUSION Strata enthusiasts, I will speak to you in our next podcast. If you like what you hear, please reach out to us and let us know which episode has caused you to further appreciate living in a strata community Remember - continue upgrading yourself! I am Rochelle Castro, I will speak to you soon in Strata Life podcast!

5 kinds of strata levies(I previously covered 5 collection methods of strata levies. It is also important to know the 5 kinds of strata levies which contribute to maintaining and preserving one of the large investments in your life your property)1. Insurance to reinstate and replace your property building (#it is absolution necessary to get reinstatement and replacement building insurance. This is one of the main reasons why strata levies are raised. This levy is raised on regular basis based on your strata’s insurance premium for the year.).2. Repair and maintenance expenses of your common property(#Key in maximising or keeping a very good value of your property is through maintenance and repair of your common property. By having a healthy budget for repair and maintenance of your common property, you are able to preserve your property value. This levy is raised on regular basis based on your strata community’s regular repair and insurance requirements).3. Large improvement projects (#An example of a large improvement project is to upgrade your common property, i.e. refurbishment the tennis court. This type of levy is raised if a budget is set by your strata community based on a large common property improvement project).4. Once off levies(These types of levies are raised if an unexpected expense must be raised by your strata community and it was not considered at the last annual general meeting budget. These once off levies could include repair and maintenance expenses that are considered emergency or expenses to pay an expert’s advice that was not planned at the last annual general meeting. This type of levy is raised only once during the financial year to meet the unexpected expense.) 5. Levies for selected members(These levies are only raised and levied to selected strata community members who will solely benefit from those funds. An example would include burst pipe repair works that will only service selected properties and members who will solely receive those benefit. The number of times that these levies are raised depends on the quantum of the funds required and the urgency that the works are required to be carried out.)CONCLUSION Strata enthusiasts, I hope that this episode has given you the bird’s eyeview on…. These are the 5 kinds of strata levies, so that you could have a better understanding on why certain types of levies are raised in your strata community. In the next annual general meeting of your strata community, I recommend that you partake or get involved in the discussion of your strata community’s budget approval. That way, you have a better understanding of the continuous improvements being carried out to your strata community, which directly impacts your property investment. Dave Ramsey says, that “a budget is telling your money where to go, instead of wondering where it went.” Remember, continue upgrading yourself, strata enthusiasts. This is Rochelle Castro speak to you soon in Strata Life podcast!

Welcome to Strata Life by Rochelle Castro The place where you should go to learn and get inspired on all matters strataIn this episode I will cover... 5 collection methods so that your strata community’s cashflow is healthy1. Send a letter of demand 7 or 14 days after the levies are due (do not wait for a final notice to be sent. You could also send another letter after the final notice is issued).2. Charge penalty interest (punishment to those who pay on time, reward to those who pay on time).3. Arrange a reasonable payment plan (reasonable is the keyword, so that the debt eventually catches up to their debt).4. Inform your strata community in AGMs of consequences to their finances if members do not pay on time.5. Pass a resolution that authorizes the strata community to automatically issue legal proceedings if a member fails to pay on time or enter into a payment plan.CONCLUSION Strata enthusiasts, I hope that this episode has given you the bird’s eye view on how to …5 collection methods so that your strata community’s cashflow is healthy Strata enthusiasts, I will speak to you in our next episode. Life is the C between the B and the D. Life is about choices, making choices. Remember, continue upgrading yourself! This is Rochelle Castro speak to you soon on the Strata Life podcast!

5 steps on how the owners corporation committee could make legal decisions-1. Identify the items that should be decided #explain2. Create a meeting agenda and notice #explain (include 3 days prior meeting notice)3. Hold the meeting. (Check attendance and eligibility to vote, give brief opportunity for each member to express their views, then vote, then close the meeting)4. Write the minutes of meeting . (only record decision NOT comments)5. Keep minutes in custody of secretary or strata manager, then give directions to relevant parties to action decisionCONCLUSION Strata enthusiasts, I hope that this episode has given you the bird’s eye view on how to … 5 steps on how the owners corporation committee could make legal decisions- Strata enthusiasts, I will speak to you in our next episode.Remember, continue upgrading yourself! This is Rochelle Castro I will speak to you next time in Strata Life podcast!