Your Strata Property With Amanda Farmer

I’m sharing 5 hard truths I’ve learned as a strata lawyer - truths that might just change your mind about commencing legal proceedings (whether that’s in NCAT, or the equivalent in your jurisdiction).

In this week’s podcast episode, I’m joined by Luke Woollard of PILOT Body Corporate, who’s on a mission to shake up the strata industry. From ditching insurance commissions to rethinking the role of strata managers, Luke shares his bold vision for a better, fairer future for strata owners.

When an owner installs a DIY pipe down the side of a building and hacks through a locked tap with a power tool, what can the committee actually do? Reena Van Aalst and I discuss this one. Plus, an owner who fought for over a decade to get justice for his leaking, uninhabitable home is finally ready to relax.

This week, I sit down with Thom Richards, founder of Cohabit, a platform that scores and benchmarks strata buildings using real data. We’re talking about how this tech is bringing much-needed clarity to owners, buyers, and managers alike.

Strata owners across the country are calling for better training, and in NSW, it's about to become mandatory for strata committee members. In this week’s episode, I take a deep dive into my newly released Special Report: The Strata Committee Crisis - Why NSW Apartment Communities Need Smarter Support. I break down the key findings, what they mean for you, and where we go from here.

Strata managers have weathered a tough 12-months, with intense media scrutiny and major law reform. In this week’s podcast, current SCA (NSW) President Robert Anderson joins me to explain the steps SCA is taking to restore trust, support members through the reform process, and tackle misconceptions. From overhauling complaints processes to rolling out mandatory audits and a new Code of Ethics, Robert shares what’s happening behind the scenes — and what’s next for the future of strata.

This week, I sit down with Reena Van Aalst, who explains how she's managing a $50K insurance excess on water ingress claims. I share a $700K insurance claim that turned from a denial into a payout, and we discuss whether or not committee members should be allowed to approve repairs at their own lots.

What if a balcony waterproofing job that used to cost $55k could soon cost over $200k? Helen Kowal and Deborah Lockart join me this week, unpacking the impact of proposed 2025 updates to the National Construction Code. They're sounding the alarm for strata owners and asking the government to take action before it’s too late. This is a must-listen for strata owners, managers, and anyone planning building repairs.

One of the hottest discussion topics at our Mudgee CPD Event two weeks ago was strata manager gifts and benefits: is it now illegal for strata managers to accept free tickets to events? What if a strata friend wants to buy you lunch? And who came up with the $60 rule anyway? All this and more in today's episode.

Nick Hedges of ResolveHR joins me to explain how the new “right to disconnect” laws apply to strata managers, including why management companies should be revisiting their policies on after-hours communications now.

Tracy Longo of Homes for Homes joins me to reveal the tiny step property owners can take today to ensure more secure housing for vulnerable Australians.

Reena Van Aalst joins me this week, giving us an insight into the low morale and general sense of despair currently being experienced by our strata managers. We’re also discussing best practice when significant funds need to be raised urgently, why "you aren't paying for perfection", and my prediction that the rise of payment plans simply means more business for strata loan providers.

New strata legislation has been made in NSW, expected to commence in mid-2025. This is the most significant strata reform since our 2015 Act. In this podcast episode, I'm highlighting 5 last-minute changes that were made to the Bill, which will have significant impacts on owners, committees, and managers. Make sure you didn't miss them.

Reena Van Aalst joins me to discuss: why strata managers should be charging for the work they do to keep committee members organised, whether insurers are entitled to request minutes of meetings, the role of WHS in residential buildings, and the insurance commission loophole in NSW's new strata manager disclosure laws. Links mentioned: Get the…

I'm sharing a few fun, fascinating, frightening (!) facts from my recent time spent at the U.S. Community Association Law Seminar in Texas.

Our audience didn’t hold back during last Friday’s LIVE session over on Facebook, sharing their views on exactly who they think is responsible when communication breaks down in strata. This week, we bring that chat to you here on the podcast.

Reena Van Aalst and I ask: what's being done to address the abysmal way some strata managers are treated by their clients? We also share a smart idea for more successfully managing buildings under a compulsory appointment, and celebrate a self-represented owner's Tribunal win.

Chris Miller joins me to explain how strata managers can tap into the "collective buying power" of strata buildings to help improve their own bottom lines - especially as they stare down the barrel of a future without insurance commissions. If this sounds a little like strata managers may not have learned from the mistakes of the past...that was my first thought too. Tune in and hear what Chris has to say.

In our first podcast episode for the year, I’m sharing the 5 most popular episodes of 2024 – in case you missed them, need a recap, or are looking for a great place to start if you’re new to the podcast.

In our final episode for 2024, Reena Van Aalst is pulling back the curtain on poor building management practices and asking the question: why aren’t building managers held to the same standard as strata managers? We also debate section 55 in the NSW strata legislation. What does it mean and is anyone complying with it?