Hello folks!
If you have recently shifted to a strata community or are planning to do so, you are about to welcome few changes in your life. Being a resident of a strata title property can prove to be beneficial in certain ways. For example, you do not need to take full responsibility for maintenance of your property.
The burden of maintenance is relieved from your shoulders to the strata corporation by paying a certain strata fees for upkeep of the community property.
Moreover, it costs much less in terms of investment when you buy such properties rather than a freestanding one. So, yes, opting for a strata titled property would not be a bad decision after all.
However, in spite of having such lucrative advantages, residents of strata titled properties can face some really annoying problems, as in you most likely will have to put up with a lot of neighbourly issues. And the result is, residents and owners falling out.
So, let’s take a look at some of the most common problems that afflict these strata schemes and what can be done to resolve them and enjoy a peaceful life in the community.
# Pets:
More than two-thirds of Australian homes include pets, and Australia, in fact, has the highest rate of ownership of pets. Quite naturally this could prove to be a major issue of conflict among neighbourhoods.
While most of us cannot do without a furry companion, others may look at them as just an irritating creature lurking around the fences, barking or meowing around the corner. Plus, as much as you would love to play around with your puppy, welcoming other’s pets at unexpected hours could be a real pain.
What you should know:
Before purchasing a strata property, it is utmost crucial that you read the bylaws relevant to your property. These bylaws could vary from property to property and even more drastically between each state and territory.
All the residents and owners of such properties must obey these rules and they can be only changed by a unanimous vote by holding a special meeting of the strata community.
In most strata communities in Australia, you need a written permission to acquire a pet, however, they wouldn’t reasonably deny keeping a pet.
#Parties:
Now, this could be a real turn off when somebody is playing loud music all night and all you really wish to do is have a decent sleep. This is one of the real-time issues that you have to deal with inevitably when you are living in a strata titled community.
What you should know:
It’s strictly against the strata laws to make noise during sleep hours. The best option is to communicate directly to the source of the problem.
You can always approach your neighbours with a friendly suggestion to keep the noise down. If that doesn’t seem to work, you can always opt for the extreme. Don’t hesitate to call the cops as that is strictly against the law.
Most of the noise problems can be resolved immediately right at the moment with a friendly approach. Approach them with a few alternatives that could be okay with the neighbourhood.
Your neighbours may find it fitting to try their hand at carpentry at odd hours but you could always try and convince them to limit their experiments to Saturday afternoons when you are out for your basketball practice or just chilling around with your family and friends.
Sometimes it may come down to rearranging your schedule to adjust with your neighbours as that is the case most often when you live in a strata community. You need to find a midway so as not to hamper the peace and harmony in the community.
#Parking
Parking vehicles in a strata community could be annoying as well as dangerous as anyone could question their vehicle’s existence in the shared area.
What You Should Know:
Each strata may have certain rules regarding parking vehicles on common property. Vehicles on common property are not supposed to obstruct any driveway or pathway unless there is a special bylaw letting them.
There are some rules in strata community in regard to the timings as in how long the guests can leave their vehicles parked in the designated areas. In some strata communities, you need to gain prior permission before parking their vehicles in the shared area.
So, in future, before you entertain any visitors in your area, you could always notify them of the rules so that they don’t become an obstruction for you or your neighbours.
#Renovation:
This has become more frequent than ever before in Australian homes. It’s great to get your townhouse renovated, however you must remember, this isn’t a one day thing. Your neighbours need to prepare themselves mentally for the renovation as this is going to take a while. They might find it really hard to shut their eyes or relax during any time of the day.
What You Should Know:
Before you decide to call your workmen home, you need to extend some courtesy to your neighbours and notify them of an approximate time period as to how long they have to put up with it.
In most Australian strata communities, all kind of construction work will need the strata community’s prior permission so that they can tell you the time period of your notice that you will need to stipulate. If your work continues beyond the notice period, they are most likely to shut it down.
Finally, the best way to deal with your neighbourly problems would be to face them head on and approach the concerned folks with a reasonable conversation keeping your emotions aside.
And if this fails, knowing the law always pays off.
Happy living!