UnitBuddy journal
Disputes & Living guides.
Clear, useful reading for owners corporations and the people who run them.
17 guidesRSS
Disputes & Living
Your Owners Corporation Cannot Evict a Tenant. Here Is What It Can Do
An owners corporation can enforce by-laws against a tenant, but only the landlord can end the tenancy. Here is who to contact, what notice to serve, and how the rules differ by state.
21 August 2026 · 14 min read
Disputes & Living
Strata Dispute Costs Australia 2026: NCAT, VCAT, QCAT and Every State
The filing fee is only the beginning. This state-by-state guide explains where strata disputes go, what applications cost in 2026, when lawyers can appear and when you could be ordered to pay the other side's costs.
30 July 2026 · 23 min read
Disputes & Living
Using AI for Strata Disputes: NCAT, VCAT and the Risk of Fake Law
Australians are using ChatGPT and other AI tools to prepare tribunal cases. The help is cheap and immediate, but invented authorities, altered evidence, privacy breaches and bloated submissions can damage a sound strata claim.
30 July 2026 · 19 min read
Disputes & Living
By-Law Breaches in Strata: The Process, Who Pays, Who Decides, and What Evidence You Need (State by State)
A practical walkthrough of the by-law breach process in every Australian jurisdiction. Who issues the notice, what evidence you need, who pays for enforcement, and how far the process can go before it reaches a tribunal.
10 July 2026 · 20 min read
Disputes & Living
How to Actually Deal With a Noisy Neighbour in an Apartment Building
Before by-laws, before tribunals, before mediation: the resident-to-resident sequence that resolves most apartment noise disputes in a fortnight. What to say at the door, what to put in writing, when to escalate, and what evidence actually moves the needle.
15 May 2026 · 9 min read
Disputes & Living
Parcel Lockers, Food Deliveries and Package Theft in Apartment Buildings
Australian apartment buildings now move tens of millions of parcels a year through lobbies built for letters. Courier access, lockers, refrigerated bays, CCTV, theft claims, and the fixes committees can actually afford.
9 May 2026 · 13 min read
Disputes & Living
Shared Amenities in Strata: The Real Cost of Pools, Gyms, Rooftops and Guest Suites
Pools, gyms, rooftops, cinema rooms and guest suites lift resale value and daily life, and they are the most regulated, most insured and most expensive parts of an apartment building. This is the standards, the levy maths, the booking design and the liability picture committees actually have to manage.
9 May 2026 · 13 min read
Disputes & Living
Illegal Dumping and Bulky Waste in Apartment Buildings
Mattresses, e-waste and renovation debris are a recurring strata cost. The fix is rarely a sign on the bin room door. It is a working bulky-waste system tied to council pickups, EPA rules, move-out timing and a small amount of evidence.
8 May 2026 · 12 min read
Disputes & Living
Moving Into a Strata Apartment: Lift Bookings, Damage Bonds and the 2025 NSW Reforms
Move-in day is the operational stress test for an apartment building. Lift damage is the single largest cost driver, bonds have to be justified, and most strata insurance policies will not pay for damage caused during a move. This is what owners, tenants, committees and removalists need to know in 2026.
8 May 2026 · 14 min read
Disputes & Living
Common Property Storage in Strata: Bikes, Prams, Mobility Scooters and the Hard Line on Fire Egress
A pram in a corridor is not a tidiness problem. It is a fire egress, accessibility and insurance problem with rules behind it: the National Construction Code, AS 1668.1, AS 1851 and a growing pile of FRNSW lithium battery data. This is what committees should actually enforce, and how.
7 May 2026 · 13 min read
Disputes & Living
Balcony Rules in Strata: BBQs, Plants, Privacy Screens, Laundry and the Waterproofing Trap
Balconies feel private but sit on top of the building's most expensive surface (the waterproofing membrane) and the most complaint-prone interface between lots. This is the lot vs common property line, the codes that actually apply, and what committees should write into balcony rules.
6 May 2026 · 13 min read
Disputes & Living
When Neighbours Treat Common Property Like Their Own: Informal Use, Exclusive-Use By-Laws and How to Unwind a Tolerated Habit
A planter in the corridor. A storage cabinet by the fire stair. A car that always parks in the same visitor bay. A sign on a shared wall. Common property creep is a slow-motion governance problem with a defined legal pathway (temporary use, minor renovation, exclusive-use by-law) and a long history of tribunal orders for committees that get the steps wrong.
6 May 2026 · 13 min read
Disputes & Living
Surveillance Cameras and Smart Doorbells in Strata: What's Allowed and What's Not
Smart doorbells, indoor cameras, and ring-style devices are now in millions of Australian apartments, and they are generating a growing volume of strata disputes. The overlap between privacy law, surveillance law and strata law now matters in ordinary apartment disputes.
10 April 2026 · 9 min read
Disputes & Living
Smoking on Balconies in Strata: How NCAT and Tribunals Are Banning It Across Australia
Recent NCAT and QCAT decisions have ordered residents to stop smoking on balconies, ruled that drift smoke is a hazard, and given owners corporations new tools to enforce smoke-free by-laws. This is the legal position across Australia in 2026, including Western Australia's section 83 route to SAT.
4 April 2026 · 10 min read
Disputes & Living
How to Raise a Strata Dispute Without Making Enemies of Your Neighbours
Strata disputes are inevitable, but how you handle them determines whether you resolve the issue or create a years-long feud. A practical guide to raising disputes effectively while preserving your relationships.
15 February 2026 · 5 min read
Disputes & Living
Noise Complaints in Apartments: What Strata Can and Can't Enforce
Noise is the number one cause of strata disputes in Australia. Understanding what's enforceable, what isn't, and how to resolve issues before they escalate can save you years of frustration.
14 February 2026 · 6 min read
Disputes & Living
How to Force a Strata Scheme to Fix a Defect When They Keep Ignoring You
Your strata committee won't act on a serious defect. This is how to escalate, from formal notices to Fair Trading complaints to tribunal orders, with the new 2025 enforcement powers on your side.
7 February 2026 · 6 min read