TOP 10 OF 2023

Welcome back and Happy New Year to all our readers. While I’m sure we are all still adjusting to writing 2024 and getting into the swing of the New Year the team here at Smart Strata wanted to follow tradition and take the time to highlight our top-read updates from 2023.

There is no denying it was a big year, from changes to the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (BCCMA) to EV charging risk and mitigation and all the complexities that topical subject is beginning to pose in our schemes, we were not short of topics for discussions.

Throughout 2023, we are proud to announce our updates were read over 773,000 times. In this article, we are going to count down our top 10 updates and provide you with a small recap on each one.

With 16,854 reads, making it to 10^th place and being read by more people than our top article of 2022 was: Unlawful Short-Term Letting Order | Proactive Building Maintenance Tips. Submitted by Grace Lawyers, a long-term Smart Strata supporter, was the contributor of Unlawful Short Term Letting Order discussing the compatibility of short-term holiday accommodation mixing with long-term residential living. Higgins, another long term Smart Strata supporter,  contributed a very popular article on Proactive Building Maintenance Tips and the advantages of not allowing strata properties to fall into such a state of degradation.

Coming in 9^th place was: Management Rights Transfers – FAQ’S | Pre-Purchase Basics with an impressive 17,026 reads. Management Rights Transfers – FAQ’s was contributed by the Smart Strata Team and included what decisions can and cannot be made by the Committee. Pre-Purchase Basics was written by the favoured Francesco Andreone of GoStrata on the importance of understanding what Strata property ownership entails.

In 8^th place, we had a 3-article update including Building Defects – Practical Tips | Utility Infrastructure Responsibilities | Owners Survey Final Week. Yet again,  Grace Lawyers was the contributor of Building Defects – Practical Tips covering the alarming statistics which lay bare to the extent of Australia’s building defect crisis.  A Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management article touched on Utility Infrastructure Responsibilities and who is responsible for the maintenance within community title schemes and Smart Strata’s final call to complete a two-minute survey on matters that mean most to Strata Owners. This update was read by 17,030 subscribers.

With 17,063 reads and in 7^th position was another 3-article update on Top 10 of 2022 | Decision-Making Timeframes | Survey Closing Soon. A very popular article contributed by the Smart Strata Team which released top 10 read articles of 2022.  Another article by the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management outlining important Decision-Making Timeframes which are an integral part of  most legislation and the Smart Strata Team once again giving notice that the Owners Survey is closing soon and to be in it to win it!

Spending Limits | Community Education Seminars – Brisbane Next Week! | Power to Force the Sale of Lots  the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management make it onto the list again outlining distinct functions between ‘Committee spending limits’ and ‘major spending limits’. The Smart Strata Team impressively contributed two articles of the top 6^th most read update, on our series of Community Education Seminars on EV charging and capital funding as well as Archers the Strata Professionals very own Managing Director, Nicky Lonergan being interviewed by the Australian Press on how Strata communities face a dilemma over the installation of EV charges. This update was read by 17,194 subscribers.

17,229 read earnt this update 5^th place. Covering Bullying and Harassment | Community Education Seminars – Your Feedback. Colin Grace, Partner at Grace Lawyers broke down the serious consequences bullying and harassment in a scheme can have for the affected individuals and the wider community, this article created great interaction with our subscribers with a large number of questions and comments being made on the forum. Smart Strata also contributed an article requesting your feedback on the May 2023 Community Education Seminars.

In 4^th position, being read 17,271 times Smart Strata give a wrap up of the SEQ Community Education Series which saw a very popular attendance to each region and also announced the lucky winners of SEQ Exhibitors Passport prize. Alongside this, was an Strata Community Association (QLD) (SCA QLD) article proudly announcing the launch of it’s Electric Vehicles in Strata – Phase 2 ‘Challenges’ Report in response to the rapidly increasing demand for EV’s in Australia. Community Education Seminars SEQ Wrap Up (and prize winners announced) | EV Challenges – Phase 2 Report Released

What could be more popular than EV Charging? Dispute resolution and code of conduct of course! in 3^rd place was: Commissioners Office – Dispute Resolution Process | Committee Code of Conduct Explained with an impressive 17,470 reads. The Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management made a popular contribution explaining the two official avenues for dispute resolution under the BCCM Act 1997. Nicky Lonergan, Managing Director of Archers the Strata Professionals contributed a fantastic article on the Committee Code of Conduct and acting in the best interest of the Bodies Corporate.

Sliding in to 2^nd place, legislation changes are a big crowd drawer with Scheme termination – Draft Bill Imminent coming in close to our most top read article of 2023, contributed by Michael Kleinschmidt of Bugden Allen Graham Lawyers who announced that the release of the draft Bill was imminent but will it solve the housing crisis? It looks like thousands of people wanted to hear what Tim Baker, Senior Strata Community Manager, Archers the Strata Professionals  had to say with an impressive article on Community Living Etiquette Tips about actions and behaviour of individuals that impacts neighbours and others within a Strata community. Scheme Termination – Draft Bill Imminent | Community Living Etiquette Tips was read 17,528 times!

For the grand finale and to no surprise with 17,923 reads, Dealing With Personality Disorders | Committee Roles Explained, was our most read update of 2023 and received the most debatable interaction for one of the articles which covered dealing with personality disorders by the ever popular contributors at Grace Lawyers. With subscribers leaving feedback of their own personal experiences, trial, and tribulations. This was a very hot topic for our Strata community! Also hitting number 1 is another Archers the Strata Professionals article contributed by Wayne Hewitt, Partner, Archers on Committee Roles Explained. This article delves into what’s involved in joining a Body Corporate Committee in simple and straight forward terms.

We hope you enjoyed the content we provided throughout the year and look forward to keeping it relevant to you. If you have read this far, no doubt you have a keen interest in the topics we publish. Please let us know what you would like to hear more about in the comments below and we will seek a contributor.

Finally, and most importantly, a big thanks to all our article contributors who dedicate their time and expertise, helping us stay relevant to your strata education needs.

This article was contributed by Smart Strata