All publications relating to ‘Strata’
Aqualand North Sydney Lavender Development Pty Ltd v The Owners — Strata Plan No 102091 [2025] NSWCA 143
A recent NSW Court of Appeal decision gives Owners Corporations greater confidence in defect litigation, ensuring developers using SPV structures cannot easily avoid liability.An important decision handed by the NSW Court of Appeal in July has given Owners Corporations engaging in defect litigation against developers utilising a typical special purpose vehicle corporate…
Know Your Construction Contract — A Cautionary ‘Time Bar’ Tale from Westconnex M5 Motorway Tunnel Project Sydney
The NSW Court of Appeal has confirmed that Owners Corporations can seek freezing orders to stop developers using SPV structures from divesting assets, strengthening recovery prospects in defect litigation.Construction contracts often include detailed provisions setting out prescribed regimes for the provision of claims. Such regimes provide for the form and detail…
One Development, Two Towers and Two Occupation Certificates (one Interim and one Final). When Does the Home Building Act Statutory Warranty Period Commence?
The NSW Supreme Court has clarified when statutory warranty periods start for staged developments under the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW). In The Owners – Strata Plan No 93543 v Zhang (No 3) [2025] NSWSC 571, the Court examined completion dates for separate buildings, impacting limitation periods for defect claims.Most proceedings brought…
Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025 — Round 4 Proposed Changes
The proposed NSW strata reform Bill introduced into Parliament on 19 November 2025 aims to clarify existing provisions, boost consumer protections, and reduce regulatory burdens. Key changes include exemptions for two-lot schemes, stricter rules on strata manager terms and commissions, mandatory committee training, and tightened rules on bonds, fees, and…
Strata Law Changes — Effective 27 October 2025
What do the latest NSW strata law changes mean for owners and committees? On 27 October 2025, the next stage of reforms under the Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment Act 2025 came into effect, introducing stronger compliance powers for NSW Fair Trading, fairer financial hardship arrangements for levy payments, and new…
Restraints and Real Estate – what is enforceable
What do post-employment restraints in real estate really mean for agents and employers? In the property industry, employment agreements often include three key restraints: non-solicitation, non-acceptance, and non-competition. These clauses aim to protect client relationships, confidential information, and business goodwill, but their enforceability depends on how they’re drafted and applied…
Reforming Retail Leases? Retail Leases Amendment (Review) Bill 2025 (NSW)
What does the Retail Leases Amendment (Review) Bill 2025 mean for landlords and tenants in NSW?On 14 October 2025, the Minister for Small Business introduced the Retail Leases Amendment (Review) Bill 2025 (Bill) to NSW Parliament to implement the first tranche of legislative reforms to the Retail Leases Act 1994 (Act)…
10 Tips For Strata Remedial Construction Contracts
Are you wondering why your strata work to repair or maintain your strata building is over budget, riddled with delays, plagued with costs overruns and variations at every turn?It is important to consider and follow these steps:Before tendering for the work to be done, have your building contract, consultancy agreement and/or separate…
Important Strata Law Changes — Effective 1 July 2025
The Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (Amending Act) introduces further reform in Government’s ongoing review of the strata legislation. On 1 July 2025, the second tranche of changes under the Amending Act commenced, which will impact or give effect to the following: enhanced protection of owners corporations from strata managers, building managers and others…
Unfair contract terms in outdated standard form contracts could cost you a fine of $50 million (Companies) or $2.5 million (Individuals)
If you have not reviewed your standard form construction contracts since 9 November 2023 (when the amended Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) – Schedule 2 (ACL) became effective), you could be at risk of any/all unfair contract terms being declared void and having to pay a penalty. This means that:Any standard form contract…