Tenants get seat at table in strata shake-up

In the raft of more than 90 proposed changes to NSW strata laws released a couple of weeks ago, one plainly daft idea was binned, while another bold attempt to make unit blocks a little more representative survived.

The loony plan was to have strata chairmen directly elected at a general meeting, rather than chosen by their committee.

You can be sure some “dear leaders”, propped up by proxies farmed with an efficiency that would put the old wheat board to shame, were ecstatic at the thought of being swept into power presidentially by hordes of devoted supporters (and buckets of votes from the absent and uninterested).

The dynastic despots of North Korea cannot hold a candle to some of the strutting martinets of strata, many of whom genuinely believe their buildings would collapse without them, therefore they must do whatever it takes, by fair means or foul, to ensure they stay in power.

And if this was done by direct vote at a general meeting, their reign would be unthreatened by the one fly in their democratic ointment: the chairman or woman of a strata committee can be voted out at any time by its members.

But, hey, even prime ministers can be stabbed in the back – why should strata chairmen be immune? 

Anyway, that idea has gone, thankfully, along with proxy farming.

However, another proposal survives – that renters be able to elect a representative to sit on the strata committee in any building where tenants comprise more than half of the residents.

Given that tenants make up more than half the residents in strata land, that’s a lot of buildings that could have a renter rep next year.

But before owner-occupiers start manning the common-property barricades, tenant reps would not be able to vote and they could be excluded from discussions on sensitive financial matters. They also could not be elected chairman, secretary or treasurer, regardless of any skills they might have.

Would it be so bad to hear the point of view of the majority in a block? Many tenants already contribute more to strata community life than all the investor owners combined.

Anyway, as it stands, tenants only need an owner to nominate them for election, then they can vote and be elected “president” of the building if they want – just not by popular acclaim.

There’s more on this on flat-chat.com.au.