The Knight Alliance

For those living in multi-dwelling properties, the idea of short stay accommodation may conjure some negative experiences. While there are many groups advocating for tougher restrictions and legislation on short stays in strata , the current reality is that an Owners Corporation is limited in what it can do to manage them. A restrictive covenant can be placed on a lot, however this needs to be registered on the Plan of Subdivision and would require a unanimous resolution ( all   lot owners in agreeance) to have applied to an existing building; a near impossible feat. Trying to prevent a unit from being used as a short stay via the rules would be discrimination but working towards an enjoyable experience for the resident and the whole building is achievable. Establishing an open relationship with the owner creates the opportunity to stop bad behaviour. The Owners Corporation should ensure the owner has the rules, understands the regulations, and appreciates the vision of the...

At The Knight , we are always looking for ways to improve the experience of both our clients and our team. An important part of this is our Owners Corporation Team Leaders. They provide support, mentorship, and management to our Owners Corporation Managers, and a key point of escalation, additional expertise, and leave coverage for our clients. We first appointed an OCM Team Leader back in 2018, and in the years since have created new positions to reflect our growing workforce and portfolio. A second was appointed in 2019, and a third in 2021 . Now, we are pleased to announce the appointment of a fourth Owners Corporation Manager Team Leader. This fourth appointment, however – rather than a response to growth – represents a conscious decision to reduce team sizes. Smaller teams ensure that our Team Leaders are more available for clients and team members alike, and that our operations remain sustainable for all. Introducing Kate Trickey: Kate is our newest OC Team Leader, b...

Over the years as a strata manager , countless owners have come to me with bold plans to make their strata lot more sustainable by installing solar panels. They go out, get a quote, present it to their committee of management and it gets voted down. Why? Too often, simply because other owners don’t like the look of solar panels. This is especially true at townhouse estates where owners want to maintain a consistent appearance. It was always disheartening when aesthetics came before combatting climate change. However, things have changed. With the changes to the Owners Corporation Act introduced in December 2021, owners corporations may no longer make rules that unreasonably prohibit the installation of a sustainability item on a lot. For example, if a lot owner wants to install solar panels, the owners corporation cannot deny this request simply on aesthetic grounds. However, they may be able to deny the request if they have a legitimate reason. For example, if the solar panel imp...

The Knight is an Owners Corporation, Strata and Body Corporate management company with an office in Caulfield North. In 2021 they achieved Climate Active Certification as a carbon neutral organisation, becoming the first Owners Corporation Management company to do so. “Going carbon neutral for us was a way to lead by example and demonstrate to our industry colleagues and clients that sustainable strata is an option.” – taken from https://www.climateactive.org.au/buy-climate-active/certified-members/knight Sustainability highlights The Knight has reduced their environmental impact through the following achievements and actions: Achieved a Climate Active carbon neutral certification in 2021. Provided all staff with reusable coffee cups. Recycling of soft plastics in a small bin saving about one bag of soft plastic from landfill a week. Set up of e-waste bin for office equipment and broken fobs/remotes for their properties that is regularly dropped off at ...

Owners corporation managers are seeing increasing demand for retrofitting electric vehicle (EV) charging into apartment buildings. The Knight recently spoke with David Hamilton, an OC committee member at Triptych and EV charging solutions consultant. He graciously agreed to share with us his experiences with EV charging in strata. The Knight: Starting with your Owners Corporation, Triptych, could you explain what drives your sustainability ethos? David: Triptych was designed to be a building with extensive sustainability features incorporated into it from its conception in 2007, so it was ahead of the curve as far as Melbourne high-rise apartment developments back then, and even today. Sustainability has been a key attraction for many owners and renters over its history but more so today with greater awareness of climate change and the need to transition to a low carbon economy. In a building where the ethos is sustainability, it is an easy step for people to understand the ben...

Delivering on the Victorian Government’s election promise to ban new embedded networks. In 2018, the Victorian Government announced an election commitment to ban embedded networks in new residential apartment buildings , with exemptions for buildings that use renewable energy to deliver low-cost renewable energy to apartment buildings. This commitment was made in response to ongoing concerns that customers currently living in embedded networks pay higher prices and do not have access to the same level of consumer protections as those who live outside of embedded networks. An expert panel was appointed to conduct an extensive review and develop recommendations to present to the government on how best to implement the ban. In January 2021 the panel released an issues paper setting out key issues related to the review and sought stakeholder feedback. In June 2021, the Panel released a draft report that set out 16 recommendations and provided stakeholders with a clear understanding...

Accessibility and discrimination within Owners Corporations: The topic of discrimination within strata properties is a complex one. Private property does not need to comply with the provisions of antidiscrimination legislations, such as the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (EO Act). Owners Corporations however, despite being private property, cannot be treated in the same way as a standalone house due to their shared nature, and the range of persons who may require access to and use of the property. This access is a fundamental right of those who privately own or lease within the property. While more legislative guidance in this area would be welcome, a ruling in the 2018 case OC1-POS539033E v Black has helped clear things up, by irrefutably defining an Owners Corporation as a ‘service provider’ under the EO Act. In this case, the Supreme Court found that sections 44 and 45 of the EO Act – which state that a service provider ‘must not discriminate against another person’ and ‘must make...