21 November 2018 Sharon Fox-SlaterWhile the Airbnb juggernaut seems to show no signs of slowing, hosts are risking their finances by failing to ensure they have legal liability insurance. The tragic death of a 4-year-old boy and the injury of a 7-year-old girl, who were playing on a homemade swing when it toppled down a slope at a property being rented via Airbnb on the Sunshine Coast in September, raised a question about legal liability at Airbnbs. The incidents shone a...
Leaks can be extremely wasteful and costly. Regularly checking taps, pipes and fittings around your property could save precious water and precious money! How can I detect a leak?To conduct a leak detection test yourself, follow these simple steps:Step 1: Ensure no water is being used in your house (turn off all water appliances, such as washing machines and evaporative air conditioners).Step 2: Read the black and red numbers on your meter. Record the black numbers from left to right. The black...
Is a Hard Wired Smoke Alarm Enough?We have written on the important topic of smoke alarms on numerous times in the past and it has always generated considerable interest. Key issues have included: What are the rules? When do they apply? Does it matter when the property was built? Battery or Hardwired? Interconnected? Transition Rules and compliance with which Australian Standard? Our previous blog dealt with the above issues so we are not going to cover them again here. You...
With autumn here, now is the perfect time to make improvements around your home, and get your property in tiptop shape for winter. Here are some ideas for the to-do list. Repair Roof problemsSmall roof leaks will make it harder to keep your house warm in winter. Inspect your roof for damage (or have a professional do it) and fix any holes or gaps.Get your gutters in orderAutumn’s falling leaves look picturesque but can cause a problem for gutters and...
Contracts dated 1 July 16 on wards, will have the new requirements on ALL transactions with market value of $2 million or over. Unless the Seller provides an Australian Taxation Office (ATO) ‘clearance certificate’ for each registered proprietors name (matched to the title) to the buyer 2 business days prior to settlement (-timing subject to REIWA special condition).Then the Buyer must withhold 10% of the Purchase price (more specifically the ‘First element of the cost base’-Capital Gains Tax defined term)...
This article in New Zealand seems to indicate a growing trend… So might be worth considering for your lease between tenants and part of your contractual purchase conditions… Q+A: What you need to know about methamphetamine contaminationA unit in a Housing New Zealand complex in Panmure is decontaminated after methamphetamine tested positive.Houses contaminated through the cooking or smoking of methamphetamine is a growing issue in New Zealand.Just one session smoking the Class A drug, also known as P or Ice,...
