If you are looking to start renting out your property on Airbnb (or other similar platform) there are a few things to consider – namely whether or not you are actually entitled to set up a short term rental. As we have discussed in previous posts, the Council regulates short term rentals quite strictly and it is often not as simple of a process to organise as you might think. Have a look here to read an overview of the by-laws and regulations that surround short term rentals on the Gold Coast. WHAT IS THE COUNCIL APPROVALS PROCESS? In the… Continue Reading
Given the remote location of many Australian mines, including offshore oil and gas wells, Fly-In-Fly-Out (“FIFO”) employment is commonplace within the mining industry. There can be no question that FIFO employment impacts upon family relationships differently to more traditional employment. The effect of the FIFO lifestyle upon the mental health and wellbeing of the workers and their families can be considerable. In addition to the physical distance between the FIFO worker and their family, couples may feel emotionally isolated from one another and resentful of the responsibilities each feel they must undertake to sustain their family unit – physically, emotionally and… Continue Reading
ASIC has launched a new requirement for company directors to verify their identity in the form of a director identification number. The unique identifier number will be 15 digits, beginning with 036 (the 3-digit country code for Australia under International Standard ISO 3166). Directors will need to apply for their own director ID, but they will apply once and keep the same ID forever. Even if you were to change companies or your name, stop being a director or move overseas or interstate, you will retain the same director ID. All directors of a company, registered Australian body, registered foreign… Continue Reading
The Gold Coast property market is booming at the moment and with the demand for new dwellings at an all-time high, more and more property developments are set for construction on the Coast in the near future. With over 10 years behind me as a property lawyer on the Gold Coast, I have extensive experience in dealing with land subdivisions, construction of high-rise apartments, and all of the various issues arising with respect to such developments. My passion lies in property development law and as a result I have acted for many developer clients over the years and advise them… Continue Reading
It is a reality of the modern day workplace that employees of a business will use social media sites on a fairly regular basis. It is easy to imagine the potential reputational damage your business may suffer should an inappropriate photo or article end up on a publicly accessible social media profile. There are also other negative repercussions any inappropriate use of social media may create. As such, how can you protect your business against the possibility that current or former employees might upload content on the internet that refers either directly or implicitly to your business or brand? The… Continue Reading
You may have come across a recent report involving a squatter who purposely overstayed her Airbnb stay in New South Wales (as featured on A Current Affair). The legal owner issued a notice to the squatter to vacate the property which resulted in the squatter hiring a security guard to keep the owner from accessing the home.
As the population ages and housing trends shift towards higher density living in community titles schemes, we are seeing issues arise regarding accessibility to and around schemes. Many older buildings will not comply (and are not required to comply) with current disability access standards for new buildings.
When preparing legal documents or entering into a contract it is crucial that the parties’ names are complete, spelt correctly and match their legal identification such as a passport, drivers licence or birth certificate. In this article we explain the importance of using your name correctly for the purpose of property transactions.
On 1 March 2021, the new Body Corporate and Community Management (Standard Module) Regulation comes into force. The new regulation clarifies and adds provisions to the existing regulation to provide for more flexible and contemporary arrangements within body corporates. The changes are split into three categories – Committees, General Meetings, and Other. In this article, being the third of a three part series, the others changes to the module are explained.
On 1 March 2021, the new Body Corporate and Community Management (Standard Module) Regulation comes into force. The new regulation clarifies and adds provisions to the existing regulation to provide for more flexible and contemporary arrangements within body corporates. The changes are split into three categories – Committees, General Meetings, and Other. In this article, being the second of a three part series, the changes being made to general meetings are explained.
