Top strata tips for the holiday season

As summer heralds its arrival, bringing with it the much-anticipated holiday season, it’s essential to proactively prepare your strata community for the unique challenges that this period may pose.

For apartment owners and residents, the holidays often represent a departure from the usual routines of community living. To ensure a seamless and enjoyable holiday period, we’ve compiled a guide to help you prepare your strata community.

By addressing key areas such as security measures, pool safety protocols, noise management, and parking arrangements, you can contribute to fostering a peaceful, safe, and secure environment for all residents during this festive season.

Noise

If you’re having a party, let your neighbours know beforehand to expect some noise – better still invite them along! Remember to reduce noise and move indoors at 11 pm to avoid any extra ‘visitors’ arriving in uniform.

Outdoor furniture

If you have outdoor furniture on your balcony make sure you secure it if you expect wild and windy weather, and especially if you’re going away.

Maintenance

Anticipating and addressing critical maintenance issues in advance is key to maintaining the optimal functionality of your property. Planning ahead allows for the identification of potential issues and provides a buffer for any delays that may arise due to unavailability of trade personnel.

Short term letting

When considering renting out your apartment during your absence, it’s imperative to adhere to NSW legislation regarding short-term letting. This legislation encompasses crucial aspects such as fire safety standards and a code of conduct that must be followed diligently. Additionally, take the time to thoroughly review your scheme’s by-laws, which are available through our owners portal, My Property, to ensure alignment with house rules, guaranteeing compliance and a smooth renting experience.

It’s important to provide short-stay guests with a copy of your strata community’s by-laws as they will not be familiar with the specific rules governing pool times, smoking policies, pet regulations, and other community guidelines.

Balcony doors

Securing your home is paramount, especially considering that a significant number of burglaries in Australia result from intruders gaining access through unlocked doors or windows. Unlocked balcony doors are particularly vulnerable points of entry, often targeted by thieves. This risk is heightened during the holiday season when numerous apartments remain vacant, and breaching one unit can potentially provide access to many others.

To enhance the security of your community, it is crucial to remind residents, especially those on holiday, to diligently lock their balcony doors before leaving

Visitor parking

Parking arrangements within a strata community can often lead to disputes among its residents. To mitigate potential conflicts, it is essential to communicate the rules for visitor parking to all your visitors, ensure you have signage with time allowances. If you are a resident, communicate the rules to family members and guests so they have a precise understanding of designated parking areas and any restrictions on duration.

Emergency trades

Circulate a list of emergency numbers including police, tradesmen, electricity and water services, and CrimeStoppers (1800 333 000) and put these numbers in your mobile phone.

Make sure contractor’s phone numbers for security gates, garage doors, and lifts are clearly visible in case there is a problem with access.

Emergency access

To safeguard against untimely interruptions, it’s advisable to communicate your whereabouts to a committee member. By providing a reachable contact point, you enable quick communication in case of emergencies. Additionally, consider keeping a spare set of keys with a reliable neighbour or nearby family member.

Security

Get to know your neighbours and watch out for each other. Be aware of any unusual people, vehicles and ‘tradespeople’ frequenting your property.

Ensure there are locks on all of your doors and windows. If your residence is visible from the street, install a timer on your lights to make it look as if someone is home.

Prioritise the security of your home by ensuring that your balcony door is securely locked. Statistics show that many burglaries gain access through unlocked balcony doors, making this a crucial point of vulnerability.

Engrave your valuables with your car licence number. That way, your goods can be quickly traced back to you if they are stolen.

Switch off

Before embarking on your journey, take a moment to make a positive impact on both the environment and your utility bills. Consider switching off unnecessary lights, powering down the internet router, turning off appliances on standby, and ensuring gas stoves and fridges are off.

Don’t forget to close the taps on washing machines and ensure there are no lithium ion batteries left charging. By conscientiously managing energy consumption at home, you not only contribute to environmental conservation but also keep your utility bills in check.

Read our article on fire safety over the holiday season.

Excess waste

The holiday season brings joy and presents, but it also brings a significant surge in waste and packaging. In strata buildings with shared bins, this increase can pose challenges. To manage excess waste effectively, residents are encouraged to be mindful of their disposal practices. Recycle packaging materials and break down cardboard boxes to maximise bin space.

Don’t overfill your bin – make sure the lid closes easily. Overfilled bins are hard to empty and spilled litter attracts pests and vermin. Don’t pack bins too tightly. Collection vehicles can’t pick up heavy bins. The City of Sydney has provided some general advice on what you can and can’t recycle at Christmas.

Strata communities may also benefit from additional waste collections during the holiday period. Check with your local council if they offer this service.

Organise mail

Organised crime has increasingly targeted strata communities during peak holiday times. Mail theft poses a significant risk, especially for identity theft.

To safeguard against this threat,  have a plan for your mail if you’re away during holidays. This could include redirecting mail, cancelling newspaper subscriptions, or having a trusted neighbour collect it, or using alternative secure delivery options.

Overseas travel

When going overseas, register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (www.smarttraveller.gov.au) before you travel. This helps people locate you in the event of an emergency.