Rebecca Boehm's experience with Cosmic Realty, the management company responsible for her apartment in Bentley, highlights the challenges faced by many strata homeowners in Western Australia. Despite not having shared outdoor spaces, Ms. Boehm was billed for gardening services and faced hefty charges labeled as "miscellaneous," without any clear explanation provided by the management.
Furthermore, attempts by Ms. Boehm to communicate with Cosmic Realty for necessary maintenance work, such as getting her meter box opened, were met with unresponsiveness, forcing her to take matters into her own hands. This lack of communication and failure to address homeowner concerns has caused significant stress and financial strain for Ms. Boehm, who expressed uncertainty about future bills and the overall management of her strata property.
The wider issue of problematic strata management practices in Western Australia has been brought to light by Australian Apartment Advocacy CEO Samantha Reece, who reported numerous cases of homeowners being taken advantage of by strata managers, developers, or builders. Calls for mandatory licensing of strata managers and the appointment of a strata commissioner to regulate the sector have been made to protect homeowners from such exploitation and ensure accountability within the industry.