Life in lockdown is tough on all of us. The longer it takes for Sydney to return to normality, the harder it gets. Our kids in particular really just want to get out, play with their friends or head off to school rather than being stuck inside day after day and being home-schooled. Because of the very nature of communal living, strata properties add an additional element of complexity for kids in lockdown.
The Sydney Morning Herald recently reported that a neighbour of a Croydon Park apartment block wrote a letter criticising children for drawing love hearts, butterflies, alphabets and hopscotch in chalk on the driveway. The neighbour said that it was against the bylaws to deface or damage common property. The parents also received noise complains about the children.
Similarly, a resident in an apartment building in Canterbury received a noise complaint about her children and the strata committee of a Balmain property pre-emptively wrote to all residents reminding them that, “children were not allowed to play on the common land of the apartment block.”
Thankfully all indications say that we’ll be out of lockdown in the next month or two. However, until we reach the vaccination milestones, it’s going to be hard on all of us especially kids.
At Netstrata, we’d advise residents to use common sense and empathy in these exceptional circumstances.
First and foremost, we all need to be COVID safe – wear a mask when you’re moving through common property, don’t share a lift with other households and only allow emergency tradespeople into the building. It’s also a good idea to limit the time you spend in common areas and engage cleaners to increase the frequency of the cleaning. If you order pizza from Uber Eats, it’s best to collect the food from the entry door, rather than allowing the delivery driver to walk through the common areas.
When it comes to parents and their kids, it’ll be good to show a little compassion. Chalk will wash off when it next rains. If kids are being louder than normal and if it’s affecting your ability to enjoy your apartment, maybe draft the letter demonstrating empathy for the situation that the parents are in, while still pointing out your position. Maybe together you can come to a compromise that both sides are comfortable with?
Nobody is enjoying lockdown but we can all come out of lockdown a little stronger by supporting each other.
If you have any questions about staying COVID safe, please contact your Strata Manager at Netstrata.
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