Post to Facebook on 11/11/2019 9:01 AM
Commenting on “Why one Southbank resident keeps baseball bat near his door”
I was too tired to comment on the news article in The Age. I have a lot to say about this, unfortunately, not in the best light of apartment living.
Just a couple of days ago, I blogged about the subject of apartment style accommodation for retirement villages / nursing homes, and argued why it was fatality in the waiting.
Many years ago, I stayed at my friends‘ apartment when we were visiting Vancouver. Their next door neighbours‘ apartment was burglared and all the valuables were stolen. The locks were damaged and therefore it was considered force entry.
Many people live in apartments thinking all they need is to lock up the place and go on travelling. Unfortunately, it is much easy to burglar an apartment than a normal dwelling, because most apartment dwellers have no idea who their neighbours are, or cannot be bothered to find out.
Unlike many apartments in Hong Kong, where every front door of the apartment is like a Fort Knox, with stainless steel door and with multiple locks, apartments in Melbourne are nothing like that.
Remember the days when many male Hong Kongers travelled between Hong Kong and nearby China citities like Shenzhen to on “business”? China was not “open” to the world then. Shenzhen became a place for the Hong Kongers to keep their mistresses and earned the title the “Mistress Village”.
Then Glen Waverley had its first high riever apartment smack bang in the middle of Monash City CBD. I heard that some of the apartments were used to house mistresses by the locals and overseas residents. Whether these apartments were bought outright or rented, I did not have the information.
At one stage, a motel nearby had a sign board displaying a promotion that patrons could rent the motel by the hour. Well, well, well, why do people use the motel for short accommodation, except for quickies?
I was shocked to see such promotion, because I thought this could only happen in cities in SE Asian countries.
It dawned me that why could not apartments be used for similar “business”? The next question is, could this possibly be controlled by some illegal rackets?
It is public knowledge, if one pays enough attention to news, some apartments in Dockland were leased to a lead tenant, who then subleases to many others. It was reported some “time-share” the apartment, as many as ten people taking shift to use the apartment.
A few years ago, a local newspaper reporter rang me because she heard from the grapevine unfavourable things happening about apartment living, and an acquaintance put her on to me. I could only tell her what I heard and knew; obviously, I did hot have first hand experience.
Gaining entry to an apartment is not as difficult as one thinks. Many apartments do not require special smart card to activate the door or lift, and all is required to wait for someone to enter the front door, and one may pretend to be in a hurry and ask that person to hold the door or lift. The best is to make sure that one’s hands are holding a lot of things and could not open the door.
With “high” vacancy rate of apartments, and Airbnb gaining popular, It is not surprising that owning an apartment even in the top floor Penthouse cannot be guaranteed quiet enjoyment, and feeling secure. One can be robbed, or even “kidnaped” within the building.
Now you understand why I am biased about apartment as an investment, or own accommodation.
Thank you for reading.
Commenting on “Why one Southbank resident keeps baseball bat near his door”
I was too tired to comment on the news article in The Age. I have a lot to say about this, unfortunately, not in the best light of apartment living.
Just a couple of days ago, I blogged about the subject of apartment style accommodation for retirement villages / nursing homes, and argued why it was fatality in the waiting.
Many years ago, I stayed at my friends‘ apartment when we were visiting Vancouver. Their next door neighbours‘ apartment was burglared and all the valuables were stolen. The locks were damaged and therefore it was considered force entry.
Many people live in apartments thinking all they need is to lock up the place and go on travelling. Unfortunately, it is much easy to burglar an apartment than a normal dwelling, because most apartment dwellers have no idea who their neighbours are, or cannot be bothered to find out.
Unlike many apartments in Hong Kong, where every front door of the apartment is like a Fort Knox, with stainless steel door and with multiple locks, apartments in Melbourne are nothing like that.
Remember the days when many male Hong Kongers travelled between Hong Kong and nearby China citities like Shenzhen to on “business”? China was not “open” to the world then. Shenzhen became a place for the Hong Kongers to keep their mistresses and earned the title the “Mistress Village”.
Then Glen Waverley had its first high riever apartment smack bang in the middle of Monash City CBD. I heard that some of the apartments were used to house mistresses by the locals and overseas residents. Whether these apartments were bought outright or rented, I did not have the information.
At one stage, a motel nearby had a sign board displaying a promotion that patrons could rent the motel by the hour. Well, well, well, why do people use the motel for short accommodation, except for quickies?
I was shocked to see such promotion, because I thought this could only happen in cities in SE Asian countries.
It dawned me that why could not apartments be used for similar “business”? The next question is, could this possibly be controlled by some illegal rackets?
It is public knowledge, if one pays enough attention to news, some apartments in Dockland were leased to a lead tenant, who then subleases to many others. It was reported some “time-share” the apartment, as many as ten people taking shift to use the apartment.
A few years ago, a local newspaper reporter rang me because she heard from the grapevine unfavourable things happening about apartment living, and an acquaintance put her on to me. I could only tell her what I heard and knew; obviously, I did hot have first hand experience.
Gaining entry to an apartment is not as difficult as one thinks. Many apartments do not require special smart card to activate the door or lift, and all is required to wait for someone to enter the front door, and one may pretend to be in a hurry and ask that person to hold the door or lift. The best is to make sure that one’s hands are holding a lot of things and could not open the door.
With “high” vacancy rate of apartments, and Airbnb gaining popular, It is not surprising that owning an apartment even in the top floor Penthouse cannot be guaranteed quiet enjoyment, and feeling secure. One can be robbed, or even “kidnaped” within the building.
Now you understand why I am biased about apartment as an investment, or own accommodation.
Thank you for reading.
