I am honoured to have been selected to present a paper at the 8th International Research Forum on Multi-Owned Properties, which will be held in Sydney in January 2026.
The title of my paper: Diverging Paths in Building Safety Law: Post-Grenfell Reforms in England, Florida, and New South Wales.
This is what it will be about -
Tall buildings in disrepair are emerging worldwide as risks to life, health, well-being, and the financial security of their owners and occupants. Internationally, governments have responded differently to high-profile tragedies such as Grenfell Towers (UK) and Champlain Towers (USA). In Australia, building failures such as Lacrosse, Opal Tower, and Mascot Towers, while not fatal, have inflicted significant mental, social, and financial harm on owners and residents.
Much scholarly and regulatory attention has focused on the causes of these failures: ‘light touch’ building standards, housing financialisaton, split incentives, product supply opaqueness, ageing buildings, and poor decision making. However, less work has examined the legislative and regulatory responses to these events.
Using comparative law methods, this research analyses building safety law reform in three jurisdictions where tall buildings have failed catastrophically: England, Florida (USA), and New South Wales (Australia). It identifies divergence in both retrospective and prospective legal reforms governing building safety in multi-owned properties. The study highlights a shift in some jurisdictions from neoliberal regulatory approaches to more interventionist frameworks, particularly concerning new construction and the remediation of at-risk buildings.
This research is internationally significant as it illuminates how different legal systems confront the intersection of public safety, private law, housing markets, and governance. By drawing comparative lessons, it advances a global discussion on how to improve building safety, protect vulnerable populations, and maintain the financial sustainability of dense urban housing.
This is a unique opportunity for Australian strata professionals to hear from the best in the world.
For more information on the Forum, click here.
Michael Teys advises strata management businesses on improving profitability through professionalisation and streamlined operating systems.
He has more than 30 years’ experience as a strata lawyer and academic and has owned 11 strata management agencies throughout Australia. He has a Master of Philosophy (Built Environment) and Bachelor of Laws. He lectures and writes widely about strata management issues in Australia and internationally.
