Homeowners pay hefty price once party’s over

MANAGERS of Surfers Paradise apartment buildings say Schoolies is not the financial boon many portray, despite thousands of students descending on the Coast.

Financial records from one inner-city tower show it collected $600,000 in accommodation from school leavers during the two-week festival last October.

A normal fortnight any other time of the year would net $410,000.

However, the $190,000 difference was quickly gobbled up by security and repair bills costing $185,000.

A report prepared for residents warned higher levies were impacting property values and many residents faced extra costs by leaving their apartments and taking a forced holiday every year.

A security log showed that on 14 occasions contractors were called out to fix the lifts at a luxury Surfers Paradise apartment tower due to “overcrowding and blockage”.

Management responded to 13 reports of schoolies passing out in common areas, and nine complaints were received about school leavers partying in excessive numbers in rooms.

Many residents who were asked to respond to the body corporate wrote that they had to wait between 15 minutes to half an hour for a lift.

“The large waiting times for lifts on day one and two made it an absolute nightmare to live here,” a police officer who lives in the building wrote.

“I’m not one to complain regarding noise, as I am aware of the location I live in and I too enjoy having people over every now and then.

“However, to have the noise as if it’s a Saturday night, every night and day for 14 days straight, has its toll.”

Other residents complained about cleaning human faeces from balcony glass and used condoms from verandas.

“We are very disappointed to have confirmation that extra security guard costs are paid for by our body corporate funds as this is totally unfair,” another resident wrote.

“This is preposterous. While certain owners are capitalising on renting their apartments for exorbitant fees we all have to pay the wages for extra security.”

In most apartment towers on the Glitter Strip, the building is split 50-50 on owner occupiers and holiday rental units.

Another resident said he was heartbroken after spending $500,000 on a unit only for schoolies to vandalise the common areas.

Residents suggested the body corporate remove their building from the list of properties which accept schoolies’ bookings, similar to the Q1.