Nightclub landlord sues operator of infamous club over rent arrears

The millionaire owner of an infamous Gold Coast nightclub building best known for hosting Usain Bolt at the Commonwealth Games is suing his tenants over claims of rental arrears.

The millionaire owner of a famed Gold Coast nightclub building has taken a very public fight with his nightclub-operator tenant to court, suing them for alleged rent arrears.

Bada Bing Holdings Pty Ltd, as trustee for the family trust of Melbourne accountant David Brandi, filed his lawsuit claiming $268,000 in damages in the District Court in Southport last Thursday, court records show.

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Mr Brandi’s company – which owns the Sin City building on Surfers Paradise party strip Orchid Avenue – alleges operator Rockbah Pty Ltd, run by Stephen Geraghty, owes rental arrears dating back to September 13 last year.

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The claim alleges that Rockbah signed a ten-year lease four years ago agreeing to pay an annual rent of $645,700 for the club, which is best known for hosting athlete Usain Bolt during the Commonwealth Games.

David Brandi.

Bada Bing Holdings took the case to court after an official demand for payment of the $268,000 by April 21 was futile, the claim states.

Bada Bing Holdings bought the building in July 2016 for $5.2m from Gold Coast hospitality businessman Jamie Pickering.

Bada Bing bought the building knowing that it had a tenant on a ten-year lease, the claim states.

No date has been set for hearing and no defence has been filed.

But Artesian Hospitality partner Matt Keegan, whose Surfers venue stable includes Sin City, back in April supplied the Bulletin bank statements showing Rockbah paid $10,000-a-week rent from December 12 to March 13 this year. The 14 payments total $140,000.

Mr Keegan also claimed at the time that it was Bada Bing Holdings which suggested the $10,000 a week back in December last year – after Rockbah had approached it for a reduction.

“The fact the landlord or its agents are now trying to dispute this is ridiculous,” Mr Keegan said. “We paid the amount of $10,000 each week for three months.

“The landlord and its agent raised no issues with us paying $10,000 per week until the COVID epidemic started,” Mr Keegan said at the time.

“The landlord has broken its agreement and taken action during COVID-19 when they thought we wouldn’t be in a position to respond or fight back.”

Aside from being a nightclub owner, Mr Brandi is perhaps best known as a serial buyer of homes renovated on The Block.