Queensland urged to crack down on party houses

APARTMENT managers are urging the statewide rollout of laws that enable local council at the Gold Coast to shut down "party houses".

. Picture: Thinkstock

APARTMENT managers are urging the statewide rollout of laws that enable local council at the Gold Coast to shut down "party houses".

Introduced in June, the regulations allow local council to shut down short term leases at the Gold Coast.

The regulations will reduce overcrowding, drug use, alcohol abuse, late night noise and frequent violence, says the State's peak organisation for strata title and community title management, Strata Community Australia Queensland.

They will also help avoid property damage, overcrowding, insurance voiding and related instances of crime, SCA Queensland president Simon Barnard claims.

As a popular region for party goers, managers, owners and residents of the Gold Coast strata communities had long witnessed the mounting risks posed by "party houses" in apartment buildings, he said.

The Byron Bay Council was the first to implement regulations around nuisance, with the Gold Coast now following.

Per the Gold Coast City Council's new regulations, "party houses" are defined as any properties or dwellings that are regularly used by short-term letting guests for parties, including, for example, raves, bucks nights, hens nights, wedding receptions or similar parties.

"With development approvals for apartments now exceeding houses, it's clear high density living is the future of Queensland and Australian cities and it's really important local authorities recognise the scale on which this type of legislation would help."