Sky Broadwater Southport tenants told lease won’t be renewed after complaining about noise

Whipper snippers, leaf blowers, bobcats, it was too much for one couple who made a noise complaint and were ousted from their rental. They say other tenants are “scared” to speak out.

A couple has been told to leave one of the Gold Coast’s largest rental properties after raising concerns about noise.

The tenants, who do not wish to be named, wrote to management at Sky Broadwater in Southport on December 22 complaining that they had been repeatedly disturbed by the use of a whipper snipper, forklift and tow truck.

“Since moving into Sky we have had no peace and enjoyment of our unit,” they wrote. “The continuing noise is not acceptable from which seems to be from on site management.

“... The bins sometimes go out at five o’clock in the morning and come in at 11 o’clock at night.

“This is hard when one is working long hours and trying to rest and enjoy our time at home.”

In an email to management, the couple said it was their belief that other tenants were “scared to make a complaint” and they hoped there would be “no backlash” against them for complaining.

In its response, management at the 236-unit tower wrote it was “sorry your time here at Sky Broadwater had been upsetting for you”.

“Unfortunately, because of where (your unit) is situated, you are going to hear and get all the traffic noise of vehicles entering and departing the complex.”

The reply said a tow truck was regularly needed because of parking issues affecting tenants and apologised for the early use of the whipper snipper.

However, the couple claimed the noise continued in the early hours of the morning, including from a Bobcat and a leaf blower, breaching council by-laws.

After a series of further emails regarding their concerns, the couple were told on February 18 that their lease would not be renewed and were issued with a notice to leave the unit by midnight on April 28.

“(The owners) have requested vacant possession as they would like to carry out an investigation on how they can eliminate the issues that you have raised regarding noise,” management wrote.

One of the pair, a woman, told the Bulletin she was shocked to receive the notice as a result of raising noise concerns.

“I’ve done nothing wrong. I’ve just complained about them working outside the legal hours for noise,” she said.

“I work until 10 o’clock every night and come home. I don’t want to be woken up at 5.30 in the morning by a guy mowing outside my window or the bin truck being cleaned.

“... It has improved since I’ve complained, but they’ve given us notice, which is legal, that they won’t be renewing our lease.

“I’m not going to walk away without a fight. We’re good tenants. We were in our last place for eight years, no problems. We only moved because they were selling it.”

The experience of the couple echoes concerns raised by renters at other complexes on the Gold Coast amid surging rental costs caused by vacancy rates which have dropped as low as 0.3 per cent in some suburbs.

The Bulletin last month reported how a number of tenants at the Smith Collective in Southport had been told their leases would not be renewed after complaining about a range of issues.

Last week, the Bulletin revealed tenants at a Biggera Waters unit block had been given notices to leave at the end of their lease terms after the building was bought by the state government for social housing. That decision was reversed following questions from the Bulletin.

The 36-level Sky Broadwater tower, which also includes a “luxury apartment hotel” on its top six floors, was built by Brisbane developer Philip Usher Constructions and opened in 2019.

The Bulletin contacted Sky Broadwater multiple times for comment, but it did not respond.

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