Tenants lift lid on ‘broken system’ at Gold Coast renters community, Smith Collective

Frustrated residents say living conditions at Gold Coast’s purpose-built renters community, Smith Collective, have not improved. READ THEIR STORIES

Frustrated residents say living conditions at Gold Coast’s purpose-built renters community have not improved five months on from the Bulletin revealing dozens of unhappy tenants.

In February, the Bulletin outlined the concerns of ­dozens of tenants at the Smith Collective in Southport, near the city’s Health and Knowledge Precinct, who claimed they had been forced out of the country’s first build-to-rent project.

Residents alleged at the time those who spoke out about conditions at Smith Collective, which doubled as the athlete’s village at the 2018 Commonwealth games, did not have their leases renewed.

Now a current resident, who intends to break her lease at Smith Collective next month, said complaints about issues at the complex continued to be ignored.

Smith Collective in Southport. Picture: Jerad Williams

These included:

- Animal faeces in communal areas

- Cockroach infestations

- Rental bonds not being returned

- Rising rents

- Residents not having their leases renewed

- Crime in the precinct

- Lack of parking issues and security enforcement

The Smith Collective resident, who asked not to be named over fears her rental bond would not be returned, described the experience as horrible.

“(There is) always rubbish left in the foyer and dog poop all over the grass out the front,” she said.

“The rent increase is absolutely ridiculous. Our two bed, two bath (unit) will be going from $456 (per week) to $524. It’s honestly been a horrible experience for us and is not worth the trouble and hassle of this place.”

The increase flagged by the resident is in line with what can be found currently on The Smith Collective website, which advertises one bedroom apartments from $435 per week, or from $515 per week for two bedrooms, and three bedrooms from $665.

A current listing on realestate.com.au advertises a one bedroom apartment at Smith Collective “starting from $450 per week”.

A cockroach inside former Smith Collective resident Stanley Campbell's apartment. Picture: supplied

Another former tenant said he was forced to move out of Smith Collective after he received a notice to leave in January.

“They took our entire bond plus an additional $1130,” they said.

“We paid $600 to $700 for a professional bond clean and carpet clean, but they still charged us for their own bond cleaning services.

“I didn’t want them to go after us with blacklisting, especially in this rental market, so I just paid it.”

In pictures: Smith Collective through the years

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Smith Collective Facebook community groups are filled with dozens of “break lease” posts from tenants trying to find others to take over their leases.

While in other instances, tenants complained about the hoops they had to jump through to get their bond returned.

Brad Cuff vented his frustration that he was forced to dismantle a cooktop to clean inside before he moved out.

“All the Smith Collective is to these people is a business to line their pockets. With a housing crisis underway they should all be ashamed,” he wrote.

The Bulletin requested an interview with Smith Collective, which was declined.

State MP Sam O’Connor, the Member for Bonney, said the latest reports from residents were “concerning”.

“Smith Collective was meant to be ‘the best landlord you’ll ever have’ – that’s clearly not what some people have found,” Mr O’Connor said.

“My office has helped anyone who came to us with these issues to get support from the Residential Tenancies Authority and Tenants Queensland.”

Does the model work?

Originally built as the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games athletes’ village, the 1251-unit development operated by Grocon, UBS Asset Management and JLL was transformed into Australia’s first renters’ community in 2019.

When it opened, it featured 18 apartment towers, 82 two-storey townhouses and a 6280sq m retail hub.

Smith Collective was promoted as a “groundbreaking new renters community designed for living, not just staying” that boasted an “amazing lifestyle” and “friendly” community.

Gold Coast real estate heavyweight Andrew Bell said build-to-rent communities were a good model with a proven track record in the US and UK.

Gold Coast real estate heavyweight Andrew Bell. Picture: Regina King

Mr Bell added that “experienced management” was needed in these communities to ensure their success.

“The concept is very much needed at the moment where we have an acute shortage of rental accommodation,” he said.

“What’s happening at Smith Collective is not something that should be used as a reason not to build any more of these communities.

“It’s not too late to do a reset, but it’s not an overnight fix.”

Former Smith Collective resident of two years Stanley Campbell said he would consider living in another renters’ community again “if it was run right”.

“On the outside it’s like a shiny toy. But on the inside, it’s like a broken system,” Mr Campbell said.

“(Smith Collective) has everything there - the shopping, the university just up the road, a place to go study.

“They had the right foundation. I think it’s a good model but management needs to be better if it is replicated.”

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