‘Horror’ guests spark short-term letting anger

Blood-spattered walls and floors are some of the scenes residents of a Maroochydore apartment building say they have come across as a result of unruly guests.

The Rhythm on Beach residents Howard and Teresa Malyon, Heather Palmer, Marcia and Debbie Gill say they will fight a development application to turn their apartment complex into a short-term accommodation provider.

Blood-spattered walls and floors are some of the scenes residents of a Maroochydore apartment building say they have come across as a result of unruly guests.

Some unit owners at The Rhythm on Beach say they've had enough of "transient" people coming and going from their home.

They are worried "undesirables" creating chaos will become commonplace in the Maroochydore apartment complex should Direct Rentals be successful in its application for Sunshine Coast Council approval to use 23 units in the 72-unit building for short-term accommodation.

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"We've had owners abused, we've been made to feel unsafe in our building which is not the purpose," unit owner Heather Palmer said.

"We're all very unhappy.

Direct Rentals director Adam Thomas disputed the claims made by residents and said he didn't want to give them any further oxygen.

Ms Palmer said short-stay visitors had caused a fair bit of damage to the property.

"The unit underneath me, there was a massive fight that occurred one night and in the morning, I've got a video of the lift covered in blood, there was blood in the stairwell, doors were slamming, horrific carry on going on," she said.

"Loud music, glasses thrown off balconies, a neighbour was abused because he told a teenager to get our pool furniture out of the pool.

"The neighbours down below had $5000 worth of damage from cigarette, food waste, bottle tops."

 Resident Steven Brough said there was an inherent problem.

"We don't blame people for buying and wanting to invest however it was never meant to be a one night here and there," he said.

"This causes problems in the building, residents have to clean up after these guests.

"We are right near Ocean St which is why many of us bought here but the type of people who want to stay here for one night on a Saturday may very well want to party which is inconsistent with a residential building."

Howard Malyon, who has lived in the building since it opened last year, said residents have had to call police several times.

"We have had occasions where we have undesirables and that comes back to where we've got to get the police and have them evicted.

"At the end of the day, that's my house," he said.

" I paid the money for it.

"I don't expect the dropping value. I want to be able to sell it, maybe one day.

"We want decent people staying there, living there and then using places like Beach Rd, Ocean St (and) Sunshine Plaza.

"And that's what we're really about. It's making this place a really enjoyable place to live."

It's not the first time Rhythm on Beach has made headlines for guests bad behaviour.

Five young people were each fined $1334.50 after they were busted having a party in April last year, during COVID-19 restrictions.

Residents of the Rhythm on Beach at Maroochydore are concerned about anti-social behaviour from visitors to the building.

"We've had a couple of problems with people they put into the home with noise disturbances, disrespect, breakages, it was pretty uncomfortable and not a nice place to be at times," Mr Malyon said.

Residents now have concerns the development application will spell the end of their tenure in what was meant to be their "forever homes".

"It will reduce the value, I don't know by how much but you do a simple Google search and you will start to see negative comments from people who have stayed here and have also experienced rowdy people, rubbish, broken items," Mr Brough said.

He said he would consider moving out if the short-term use was approved.

"I don't want to move, but I don't want to stay with short-term units."

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