City’s brothel still up for grabs for right buyer

AFTER more than a year on the market and a price cut of $100,000, Toowoomba’s only brothel remains for sale.

Toowoomba brothel Deviations is still for sale.

AFTER more than a year on the market and a price cut of $100,000, Toowoomba's only brothel remains for sale.

Deviations, at 14 Civil Ct, was listed for sale in June 2019 by current owner Jim Welch, who is 70 years old and looking to take a break.

The asking price of $595,000 includes the brothel business with all furnishings and equipment, and the freehold property with all of the internal and external improvements as walls, ceilings, insulation, ducted airconditioning, plumbing, electrical and fixtures included.

Deviations opened in 2010 after the site received a $400,000 security upgrade and fit-out.

While cheaper there are unique hurdles potential owners must overcome.

"You have to get approval from the Prostitution Licensing Association and it costs $38,600 for the first year of the licence alone," Business broker Ron Frank said.

"It takes three to five months to get approval with police interviews, fingerprinting and a full criminal history check.

"They run your name through every police jurisdiction in the country."

Potential owners must be Australian citizens and they must pay in cash, as banks will not loan money to brothel owners.

Mr Frank said this was a statewide policy.

"The PLA will only issue a brothel licence to a person," he said.

"In Queensland corporations cannot hold a licence so if the owner defaults the bank cannot take it over and stick a manager in, as they would for other businesses.

"When the business or the owner goes bankrupt the brothel closes."