Schoolies season sparks warning to home owners

“Some students are known to have been trying to beat the system and get a better deal than in the traditional schoolies zone,” Archers the Strata Professionals partner Grant Mifsud said.

“The continued growth of platforms such as Airbnb is another problem for owners and building managers trying to deal with possibly overcrowded apartments and damage, which if caused by underage teenagers, may present issues with insurance coverage.

“Underage teenagers could be using false identities to set up Airbnb accounts, while it’s quite common for bookings to also be made by parents or other adults.

“Our message to owners and managers is to be vigilant about checking who is turning up to their properties as Queenslanders begin schoolies celebrations.”

Mr Mifsud advised homeowners and property managers to protect homes during schoolies celebrations by enforcing rules such as:

• No glass bottles in the room or pool area (bag checks can be carried out by onsite security).

• A maximum of two external guests permitted to a room at any time to restrict the potential for parties.

• Secure rooftops to prohibit skylarking and dangerous stunts.

• Zero tolerance policy for misbehaviour on apartment balconies.

• Noise must be kept to a minimum.

• Dangerous behaviour will be dealt with by police.