Every year in November-December thousands of school leavers’ from around Australia arrive by train, bus and plane, each keen to get their party shoes on and get to Queensland’s night-spots on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Airlie. As an accommodation owner in the area, it’s wise to do some schoolies preparation and know where to go if you or your young guests need support.
As a property manager, it is your responsibility to prepare your rental property. Here is a guide on how to prepare for schoolies.
Schoolies Preparation:
Check online business information is up-to-date
First and foremost, property managers have an obligation by law to provide their potential guests correct online business information. This includes; address, phone number, operating hours etc. By providing up-to-date information, this will ensure property managers avoid any misunderstandings by their guests, leading up to schoolies week.
Check your bookings
Property managers also need to keep track of their bookings, both direct and via OTA’s to avoid any booking mishaps such as over-bookings. Schoolies week is one of the busiest periods for property managers and leading up-to schoolies, most school leavers will book months prior to the celebrations. Due to this, it is recommended property manager double-check their bookings to avoid having upset guests and to ensure schoolies week runs smoothly.
Prepare your tenants
Furthermore, to ensure your rental property survives the student celebrations, Michael Ryall, a Senior Body Corporate Manager also has some tips to add for property managers.
Senior Body Corporate Manager Michael Ryall said that schoolies can be a stressful time for apartment owners and managers:
“It’s important to work together with school leavers and parents to ensure ground rules are laid down from the beginning,” he says.
Bond Returns
Mr Ryall said one of the biggest concerns from schoolies was they wouldn’t get their bond money returned, but advised occupiers to read the rules to avoid seemingly unfair treatment:
“Schoolies need to make sure they are aware of the House Rules before they arrive to avoid delays or troubles in checking in to rooms,” he said.
“Any damage made to the room or contents during a stay will come out of the bond amount. If schoolies encounter problems, the best way to come to a resolution is to talk to the accommodation provider with respect”
“Accommodation providers are required to have a complaint handling process and schoolies are entitled to lodge a written complaint if they feel that they have been treated unfairly”
House Rules
Property managers should revisit their behaviour management plan and schoolies ‘House Rules’, and put some in place if there are none. Property managers should also send house rules to the occupiers before they arrive so they can be reviewed prior to arrival, and make sure parents are in the loop.
Example rules could be:
– No glass bottles in the room or pool area (bag checks can be carried out by onsite security).
– Noise must be kept to a minimum.
Schoolies Preparation: Red Frogs
Should your guests get out of control, need assistance or just someone to talk to, The Red Frogs Organisation is available to support you, the accommodation provider. As part of your schoolies preparation you should familiarise yourself with this fantastic organisation.
The Red Frogs is a not-for-profit organisation, providing a volunteer service to ensure the well-being of Australia’s youth during this peak time in the school calendar. In providing this service it can actually take a lot of the pressure off you at this time, providing you with the support you need, so you can simply get on with running your business.
Some accommodation providers have used the Red Frogs to:
• act as a liaison between schoolies and management, to sort out disputes especially if the schoolie is rowdy or intoxicated.
• to check in on party goers if you expect things to be getting out of control ie. too loud, too messy
• to help provide schoolies with support, guidance or just a shoulder to lean on
• to act as a referral service for counselling or support services
• to provide pancake cook-ups for your schoolie guests, if they can
• to walk school leavers back to their accommodation if needed
• to provide a truck load of red frogs to your schoolies!
If you need support call 1300 557 123 at anytime day or night over the schoolie period and someone should be able to assist.
Interesting Facts about the Red Frogs Organisation:
• Originating from the Gold Coast, Red Frogs has expanded to 16 locations across Australia and also include Bali, Fiji and Vanuatu.
• Over 1,500 Red Frogs volunteers help safeguard the celebrating youth and provide a positive peer role model, offering direct relief to over 75,000 Schoolies/Leavers.
• The Red Frogs 24hr Hotline receives over 10,000 phone calls from Schoolies/ Leavers
• Over 3,000 walk homes keeping Schoolies/Leavers safe
• They distribute over 6 tonne of Allen’s Frogs Alive Red Frogs lollies
• Cook over 50,000 pancakes for Schoolies/Leavers
• Provide positive/live entertainment on stages in 5 locations across Australia
Schoolies Dates 2019: When Are The Schoolies Here:
Week 1 (16 – 23 Nov) – QLD Schoolies
Week 2 (23 Nov – 1 Dec) – NSW & VIC Schoolies
Week 3 (30 Nov – 8 Dec) – NSW & VIC Schoolies
This blog was originally published in November 2017 but has been updated with the dates for Schoolies 2019.
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Some other articles you may be interested in:
https://hirum.com.au/blog/how-to-prepare-for-schoolies/
https://hirum.com.au/blog/guidelines-from-the-oft-with-respect-to-schoolies-hirum-property-management-software/
