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Community leasing

Prospective leaseholders

Council provides community facilities that are fit for purpose and maintained to meet health and safety standards.

A range of our properties are available for not-for-profit organisations to rent through lease agreements.

Currently, more than 400 properties are used for sport, recreation, cultural or community purposes.

Are you eligible?

To be eligible for a lease your organisation must:

be an incorporated association or equivalent
be a not-for-profit, community-based organisation
maintain $20 million public liability insurance
be able to show how the organisation can meet the financial, management and maintenance obligations of a lease
use the facilities for sporting, recreational, community services and/or educational purposes.

All organisations interested in leasing must undergo a Health check to support an application to lease.

Who can you contact with questions?

If you have any questions or would like approval for improvements to a leased facility, please contact us.

Current leaseholders

A lease agreement outlines the general responsibilities of the lessor (or owner – in this case Council) and lessee (or tenant).

As a lessee there are certain responsibilities you need to bear in mind. A lease agreement is a legal and binding document.

Area of lease

It is important for organisations to understand and meet the terms and conditions stipulated on the signed agreement.

Lease boundaries comprise the area granted exclusively to a lessee; usually the footprint of a building. This includes access ramps and external staircases.

Lease boundaries include special purpose playing areas (e.g. tennis courts, bowling greens and synthetic surfaces). These areas must only be used for purposes permitted under the lease.

Amenity buildings that are locked and used by members and/or guests of a lessee are also included in lease areas.

Maintenance of the leased facility

Lessees are responsible for the maintenance, renewal and upgrade of all assets within the leased area. This is part of the standard lease terms and conditions.

On occasions, lessees will need owner's consent to carry out maintenance works, alterations or additions. We are committed to helping lessees manage their ongoing maintenance responsibilities.

City of Gold Coast conducts periodic facility inspections including structural building and electrical inspections. Our inspection reports help identify future maintenance requirements. They also guide the development of the lessee's asset management and renewal plans.

Our officers may need to access leased premises to undertake inspections or repairs. We do our best to provide the lessee with reasonable notice.

The table below shows what maintenance does and doesn't require our approval.

Maintenance that doesn't require our approval	Maintenance or improvements that do require our approval
General painting Removing graffiti Testing and tagging electrical equipment Regular operational maintenance – changing light globes, cleaning and removal of rubbish Inspections of smoke detectors Pest management Field line marking Basic plumbing maintenance – leaking taps Servicing grease traps Hard surface cleaning General garden maintenance	Painting at heights above two metres Structural maintenance works Alterations or renovations to buildings Demolition works Earthworks Installation of new assets: - public address system - solar panels - fencing - scoreboards - player dug outs - signage - shade sails

Maintenance performed by us includes:

electrical – switch board inspection and RCD testing
structural building inspections
asbestos
sport field maintenance.

Before undertaking any improvements or works to premises owned by us, your organisation must complete a Recreation services project proposal for approval.

As a part of the application, you must supply the following documents:

professional drawings/plans of proposed work
location map including any vehicular access into the park
site plan
copy of written quotes or Quantity Surveyor estimate
project budget including 10% contingency and evidence of funding
copy of Public Liability Insurance Certificate of Currency.

Work must not commence until we provide written consent as landlord. In certain cases, further approvals may be required by us, for example development approval.

Assessment of applications can take up to 20 days. This timeframe should be included in the organisation's schedule of works.

Complete your recreation services project proposal

Your lease renewals and extensions

Before your tenure arrangement expires, our officers will review the feasibility of a further arrangement being offered.

The officers will either recommend the lease be renewed or discuss the future of your organisation at that facility.

Under the Maintenance and Renewal Program, we conduct an inspection as part of the new lease or lease renewal process. Following the inspection, a Maintenance/Renewal Agreement is developed and issued as part of the lease.

You will need to complete an Application to Lease form to request a renewal or extension of your current lease agreement.

Please contact our Parks and Recreational Services team if you require a copy of this form.

Annual health check

The health check is an online self-assessment tool aimed at helping clubs examine how they are operating. It should be completed annually.

The checklist looks at a number of factors that are crucial to success at club level. Together these factors are used to build an overall picture of the way your club carries out its operations.

The tool is designed to help your club identify your strengths and areas that need improvement. It's also a great way for us to gain a better understanding of areas that we can help you with.

Complete your organisation health check

Discounts on fees and charges

We provide leases at a discounted rate to benefit the community:

Non-licensed organisations – the current fee is $404.22 (excluding GST) to be increased by 3% for each subsequent rental period.
Licensed organisations – minimum $1000 per annum or 2% of gross liquor purchases (excluding GST), whichever is the greater. Lessees are to provide evidence of annual liquor purchases on each year.
All costs relating to the registration of a lease, including the costs of survey plan preparation, are at the lessee's expense unless otherwise determined by us.
Lessees are responsible for the payment of rates and charges assessed against a lease, based on our relevant policies.

Other costs associated with your community leasing

In addition to the above fees and charges, the lessee is responsible for other costs which may include but are not limited to:

electricity (including field lighting)
water rates
annual rent
Right of Use fees
public liability insurance
building and contents insurance
annual safety testing (RCD, fire equipment test and tag)
trade waste (permit and collection fees)
any licencing requirements (liquor, food, etc.).

Our joint responsibilities for building inspections

The lessee must maintain all fixtures and fittings in good working order and condition with allowance for fair wear and tear.

As lessee, your club should arrange for all repairs, maintenance, upgrades and renewals within the leased area.

To assist lessees with maintenance of facilities, we undertake building inspections for all leased buildings. Our program involves the assessment of all aspects of the buildings, including:

structural elements such as building foundations, walls, roof and stairs
legislative requirements such as electrical testing (annual)
general maintenance such as building interior/exterior, flooring, plumbing, vegetation, fences and other items that are included within the leased area.

Tenants are provided with a copy of the inspection report accompanied by an action letter which includes due dates for modification works. The report will be discussed and agreement made between the club's representatives and City of Gold Coast.

All inspections should be used to:

identify and address any immediate maintenance needed
ensure all regular checks are up-to-date
plan for any future maintenance or capital works in accordance with our process.

The building inspection report will highlight key issues, prioritising health and safety risks. We will provide appropriate notice to tenants when we require access to your leased facility.

Tenants should keep a copy of the latest building inspection report and address it at each committee meeting (standing agenda item). The building assessment report should be accessible to all club committee members and relevant maintenance staff.

Tenants should use the report to develop a:

Our leasing policy

Our Community Leasing Policy has been developed to ensure an equitable and consistent approach in providing tenure arrangements to community groups.

The policy promotes optimal use of community facilities and the adoption of responsible and sustainable practices through the provision of land to community groups.