A former luxury high-rise in Brickell has come to this: sex workers in the hallways, loud music and arguments late at night, overflowing garbage, half the elevators out of order, and more in a litany of complaints. Residents of the Club at Brickell Bay have reported all of that and more to city officials, and now they’re finally getting some action on their behalf.
The building is massive. Forty-three floors, 643 units, and 88% of them are short-term rentals. That leaves the actual residents there feeling under siege from a constant deluge of partying tourists.
“It’s been hell, absolute hell,” said Christina Lardon.
She bought her apartment in 2008, long before the short-term rental
“I never envisioned anything like this could possibly happen,” Lardon said.
Police officers are regulars at the building. Just last week, a tourist fell to his death from the 34th floor. The police report says he had been drinking and smoking pot. Lardon says she feels trapped in a 24-hour party which has turned into a nightmare.
“I’ve been accosted, I’ve been screamed at, I’ve been called a Karen in the middle of the night because people were running up and down the hallway,” Lardon said.
She says she’s one of the few residents willing to speak out, as the building’s board is run entirely by owners who rent out their units. In fact, Lardon said on Friday, she was blocked from joining a Zoom meeting of the board.
“People come to Miami to party, that’s what they’re doing, they’re partying excessively through all hours of the night, they have no respect for our rules, our peaceful enjoyment, nothing; it constantly has the aroma of marijuana, our building is breaking down, they destroyed the gym,” Lardon said.
She told us complaints to the city went nowhere until the Miami Herald ran a front-page story on all the issues at the Brickell Bay Club. Then last Tuesday, the Miami assistant city manager sent a cease-and-desist letter to building management, saying it was operating like a hotel in violation of Florida law, creating a significant life safety issue.
“They are listening, and I am so grateful, but now I need action,” Lardon said.
The letter from the city accuses building management of refusing to let city code inspectors inside, and it says many one- and two-bedroom units have been altered to create multiple rooms, allowing 10 or more people to cram into a single apartment. The city gave the building 30 days to stop allowing short-term rentals.
We reached out to the property manager but did not receive a reply.