Queensland man’s 5am ritual sparks months of neighbour complaints

One man’s naked early morning ritual has sparked months of complaints from neighbours over noise and disturbance.

The Queensland resident, who lives in a resort-style complex in Cairns, routinely started his day by breaking up ice in a freezer on his balcony before making an ice bath.

The DIY plunge pool did not sit well with his neighbours, following reports he was walking around naked on his balcony and had even been tipping water onto the outdoor furniture of a resident living below.

After neighbours began documenting the months-long disturbances, the noisy morning routine escalated into a formal by-law contravention notice.

Archers Cairns strata manager Joel Sharples said residents are generally free to go about their lives at home, unless their actions begin impacting their neighbours.

“Everyone has a right to use their home, but there’s also an expectation of reasonable consideration for neighbours,” Sharples said.

“Noise at very early hours, especially if it’s repetitive, can be considered a nuisance under many by-laws.”

As for balcony nudity, the situation presents a slightly different challenge.

Sharples said someone being naked within their own property was not necessarily something a body corporate could regulate. However, if they were visible from public or shared areas, the matter could fall under local council laws or become a police issue.

The bizarre dispute is one of many complaints handled by Archers, which manages more than 30,000 lots across Queensland.

At another complex, police were forced to step in after a resident reportedly spat and hurled cans, bottles and food scraps from a balcony, while liquids were poured towards people below.

On the Sunshine Coast, a group of children was spotted repeatedly accessing a rooftop and climbing across restricted areas of the building. After warnings failed to stop them, the lot owners were issued a reminder about the building’s by-laws.

Another complaint was raised when the teenage son of apartment owners kept bringing friends over to use the building’s pool, despite his parents’ apartment being leased out to tenants.

Archers chief executive Nicky Lonergan said there was often confusion over exactly how much power a body corporate holds over resident behaviour inside the home.

“People sometimes assume body corporates can police every aspect of behaviour inside a private apartment, but that’s not how the legislation works,” she said.

“What committees can regulate are behaviours that impact common property or other residents’ peaceful enjoyment of their homes. The challenge is finding the right balance.”

More than 3.9 million Australians, or over 20 per cent of the population, live in strata or community title properties, according to the 2025 Australasian Strata Insights Report.