West Side Place — Local services in Melbourne

West Side Place is just an average building with many minor issues.

Starting with the advantages: it’s conveniently located, with trams, trains, and buses all within a five-minute walk to the station. Across the street, there’s a small shopping center with a supermarket and pharmacy. Downstairs, there are shops including a barbershop, restaurants, and an Asian supermarket, so most basic necessities are easy to find.

However, the building is on the outskirts of the city center. It’s still at least a ten-minute walk to the core area with the most restaurants and shops, not as convenient as the sales agents claim. So, the level of convenience is just acceptable, but not perfect.

The building’s facilities are decent but not exceptional. The cinema and karaoke rooms are basically impossible to book, so they’re more for show than actual use.

As for the downsides, there are many minor defects visible in every unit, such as small cracks, loose door handles, or faulty power outlets. There are also major issues. I’ve seen complaints from neighbours about poor sound insulation, waterfall-like leaks on higher floors, and loud noises caused by the building swaying in strong winds (builder and developer and building manager do not take care of these issues).

Personally, I’ve experienced drafty windows, water seepage in the basement parking lot, and poor-quality windows that can’t be opened after strong winds, with window hinges coming loose. When I asked a window repairman, he said the materials were poor and not designed to withstand strong winds. He’s had to repair windows for almost every unit multiple times.

The water temperature fluctuates between scalding hot and freezing cold, making it impossible to take a comfortable shower. The building manager said this is a design flaw that can’t be fixed, and even the residents at the Ritz Carlton are suffering from the same issue.

The room sizes are too small—3m by 3m, which is the legal minimum standard. After placing a double bed, there’s just enough space to get off the bed on three sides, with no room for a desk or vanity.

The management fees are extremely high. A two-bedroom unit on a higher floor costs about AUD 1,000 per month. The developer holds the most voting power in the owners' committee, and it’s rumored that they have direct or indirect ties to the building management company, making it impossible to replace them. For potential buyers, I would advise you to be prepared for the hefty management fees.

Overall, this is just a regular city apartment, or maybe below average, far from luxurious. Don’t expect luxury quality just because there’s a luxury hotel in the same complex.

31/10/24 Update: The developer sent someone to fix my window today. The repairman only fixed one window and mentioned that it’s just a temporary solution, as there is a flaw in the window system. Eventually, the windows will swing if all the friction wears off. I’ve adjusted the rating because the developer at least sent someone.

8/10/24 Update: The developer or BM attempted to shift responsibility to the builder, stating, “Your window’s stay arms were repaired on May 10th, 2023, as this was a legacy issue from the original builder.” However, the problem is not caused by the builder; it is an ongoing issue resulting from POOR QUALITY MATERIALS! To quote a comment from a window company that assists WSP in installing windows: “This is because they used basic pan head screws, and with the vibrations and repeated use of opening and closing the windows, this is, in my opinion, inadequate.” And my windows are NOT YET fixed. Additionally, they did not mention the water temperature problem because they know it is due to poor building design and CANNOT BE FIXED! Water temperature fluctuations should be a concern, and you will not find this issue in other buildings, BUT YOU WILL FIND...

Update on 5/10/2025: Management initially replied to this review but has since removed their comment. All our concerns remain unaddressed.

If you are thinking of purchasing/renting an apartment unit here, don't.

We’ve had a really disappointing experience living here, despite being owners who purchased our apartment for over $1 million of our hard-earned money.

Recently, my husband was told off and threatened with being reported to the Owners Corporation simply for moving two small boxes after 9 pm. He asked if we had a booking (which we do) and then accused us of lying, saying the move looked “suspicious” (😒), without even asking when our booking was (it was for the following day). We were just trying to move a couple of fragile boxes upstairs to our own apartment. The situation was handled aggressively and unprofessionally, and only after clarifying that we are the owners did the staff’s tone suddenly change, an unacceptable and discriminatory response. The staff member even said, “Well, you need to have a booking, mate.” We are not your “mates” — that level of familiarity and disrespect toward residents is completely unprofessional.

It doesn’t stop there. The apartment next door was completely flooded, and we were the ones who reported it after water seeped through and damaged our wall, leaving yellow stains and cracks. It’s now been four months, and we’re still waiting for the repairs. In that time, over seven different people have entered our unit to “get the best quote,” wasting our time repeatedly with no real progress.

The building advertises great facilities, but the overall atmosphere feels dark and unpleasant. The layout is poor, and the showers fluctuate between scalding hot and freezing cold, a known defect that apparently can’t be fixed.

On top of that, my husband keeps getting shooed away from the lobby whenever he comes to pick me up, even though I’m in the late stage of pregnancy. It’s exhausting, and honestly ridiculous to deal with this level of hostility in what’s supposed to be our home.

While a few concierges have been polite and professional, many, particularly the security staff, are rude, smug, and disrespectful. One even threatened to tow our car while we were unloading items for just 1.5 hours at the basement loading dock, despite being let in by the concierge. When I tried to explain we had just arrived, the guard spoke over me and refused to listen, falsely claiming our car had been there since 1 p.m the day BEFORE. (No offense, but even if the building offered us a free parking spot, we wouldn’t take it, getting in and out of this place is already ridiculously inconvenient!) We’ve been told different things by different staff about all these so-called “rules.” At one point, we were even told, “Well, you have to listen to me, I’m security, and we can tow your car.” Yes that’s how they speak to residents, including a pregnant woman. Great job, sir. 👏

Overall, we’ve been treated like criminals in our own home. For a building of this supposed standard, the lack of professionalism, empathy, and organization is shocking, especially toward residents who genuinely care about the property...

PSA for any potential renters and owners. For clarification, I speak as an owner within this apartment complex; the experience of living here has been very mixed and quite disappointing.

The overall build quality is fair and the facilities are actually very high quality (really good app to make bookings and generally concierge services are reasonable/professional).

Unfortunately, the vibe of the area is absolutely terrible. Security (and some of the concierge staff) enforce the rules and standards with an attitude; overbearing and carrying about their duties with general smugness. This is due to the building being shared with the Ritz Carlton which has set some rules and processes which seem to now apply to all the other thousands of residents that live here.

They make it so inconvenient to do things within your own building, like picking up my pregnant wife from down the front of the building without being shooed on for staying too long in “private space”. Or moving items after 8/9pm. Am I not allowed to pick-up something from FB marketplace and bring it through the front door after a certain time what an absolute joke (without receiving threats of fines and other disciplinary action from the OC).

NOW. The real problem are the junkies who stay here and get cooked, smoking ice in the airbnbs and other guests throwing parties or using the facilities in a disorderly manner. Multiple 1-3L nang bottles littered on every corner of the apartment block, every single day from the residents and guests that pass through.

For a shoebox apartment that bleeds a hole through your wallet in ongoing fees 🤮 Oh yeah the apartment next door was flooded, leaked all through to our house and im still waiting 3 months later to get my kitchen and entire wall face replaced.

Save yourself the trouble. The facilities, the views and the residents are nice though. If thats any...