Oscar Tootell threatened legal action to sever the contract he signed to buy a unit in the building after two months of what he describes as the "worst rental experience" of his life. Loading Mr Tootell and his partner rented a unit on the 35th floor in November 2018 and was told they would not be inconvenienced by ongoing construction. "That was pretty much a blatant lie," he said this week. The 32-year-old described constant noise as concrete was pumped through the centre of the tower. Power outages and malfunctioning lifts were also regular occurrences that, on one occasion, caused the musician to be trapped in the building's downstairs foyer for five hours after a gig.

"We were there for two months and I was like 'No chance' ... I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy," he said. "We constantly didn't know if we would have access to basic amenities." An artist's impression of the completed Australia 108 building, set to be the highest tower of Mebourne's city skyline. Credit: Mr Tootell considers himself lucky to have extricated himself from his contract without financial penalty. Scores of renters living on various levels of the building have told The Age they have heard cracking noises when it is windy. They say the noises have become louder and more frequent over the past week.

One resident who asked not to be named described the noise as a loud creaking sound you might associate with the inner-workings of a ship. Other residents said the noise was so loud they could not sleep at night. "I woke up at 4am and I was really thinking, 'Do I have to leave the building?' It’s not safe," said the resident, who pays $2600 per month for a two-bedroom apartment. Messages from an internal communication platform reveal residents posting at all hours of the night saying they feel afraid. I can't live like this. I don't feel safe and I can't sleep every time I hear the noise. Australia 108 resident

"I can't live like this. I don't feel safe and I can't sleep every time I hear the noise," one person posted. "Literally this noise is now killing me," said another. "I'm having the same problem on level 21. I swear all the walls are making noise. I have to get up at 4.30am for a flight tomorrow ... I'm going to get no sleep tonight," another resident posted about 11pm. Walls are cracking in the partially completed residential skyscraper. The Victorian Building Authority confirmed it inspected the building on Thursday and had requested the building plans. That review remains ongoing.

Photographs taken inside the building show cracked walls and ceilings in various apartments. The building manager, who would only provide his first name, David, said he had received between 20 and 30 complaints of cracking noises from within the building. "I don’t really have anything to offer. We’re in the dark about what is exactly going on," he said, before referring the matter to the construction company. In a statement, Multiplex denied any structural issues with Australia 108 and said the building was still under construction so "slight movement" was to be anticipated. "Multiplex is constructing the project in accordance with all authority requirements including regular building monitoring which is a common practice during construction.

Another cracked wall in the newly-constructed Australia 108 building. "There is absolutely no risk to current residents. Some minor defects may occur from time to time after the handover of apartments. "All residents have access to the Multiplex onsite customer service team and our onsite service team has been working closely with the residents to rectify these items in a timely manner." One renter said a Multiplex representative inspected the damage in his apartment on Thursday and was told the cracks were a result of the earth moving. He said he was told ceiling cracks would be an ongoing problem, even once the building was completed. While they would be easy to fix, he was told the company would need to cut a hole in the wall to stop the cracking noises.

"He [the Multiplex representative] said the creaking is from the metal ropes in the walls hitting each other, they are supposed to have clips on them to prevent this but sometimes they get missed," the renter said. Loading The cracking walls and creaking noises are not the only problems faced by residents. Many have reported other defects including windows that jam or don't close – allowing rain to enter the apartment – as well as broken air-conditioning units and "ad hoc" fire safety procedures. "The building is of such poor quality that I can't even open two windows at the same time because they hit each other because the building is curved," one resident said. Land title data reveals a large number of the units are foreign-owned, with rental properties being managed by Song property management or Chinese-focused agency, Iron Fish.