Yep, councils get dragged kicking and screaming into this when rate payers complain.
There are an increasing number of Airbnb hosts (and Stayz etc) in the eastern suburbs getting attention from the council. In just about every case, it would relate to an apartment. The person making the complaint would be a resident, and the culprit would be someone not residing in the apartment and renting it out for short stays.
To be honest, I have some sympathy for the people complaining in those situations. I wouldn't like to live in a flat in Bondi and every weekend have the apartment across the hall occupied by a different group of people often there to have a bit of a party.
It's similar to the problems in places like Byron and the Central Coast where councils have had to move against 'party houses'.
My take on it is this:
As Thatbum said, it's a planning issue. When councils act, they fall back on what is or is not permitted by Section 149 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. 'Tourist accomodation' is a prohibited use, as are well over a hundred other possible uses for a property: boat ramp, airstrip, cemetery etc.
Permitted with consent, among a dozen or so other uses, is 'bed and breakfast accommodation'. And of course, 'with consent' means people need to put in a DA and do some pretty silly things to their property - including having a commercial sink in the kitchen that is just for washing hands. (I know a lot of Airbnb hosts and nobody provides breakfast.)
Councils have their own LEPs (Local Environment Plans) that are specific to their areas, but short term accommodation has never been an issue significant enough for them to have to think about how they will deal with it. Councils in beach suburbs are going to have to tackle it.
There are an increasing number of Airbnb hosts (and Stayz etc) in the eastern suburbs getting attention from the council. In just about every case, it would relate to an apartment. The person making the complaint would be a resident, and the culprit would be someone not residing in the apartment and renting it out for short stays.
To be honest, I have some sympathy for the people complaining in those situations. I wouldn't like to live in a flat in Bondi and every weekend have the apartment across the hall occupied by a different group of people often there to have a bit of a party.
It's similar to the problems in places like Byron and the Central Coast where councils have had to move against 'party houses'.
My take on it is this:
As Thatbum said, it's a planning issue. When councils act, they fall back on what is or is not permitted by Section 149 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. 'Tourist accomodation' is a prohibited use, as are well over a hundred other possible uses for a property: boat ramp, airstrip, cemetery etc.
Permitted with consent, among a dozen or so other uses, is 'bed and breakfast accommodation'. And of course, 'with consent' means people need to put in a DA and do some pretty silly things to their property - including having a commercial sink in the kitchen that is just for washing hands. (I know a lot of Airbnb hosts and nobody provides breakfast.)
Councils have their own LEPs (Local Environment Plans) that are specific to their areas, but short term accommodation has never been an issue significant enough for them to have to think about how they will deal with it. Councils in beach suburbs are going to have to tackle it.
