As more Australians find it harder to secure housing and prices of goods and services skyrocket, local and state authorities have aimed their significant legislative weapons at short-term providers.
Some municipalities have raised the prices of properties listed on platforms like airbnb and Stayz, while state governments have set a ceiling on the number of days these properties can be rented out as holiday homes.
Here’s the latest on what rules govern the use of properties for short stays around Australia.
WA still decides, advice intervenes
Broome property owners who plan to rent their homes to us via an online platform must register with the city council.
The Broome Shire Council committed to the changes last month as part of a new planning scheme, which is still awaiting approval from the state planning minister.
Under the previous scheme, shire had no option to approve short-term rental properties to conduct business in areas marked for habitation.
But the new scheme gives the council the power to permit the properties in residential zones as long as the owners seek permission.
The council’s argument was that people who ran resorts and hotels paid higher prices, while people who ran short-term rentals had “no restrictions around them”.
Further south, locally laws passed by the city of Busselton have introduced a night curfew for guests and prohibited from leaving dogs unattended.
The rules are part of the second phase of legislative changes that give the city the power to deregister cottages that do not comply with the new code of conduct.
It also requires property managers to respond to inquiries from the public within 12 hours.
The code of conduct for holiday home guests was completed in April and contained a limit on the number of guests after 1 p.m.
It also required the owners to display a sign with the manager’s contact information visible from the street.
The city of Busselton controls the popular tourist regions of Dunsborough, Yallingup and parts of the Margaret River.
WA’s Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries is investigating the implementation of a new nationwide registration system for short-term stays.
Online booking platforms and short-term stay providers are consulted.
Queensland Council raises rates
Some of Queensland’s largest tourist centers are introducing rules designed to limit the number of properties listed on sites like airbnb and return shares to the long-term rental market.
Brisbane Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced last week that the city council would slam an additional fee of 50 percent on rate bills for properties rented as short-term housing.
Although the council does not have accurate data on how many short-term residential properties operate in Brisbane, it will rely on owners identifying themselves, along with reports from neighbors and “technology”, to find the properties.
Up the coast, the Noosa Shire Council passed a new local law in February requiring a one-time application to be submitted for all existing and new properties operating short-term rentals or homes unless identified as exempt.
Annual renewal of the permit will be required while the accommodation activity continues to operate on the property.
Complaints will be handled through a centralized 24/7 complaint hotline, and properties must display an approval message on the front of the property, including the 24/7 complaint hotline number and approval number.
The Council had also called for a state tax on providers of short-term stays.
And in the far north is the Cairns Regional Council is expected to increase prices later in the month on investment properties in an attempt to penalize short-stay providers.
NSW introduces registration fee, ceilings for stays
The NSW government introduced a mandatory code of conduct and amendments to the strata legislation in 2020.
Hosts are required to record their short-term stays and adhere to a fire safety standard.
A registration fee of $ 65 for the first 12 months and an annual renewal fee of $ 25 are part of the laws.
Hosted and non-hosted short-term residences can operate year-round in the state, except in Greater Sydney and some regional NSW local government areas.
Non-hosted listings in these areas – that is, properties where the owner does not also live in the home while a guest is there – are limited to 180 days per year.
Orders over 21 consecutive days are exempt from the day limit.
Byron Bay, however, it seems authorize a 90-day ceiling on short-term listings in one move to free up housing stock.
Options to be weighed for short-term and holiday accommodation are a 90-day ceiling for non-hosted accommodation in the majority of shire, or non-hosted accommodation available year-round in certain areas.
On the south coast, The Eurobodalla Shire Council has written to thousands of holiday home owners asks them to make their properties available to tenants to ease the region’s housing crisis in an effort to avoid “going down the regulatory path”.
Tasmania has a licensing system
Hosts in Tasmania are now required to register for a permit with their local council or request an exemption if their list is justified.
A permit is not required if the residence is the primary residence and the owner hosts the space when they are temporarily away or guests have no more than four bedrooms.
However, those who legally use their property for visitor accommodation before 1 July 2018 are not required to obtain a permit, nor are hotels, motels or caravans.
In March, the number of short-stay properties allowed in the Hobart area was limited below a proposal passed by Hobart City Council to stop any new permits for whole house development of shorter stays in residential areas.
Rules of conduct apply in Victoria
For short-term stays in units and apartments, Victoria has rules for noise and behavior.
They apply if a person shares a private room, his entire home while away or shares a non-primary residence, such as a holiday home.
Actions such as making excessive noise or damaging property constitute a breach or strike under the new laws and give the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal the power to prevent the owner of an apartment from renting out their property in the short term if three different complaints are made. within a 24 month period.
The laws also allow the owner of the apartment to be charged with compensation for loss of amenities, which can be up to $ 2,000 per person. complaint.
Owners and guests of an apartment that is rented out in the short term may be subject to fines.
South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT
South Australia has a proposal in place for a property register, but nothing has been enacted into law yet.
NT and ACT also have nothing specific in the legislation, but the owners’ companies may stipulate that leases must be signed for a minimum period to limit the number of Airbnbs.
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/M2TUMYMV7RNPVEKY7AMUBUH6C4.jpg)
