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To B Or Not To Airbnb

5/5/2017

12 Comments

 
Short term holiday letting has been around for years, but over the last few years the industry has gone to a new level. And sea-side suburbs like Manly are riding the crest of the wave.  

House-sharing websites, like Airbnb, benefit travellers by providing a huge number of new, affordable places to stay, and they help home-owners make the most of their biggest asset. The local economy, especially in rural areas, gets a boost as well, as travellers end up in local cafes, shops and restaurants. ​
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But there’s a downside. Residents of apartment buildings worry that their building will turn into a hotel. They cite concerns about security, disrespect for common property, noise and late-night parties and loss of the “community” where they used to live. The traditional accomodation industry - hotels, hostels etc - who make bricks and mortar investments and also provide local employment - are under threat as well. 

Manly residents have already fought, and  won, one battle over this.  Noisy “party units” were so disruptive that in 2004 Manly Council took action and required short-term renters to obtain council consent in order to operate. 

This time around its the sharing economy which has emerged so quickly that legislation is struggling to keep up. A NSW parliamentary inquiry into the short term rental industry was held last year and its recommendations are now under review. 

The most contentious issue is over what say apartment owners should have over how their apartment block is used.  The concern is not about residents renting out a spare room, or even renting their whole unit for a few weeks at a time.  But owners corporations are horrified at the thought that an apartment may turn into party central every week of the year, and there will be nothing they can do about it.  

That fear was addressed in a recent government statement on the issue. It took on the most frightening recommendation of the parliamentary inquiry; that holiday lets should be “complying developments”, meaning there would be no legal basis for apartment blocks to pass by-laws to block or restrict them. 

But the relevant government ministers - Anthony Roberts for Planning and Matt Kean for Innovation & Better Regulation -  didn't agree and said they needed more time to consult with all the stakeholders.

The ministers, who  will release a position paper this month, say that work needs to be done to find “a balance between providing options for accomodation and allowing residents to go about their daily lives”. Stakeholders, including the traditional tourism industry, the house-sharing economy and residential communities will be consulted. 

“We don’t want a holiday accomodation market that’s so over-regulated it puts people off coming here, but the rights of residents who live near these properties must be considered too,” Mr Keen said. 

Good For Manly president Candy Bingham said she welcomed the consultative approach. 

"I've been contacted by people who are in despair over problem units in the building they live in," she said.  "They say that existing by laws covering noise and problem behaviour are not enough to deal with people who are just coming to have a good time, and behave as if they've booked into a unsupervised hostel".

“I believe apartment owners deserve the right to decide if short-term rentals are permitted within their strata communities and if so on what basis it is permitted.” she said.

​What do you think?
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The Manly Airbnb site is full of tempting images.
12 Comments
Ian Thomson
31/5/2017 09:33:53 am

If we accept Airbnb then it must have a 3 month only letting period.
Personally I am against Airbnb in unit blocks for obvious reasons.

Thanks Ian

Reply
Susan Inglis
31/5/2017 11:13:40 am

It should be reasonable that RESIDENTS can use airbnb to earn a little extra money. It is not reasonable that investment units in residential areas are let short term, rather than long term.
If the resident is living on the property and renting out a spare room or a granny flat, they will be there to control problem behaviour.
If a resident rents their whole unit or house when they go on holiday, a total of 12 weeks a year should cover their holidays.

Reply
Greg MITCHELL
31/5/2017 11:17:36 am

Two of my family were living in my unit in a Company title block in White St. Balgowlah. Both have life treatening conditions,seldom home, working hard - as lone parent mother with a conscienious secondary school styudent. - but in need a some decent sleep from about 10pm to keep going..The adjoining unit was let to a pleasant young man, who 'sub-let" it to a considerable number overseas student friends - who did temp. work around Manly until around mid-night, and unwound with music,TV,, frivolity, etc. till well into the early morning hours. .The letting estate agent passed on complaints to the principal tenant;the principal tenant expressed or fained concern but couldn't control, the shareholder owners merely re-directed the complaints from residents to their agent. The police tried but they firstly needed to "catch them in the act" and their warnings were soon ignored. As the Dep't. of Fair Trading Standard Form Residential Tenancy Agreement provides for "Tenant's Right To Quiet Enjoyment", Owner's should be likewise entitled. Guest of tenants and owners offer a semblance of control and amenity.For the OVERALL benefit of the COMMUNITY, keep Holiday Lettings out of Residential Zoned areas.

Reply
Laura
31/5/2017 01:47:12 pm

I think it is also important to consider the owners of the apartments that are being rented on airbnb. Renting out an apartment they own and should have the right to have who they want stay there may be able to pay for a holiday they normally would never be able to afford. There needs to be a balance with controlling "partiers" but not restricting say grandparents coming to stay in an airbnb from another country who would not cause any issues. Please don't put blanket bans on airbnb arrangements which have many benefits to the owners and tourist industry, just because of a few issues with noisy airbnb guests. Most airbnb are respectful and spend time out enjoying the area. Please put controls around the actual issue - which are noisy disruptive parties - which can be caused by owners, renters or airbnb guests!

Reply
Ken Olah
31/5/2017 10:59:58 pm

I want our apartment block to be a community of residents, not a pile of bricks to make a quick quid to pay for an owners' holiday.

Airbnb make noise, not necessarily but quite possibly by partying, but certainly by coming and going at all hours, dragging cases and back packs, talking loudly to find keys ....

They are careless users of common property, more likely to cause accidental damage, leave a mess, misuse bins and the like. Airbnb travellers aren't bad people, they're just not invested in the place they're staying.

Selfish owners profit from Airbnb, while the residents and other owners pay the real price.

Reply
Ann Oyed
1/6/2017 08:02:48 am

I used to live in units, but never again. I didn't have problems with holiday makers necessarily but I certainly did with owner occupiers who treated the building like it was their own house. In my experience it is they who take liberties with common areas as if they are entitled, use the visitor parking for their own vehicles, let their dog swim in the pool, leave their towels hanging over the balconies and over the pool fencing, leave their children's toys all over the backyard, let their children dig holes in the ground that result in another resident breaking their ankle, park their baby strollers and bikes in the foyer and then complain when they get stolen... The list of issues were miles long. Currently the unit adjacent to my house is occupied by party rockers who rage until the wee hours every weekend - they are not holiday makers, they are long term renters. Point is, if you live in a unit, it doesn't matter if you are an owner, long term renter or a short term renter - you have to expect there will be noise at times and issues with others' behavior. If you don't like it, get a house in a remote location that doesn't attract so many tourists.

Reply
Lisle
3/6/2017 04:18:07 pm

Once again Candy Bingham has raised an important matter which could have serious implications for Manly residents living in Manly Residential Apartment Blocks who value their lifestyle.
A bit of history. In 2004 following an avalanche of complaints from residents living in apartment blocks troubled by the holiday letting which was having serious implications on their lifestyle and buildings, the Mayor, Dr Peter Macdonald, called for a Manly Council Working Party into short term & holiday letting less than 90 days..
I was a member of the Working Party.
Within 30 minutes of the first meeting commencing, it was clear that it was Manly Council through its LEP which had the authority over such activities, and that to conduct such activities it is necessary to have a Development Consent Application.
Thus holiday letting less than 90 days became a non event in our residential apartment blocks, and Strata Plans enforced this authority with a By-Law.
Last November a Report was tabled in the NSW Parliament
"Adequacy of the Regulation of Short-Term Holiday Letting in New South Wales."
We were all shocked because firstly, we didn't know that such an enquiry was taking place, and secondly, it recommended that all planning restrictions be removed, which would have completely wrecked the LEP in relation to all planning throughout the state of NSW.
I tried to warn people, but they were so convinced that the matter was under control, that they just would not believe me. All the articles appearing in the media about Airbnb were ignored and in fact, never read such was the apathy and ignorance of what was taking place. This included the Manly Daily
The Government had a problem on its hands with the Report, and so in April when Planning Minister Roberts and Minister for Innovation & Better Regulation, Matthew Kean, responded, it was clear they had a problem, so they issued a statement that a Discussion Paper would be issued during May.
To date, this has not appeared.
Had there not been a strong response from the Owners Corporation Network, Jimmy Thomson Flat-chat, and many others, this Report could have just been accepted as law and NSW Planning would never have been the same again.
We now await the Discussion Paper.
Thank Candy for raising this important matter for the people of Manly, and in fact everywhere on the Northern Beaches.

Reply
Candy Bingham
7/6/2017 11:42:54 am

Thanks Lisle for your detailed and informed comments. The discussion paper will certainly be important.

Reply
Nick
15/11/2019 05:24:20 am

Hello Lisle, do you know where I would be able to find more information on the Development Consent Application requirements for manly council? Thank you

Reply
Penny
16/2/2018 01:29:27 am

It would be unfair to discriminate against apartment dwellers, and prevent them from participating in the sharing economy in the same way house dwellers can.

Reply
john
17/3/2020 11:23:06 am

Unfair to who? What about the the people whose lives are constantly disrupted by holiday makers that treat their apartment blocks like a cheap hotel?

Reply
Diana
30/10/2019 05:51:19 pm

Sharing economy! Hope these generous sharers are paying the relevant taxes on their properties so the government can share it with the rest of us! The multi storey semi detached house next door was recently as a holiday house by an interstate family. It is mainly let as a 7 bed Airbnb for other noisy holiday makers oblivious to their neighbours on the other side of the party wall and on the nearby balconies as they rave about the lovely quiet location! Every light in the house and garden left on all night to shine into sleeping neighbours bedrooms, underwear strung up on makeshift clothesline’s on street front balconies, dirty nappies overflowing from garbage bins and no owner, hotel desk or agent to address issues. These people are paying huge amounts for their holiday and have a sense of entitlement rather than any interest in being part of the community. Manly houses are often very close together and were never designed to be used as hotels. Oahu, Hawaii has closed all Airbnb’s while it decides how to deal with the issue.

Reply



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    Candy Bingham, Manly Ward Councillor on Northern Beaches Council posts what's making news and issues relevant to Manly on this blog. 

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